Denodo Standard for Azure 8.0 Quick Start Guide

Last modified on: 08 Feb 2022

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Starting in February 2022, the Denodo for Azure Marketplace subscriptions have been updated.

This document refers to the Denodo Standard for Azure Marketplace previous to February 2022 that has been replaced by Denodo Professional for Azure Marketplace.

And a different brand new Denodo Standard for Azure Marketplace subscription has been launched starting in February 2022.

Overview

Denodo Technologies, the data virtualization leader for unifying enterprise data and delivering data services for the business, has available the latest version of Denodo Standard, optimized for use with the Azure Virtual Machines service on Azure as a pay as you go (PAYG) virtual machine (VM) stack.

Thank you for your confidence in Denodo and for choosing the Denodo for Azure as your data virtualization technology!

This quick start guide will give you an overview of the Denodo Standard and how to quickly start building data virtualization solutions on Azure.

Marketplace Offering Overview

The Denodo Standard for Azure 8.0 Hourly offering is based on a pay per hour model (pay as you go, PAYG) 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 Standard stack through the Azure Portal. And you are responsible for operating your own Azure subscription.

The Denodo Standard consists of the same engine as the Denodo Platform and supports a broad range of functionality for users to get started at an affordable price. Some of the key features include:

The Denodo Solution Manager (SM), to manage your Denodo deployment.
The Denodo Virtual DataPort (VDP), the core Denodo Data Virtualization engine, to integrate data from any data source and deliver it to any consumer in any format.
The Denodo Scheduler, for scheduling data pipelines and cache loads among other tasks.

This stack is based on Windows Server.

The Denodo Standard for Azure deployment includes:

A Windows Server Virtual Machine with Denodo Solution Manager, SM VM, included in the Denodo License cost.
A Windows Server Virtual Machine with Denodo VDP and Denodo Scheduler for production workload, VDP SM.

Additionally you can also launch as part of your Denodo Standard deployment a Windows Server Virtual Machine with VDP and Denodo Scheduler for development workload, VDP DEV SM, included in the Denodo License cost, limited to 4 cores.

NOTE: The development virtual machine license is included with your paid subscription along with the Solution Manager virtual machine. You only pay for the Virtual DataPort server running in the production environment, as well as for the infrastructure cost applied by AWS for the solution manager and the development instances.

In the sections below you can find more information on how to deploy.

Required Permissions on Azure Portal

The user will require the following permissions to deploy the Denodo stack.

Permissions on a Resource Group or able to create a new one.
Create VMs
Create VNets
Create Public IPs
Create DNS entries

Get Started Steps

As a summary of the instructions you will need to complete the following steps:

Use your Azure Subscription to start the Denodo Standard solution app available on the Azure Marketplace.
Deploy the Denodo Standard Stack through your Azure console.
Log into the Solution Manager Web Tool
Log into the Design Studio Web Tool
Register for Denodo Support

Step 1 - Get the Denodo Standard for Azure on Windows Server

You are responsible for operating your own Azure subscription.

You can create and launch your Denodo Standard for Azure solution app using your Azure subscription.

Log on to the Azure Marketplace, search for the Denodo Standard for Azure Hourly listing or use the link Denodo Standard for Azure (Hourly).

Step 2 - Denodo Standard Stack Deployment

After selecting the Denodo Standard for Azure solution app available through the Azure Marketplace you have to complete some few configuration steps in order to launch the Denodo Standard stack through the Azure console.

Basic Deployment Settings

After clicking the Create button for the Denodo Standard solution you will get a similar page like the one below to configure the basic deployment settings:

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 with this Denodo Standard stack deployment or choose to include them in an existing but empty resource group in your Azure subscription (by default, Azure does not support the deployment of managed applications to resource groups with resources).

Region for the deployment.
Hostname prefix. The prefix to use as hostname for the virtual machines to be created. Keep this prefix short because there is a limit in the number of characters a hostname can have.

Infrastructure Settings

In the next page you can review or update some settings like:

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.
Virtual network. You can leave the default value, change it or select an existing one.
Subnets. Click on the Subnets tab to review and accept the default values or choose another value.

Denodo Deployment Settings

In the next page you can review or update settings like:

Denodo Admin User Password.
Denodo Solution Manager Virtual machine settings:

Virtual Machine size. Be sure to choose one with at least 4 vCores and at least 16 GB RAM.
Public IP address. You can leave the proposed value or choose another.
DNS prefix. You can leave the proposed value or choose another.

Denodo VDP Server Virtual Machine for production workload

Virtual Machine size. Be sure to choose one with at least 4 vCores and at least 16 GB RAM.
Public IP address. You can leave the proposed value or choose another.
DNS prefix. You can leave the proposed value or choose another.

Choose whether you want to install a Denodo VDP Server Virtual Machine for development workload and then review or update its settings:

Virtual Machine size. Be sure to choose one with at least 4 vCores and at least 16 GB RAM.
Public IP address. You can leave the proposed value or choose another.
DNS prefix. You can leave the proposed value or choose another.

Summary of Deployment

The summary page provides you the final overview for reviewing the configuration settings before creating the virtual machine.

Deployment Creation

After clicking the “Create” button the deployment process starts.

It will take by 20 minutes to complete the deployment of all involved resources in the stack.

Once the deployment is completed you can go to the following step.

