[Windows Azure] Create a Virtual Network in Windows Azure

Create a Virtual Network in Windows Azure

This tutorial walks you through the steps to create a basic Windows Azure Virtual Network using the Windows Azure Management Portal. For more information about Windows Azure Virtual Network, see Windows Azure Virtual Network Overview.

This tutorial assumes you have no prior experience using Windows Azure. It is meant to help you become familiar with the steps required to create a virtual network. If you are looking for design scenarios and advanced information about Virtual Network, see the Windows Azure Virtual Network Overview.

After completing this tutorial, you will have a virtual network to which you can deploy your Windows Azure services and virtual machines.

NOTE

This tutorial does not walk you through creating a cross-premises configuration. For a tutorial that walks you through creating a virtual network with site-to-site cross-premises connectivity (i.e., connecting to Active Directory or SharePoint located at your company), see Create a Virtual Network for Cross-Premises Connectivity.

For additional Virtual Network configuration procedures and settings, see Windows Azure Virtual Network Configuration Tasks.

For guidelines about deploying AD DS on Windows Azure Virtual Machines, see Guidelines for Deploying Windows Server Active Directory on Windows Azure Virtual Machines.

Objectives

In this tutorial you will learn:

• How to setup a basic Windows Azure virtual network to which you can add Windows Azure Cloud Services and virtual machines.

Prerequisites

• Windows Live account with at least one valid, active subscription.

Create a Virtual Network

To create a cloud-only virtual network:

1. Log in to the Windows Azure Management Portal.

2. In the lower left-hand corner of the screen, click New. In the navigation pane, click Networks, and then click Virtual Network. Click Custom Create to begin the configuration wizard.

   

3. On the Virtual Network Details page, enter the following information, and then click the next arrow on the lower right. For more information about the settings on the details page, see Virtual Network Details page section in About Configuring a Virtual Network using the Management Portal.

   • Name - Name your virtual network. Type YourVirtualNetwork.

   • Affinity Group - From the drop-down list, select Create a new affinity group. Affinity groups are a way to physically group Windows Azure services together at the same data center to increase performance. Only one virtual network can be assigned an affinity group.

   • Region - From the drop-down list, select the desired region. Your virtual network will be created at a datacenter located in the specified region.

   • Affinity Group Name - Name the new affinity group. Type YourAffinityGroup.

   

4. On the DNS Servers and VPN Connectivity page, enter the following information, and then click the next arrow on the lower right. For more information about the settings on this page, see DNS Servers and VPN Connectivity page inAbout Configuring a Virtual Network using the Management Portal.

   • DNS Servers-Optional - Enter the DNS server name and IP address that you want to use. This setting does not create a DNS server, it refers to an already existing DNS server.

     NOTE

     If you want to use a public DNS service, you can enter that information on this screen. Otherwise, name resolution will default to the Windows Azure service. For more information, see Windows Azure Name Resolution Overview.

   • Do not select the checkbox for point-to-site or site to site connectivity. The virtual network we are creating in this tutorial is not designed for cross-premises connectivity.

   

5. On the Virtual Network Address Spaces page, enter the following information and then click the checkmark on the lower right to configure your network. Address space must be a private address range, specified in CIDR notation 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, or 192.168.0.0/16 (as specified by RFC 1918). For more information about the settings on this page, see Virtual Network Address Spaces page in About Configuring a Virtual Network using the Management Portal.

   • Address Space: Click CIDR in the upper right corner, then enter the following:

     • Starting IP: 10.4.0.0

     • CIDR: /16

   • Add subnet: Enter the following:

     • Rename Subnet-1 to FrontEndSubnet with the Starting IP 10.4.2.0/24, and then click add subnet.

     • Create a subnet called BackEndSubnet with the Starting IP 10.4.3.0/24.

     • Verify that you now have two subnets created and then click the checkmark on the lower right to create your virtual network.

   

6. After clicking the checkmark, your virtual network will begin to create. When your virtual network has been created, you will see Created listed under Status on the networks page in the Management Portal.

   

7. Once your virtual network has been created, you can continue with the following tutorials:

   • Add a Virtual Machine to a Virtual Network – Use this basic tutorial to install a virtual machine to your virtual network.

   • For more information about virtual machines and installation options, see How to Create a Custom Virtual Machine and Windows Azure Virtual Machines.

   • Install a new Active Directory forest in Windows Azure - Use this tutorial to install a new Active Directory forest without connectivity to any other network. The tutorial will explain the specific steps required to create a virtual machine (VM) for a new forest installation. If you plan to use this tutorial, do not create any VMs by using the Management Portal.

See Also

• Windows Azure Virtual Network Overview

• Windows Azure Virtual Network FAQ

• Windows Azure Virtual Network Configuration Tasks

• Configuring a Virtual Network Using Network Configuration Files

• Windows Azure Name Resolution Overview