Denodo Platform for Azure 7.0 BYOL - Quick Start Guide
Denodo Platform, the data virtualization leader for unifying enterprise data and delivering data services for the business, is available on Azure as bring your own license virtual machine (VM) for trial purposes. The VM contains the latest version of Denodo Platform, optimized for use with the Azure Virtual Machines service.
Thank you for your confidence in Denodo and choosing the Denodo Platform for Azure as your data virtualization technology!
This quick start guide will give you an overview of the Denodo Platform and how to quickly start building data virtualization solutions on Azure.
Denodo Platform for Azure BYOL Usage Instructions
Overview
This Azure offering is based on a Bring Your Own License (BYOL) model under your Azure subscription.
Therefore it is expected that you already have an Azure subscription that you can use to logon to the Azure Marketplace in order to create and launch the Denodo Platform BYOL virtual machine through the Azure console.
The high level list of steps needed to provision and configuring your Denodo Platform BYOL on Azure is the following:
- Previous Step: Obtain a Denodo Platform license.
- Use your Azure Subscription to start the Denodo Platform BYOL solution app available on the Azure Marketplace.
- Deploy the Denodo Platform virtual machine (Windows Server based) through your Azure console.
- Activate the denodo User
- Install License or Configure a Solution Manager
- Start Denodo Platform Services
All the process can take an approximate time of 15 to 20 minutes.
1- Previous Step: Obtain a Denodo Platform License
This is a BYOL offering and requires you to work with Denodo directly to obtain licenses. If you currently do not hold a license agreement for Denodo Platform, please contact Denodo directly to pursue a license to use the software.
2- Get the Azure Solution App
You are responsible for operating your own Azure subscription.
You can create and launch your Denodo Platform for Azure BYOL solution app using your Azure subscription.
The Azure offering includes a Windows Server Virtual Machine with Denodo Platform 7.0 installed.
Log on to the Azure Marketplace, search for the Denodo Platform 7.0 BYOL for Azure listing or use the link below:
3- Virtual Machine Deployment
After selecting the Denodo Platform for Azure BYOL solution app available through the Azure Marketplace you have to complete some few configuration steps in order to launch the Denodo Platform virtual machine through the Azure console.
Basic Deployment Settings
After clicking the Create button for the Denodo Platform 7.0 BYOL solution you will get a similar page like the one below to configure the basic deployment settings:
- Virtual Machine name. You have to choose a name for your Denodo Platform virtual machine.
- Administrator Username. You have to enter a username for the virtual machine administrator. That username cannot be denodo because that is an already provisioned username in the virtual machine.
- Administrator password.
- Associated Azure Subscription.
- Resource Group. A resource group represents a group of resources that share the same lifecycle, policies, and permissions. You can create a new one for all resources associated to this Denodo Platform virtual machine deployment or choose to include then in an existing resource group in your Azure subscription.
- Location for the deployment.
Additional Deployment Settings
In the next page you can review or update Virtual Machine settings like:
- Virtual machine size. You can leave the recommended one or choose another.
- Diagnostic storage account. You can leave the proposed value or choose other.
- Public IP address. You can leave the proposed value or choose other.
- DNS prefix. You can leave the proposed value or choose other.
- Virtual network. You can leave the default value.
- Subnets. Click on the Subnets tab to review and accept the default values or choose another values.
Summary of Deployment
The summary page provides you the final overview for reviewing the configuration settings before creating the virtual machine.
Deployment Creation
Finally you have to agree Azure Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and launching the creation of the virtual machine.
4- Activate the denodo User
Once the Denodo Platform for Azure BYOL virtual machine is running you have to log in Windows with your Administrator Account username through a Remote Desktop Connection. Detailed instructions are available on https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/connect-logon
Once connected as the administrator username for the VM you have to complete the following tasks:
- Launch Computer Management on the Windows BYOL virtual machine.
- Select Local Users and Groups > Users.
- Right-click the denodo user.
- Select Properties.
- If it is not already, clear the Account is disabled checkbox.