Step 3 - Log Into the Solution Manager Web Tool

The Solution Manager is a component to help you manage Denodo deployments.

Check first the list of Supported Browsers for the Solution Manager admin tool.

Then use a supported browser to point to the URL to access Denodo Solution Manager Administration Tool with the following pattern:

http://<sm_ip>:19090/solution-manager-web-tool/Login

Where <sm_ip> is the IP address or DNS name for the Solution Manager virtual machine in the stack deployed.

The user is admin and the password is the one provided during deployment configuration.

Note that the application takes some time to start so you may need to wait for a couple of minutes before the link works correctly. You may get a connection error or a ‘404 Not Found’ error if you try to access it before the service has completely started.

Once you logged in, this Solution Manager Administration Tool provides a single point of entry to all the web applications of the Denodo deployment.

NOTE: if the above URL is not responding, for starting / stopping the Solution Manager services you can log in the virtual machine through RDP with the user and with the password you provided during the deployment configuration and start / stop the Windows Services related to the Denodo Solution Manager.

Step 4 - Login to the Design Studio Web Tool

The Design Studio provides a web interface to the developers to create data sources, base views, derived views, publish web services, etc.

Check first the list of Supported Browsers for the Design Studio tool.

Then use a supported browser to point to the following URL of the Design Studio Web Tool following the pattern:

http://<sm_ip>:19090/denodo-design-studio/

Where <sm_ip> is the IP address or DNS name for the Solution Manager virtual machine in the stack deployed.

Alternatively, in the Solution Manager Web Tool homepage you have links to the Design Studio and Scheduler Web Tools: select the Environment and then click on the Open link for going to the homepage of the Design Studio preloaded with the connection data to the cluster in that environment. Use admin as the username and the password provided during deployment configuration.

Refer to Main Areas of the Design Studio for more information.

Note that certain administrative tasks like cache configuration, setting-up the authentication, user management, etc can be done graphically only by using the Virtual Dataport Administration tool (desktop based).

NOTE: if the above URL is not responding, for starting / stopping the Design Studio services you can log in the virtual machine through RDP with the user and with the password you provided during the deployment configuration and start / stop the Windows Services related to the Denodo Design Studio.

Step 5 - Register for Denodo Support

Denodo is committed to helping you succeed with the Denodo Standard through our comprehensive network of technical support and services.

Denodo for Azure Standard Support is available for all paying subscribers. Denodo for Azure Premium Support is available for all subscribers at an additional fee.

To access support services, you must first register on our website.

After you have signed-up, you will have access to the Denodo Support Site where you can get web-based support, software updates and DenodoConnects, which will improve your data virtualization experience. Denodo version upgrades are not available as version upgrades require migration between Azure instances procured through the Azure Marketplace.

Customers will use commercially reasonable efforts to resolve issues before escalating them to Denodo. Denodo will make a commercially reasonable effort to provide support to customers and reserves the right to refuse providing Maintenance and Support Services for customers who do not have monthly spends using any of the Denodo for Azure PAYG products.

You can always post your question directly on the Q&A section, a moderated forum on our Community Site, where data virtualization professionals and enthusiasts will assist you. Our community is knowledgeable and tenacious and there is no question without a valid answer. Technical resources such as product documentation, Knowledge Base articles, step-by-step tutorials, and how-to videos are also available.

Optional Steps

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 a new virtual image is started Azure creates by default a new security group.

That group contains all TCP ports that the Denodo Standard may need to use plus the RDP (for server administration). The default configuration specifies that all those ports can be reached from any IP addresses - our strong recommendation is to modify the groups so they 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 Create, change, or delete a network security group.

Using the Denodo Administration Tool for Remote VDP Administration

Certain administrative tasks like cache configuration, setting-up the authentication, user management, etc can be done by graphical way only by using the Virtual Dataport Administration tool (desktop based).

You can download and install this Denodo client to connect and administer the Denodo Standard server from a remote host.

The Denodo Standard follows a client-server architecture, with the server (VDP) running in the Azure virtual machine instance, and the client (VDP Administration Tool) running in your local computer.

The client installer is distributed from the running Azure virtual machine instance; you can find the installers in the following folder:

C:\Denodo\VDP Client Installers

Download one of the installers to your local host and start the installation.

Once the VDP graphical administration tool starts, it will prompt you for the connection details for the remote Denodo server in the Azure virtual machine instance. You can find more detailed information in the following page Launching the Denodo Administration Tool.

Remember that the VM with VDP Server must be configured to accept connections from outside. Please, review the VDP Client Access from Outside of VM section in this guide.

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 Standard based on the connection protocol are:

JDBC: TCP 9999.
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 with the VM network interface using the Azure Portal.
Update the Windows firewall in The Denodo Standard for Azure 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.

Changing the Administrator Password

It’s recommended that you change the administrator password (and even the administrator username) in order to ensure that you are operating under a secure environment.

Refer to Change the Default Passwords in Denodo Solution Manager and Change the Default Passwords in Denodo Server for more information.

Install Certificates

You can install certificates following the manuals Enable SSL Connections in Denodo Servers.

Further Steps

Once you are all set to start building your data virtualization solutions on Azure, we recommend that you check out all the available Denodo information:

If you want to move on to professionally guided training you can always check our course offerings on our training site.

To get up and running on the Denodo Standard for Azure 8.0 in the quickest time, we recommend that you take advantage of Denodo Professional Services.

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