- Click Apply.
- Right-click the denodo user.
- Select Set Password.
- Enter and confirm your new password.
After completing these steps for activating the denodo user, then you can log out and use Remote Desktop Connection to log in to the Windows virtual machine using the denodo user and the password you set.
5- Install License or Configure a Solution Manager
The Denodo Platform services require a Denodo license to start.
Log in the Denodo Platform for Azure BYOL virtual machine through Remote Desktop Connection with the denodo user. You can provide the license to Denodo Platform through one of the following different ways:
- Installing a Denodo Platform license file in the server. This is typically used for trial and evaluation scenarios. Copy the Denodo Platform license file to the Azure VM, rename it as denodo.lic, and save it in the C:\Denodo\DenodoPlatform7.0\conf directory. The appropriate license is checked out after starting the Denodo Platform Control Center. If you had the Denodo Platform Control Center open you can click the License information link to force the licence validation.
- Registering the Denodo Platform server in a Denodo License Manager. This is typically used for production, staging and development scenarios. You need a Denodo Solution Manager installed and running, and accessible from the Denodo Platform server. You can find more detailed information on the Denodo official documentation on how to register a server in the License Manager.
6- Start Denodo Platform Services
Logged in as the denodo user through Remote Desktop Connection and once a Denodo Platform license is installed you can start enjoying Denodo Platform.
You have to launch the Denodo Platform Control Center that allows starting and stopping all Denodo Platform servers and tools, as well as a group of additional functions.
You can find more information on https://community.denodo.com/docs/html/browse/7.0/platform/installation/denodo_platform_control_center/denodo_platform_control_center
Through the Denodo Platform Control Center you can start the Virtual DataPort (VDP) server and then launch the Virtual DataPort Administration Tool to connect to VDP server.
Denodo VDP default administrator user is admin with admin as default password. You should change the administrator password as soon as possible to ensure that you are operating under a secure environment.
You can find more information on https://community.denodo.com/docs/html/browse/7.0/vdp/administration/index
Security Configuration
There are a couple of optional steps that we recommend you to take in order to improve the security of your Azure deployment.
Changing the Default VDP Administration Password
As the first step of the configuration of your new Denodo Platform virtual machine you should change the default administrator password. It is extremely important that you change this default password to ensure that you are operating under a secure environment.
Configuring the Security Groups
Please, check first the list of Denodo Platform default ports to review which ones are needed for operating your environment.
When Denodo Platform for Azure BYOL virtual machine is deployed it creates by default a new security group. This group contains an inbound port rule for RDP (for server administration). The default values specify that this port can be reached from any IP addresses - our strong recommendation is to modify the group so it can only be accessed from the range of authorized IP addresses that you control instead of being publicly accessible.
To do this, follow the steps in the Azure guide located at: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/virtual-network-manage-nsg-arm-portal
VDP Client Access from Outside of VM
You have to configure the Virtual DataPort server in order to receive connections from external clients to the VM.
The default ports for the Denodo Platform based on the connection protocol are:
- JDBC: TCP 9999 (additionally the TCP 9997 port has to be available).
- ODBC and ADO.NET: TCP 9996.
- Web Container: TCP 9090.
VM must be configured to allow the connections to ports enumerated above according to the connection protocol needed:
- Update the Azure network Security Group associated to the VM network interface using the Azure Portal.
- Update the Windows firewall in The Denodo Platform for Azure BYOL VM. You have to set up the appropriate Windows firewall rules. Log in the VM, start Control Panel > System and Security > Windows Firewall (or open PowerShell or Command Prompt and enter ‘firewall.cpl’), clicking the advanced settings button, and create the Inbound Rules needed.
As a side note, take into account that by default an ephemeral external IP address is assigned to the VM instance. If you require a static external IP address, you may promote the address to static. Be sure that the VDP server is set correctly for accepting connections through that IP by changing the Host Name in the VDP server.
Further Recommended Steps
Once you are all set to start building your data virtualization solutions on Azure, we recommend that you check out all the available information: