Exercise - create and configure Azure Route Server

The following steps explain how to create and configure Azure Route Server (ARS) using Azure Command Line Interface (CLI). However, you can use Azure portal, PowerShell, or Terraform to achieve the same effect.

Create Resource Group & Virtual Network

The recommendation is to deploy Azure VMware Solution private cloud as part of Azure Landing Zone Architecture. Using Landing Zone architecture helps to meet changing requirements effectively, meet governance requirements faster, and promote reuse of shared services to drive cost optimization. In this architecture, a separate subscription is used to deploy Azure VMware Solution private cloud. Azure Landing Zone connectivity subscription should be used to deploy Azure Networking services such as Azure Route Server, Azure ExpressRoute Gateway, Azure Firewall, etc.

The first step is to configure Azure VMware Solution private cloud with the right resource group and virtual network to enable outbound internet connectivity.

Use the following commands to deploy them:

az group create -l <your-preferred-azure-region> -n <resource-group-name>

az network vnet create  -n <vnet-name>  -g <resource-group-name>  --address-prefix 10.0.0.0/16

az network vnet subnet create  -n RouteServerSubnet -g <resource-group-name> --vnet-name <vnet-name>  --address-prefix 10.0.0.0/24

az network public-ip create  -n <name-for-route-server-pip>  -g <resource-group-name>  --version IPv4  --sku Standard

$ars_subnet_id=$(az network vnet subnet show  --name RouteServerSubnet  --resource-group <resource-group-name> --vnet-name <vnet-name>  --query id -o tsv)

Now that you have Azure VMware Solution private cloud configured, you need to set up a route exchange mechanism. To set up a route exchange mechanism, start by deploying Azure Route Server.

Deploy Azure Route Server

Azure Route Server uses BGP to exchange routes between a custom or third-party NVA router and ExpressRoute Gateway. ExpressRoute Gateway is the one used to terminate Azure VMware Solution private cloud. Use the following instructions to create Azure Route Server.

az network routeserver create --name <routeserver-name>  --resource-group <resource-group-name>  --hosted-subnet $ars_subnet_id  --public-ip-address <name-for-route-server-pip> 

Enable Branch-to-branch connectivity

The last step to set up your route exchange mechanism is to enable branch-to-branch connectivity:

az network routeserver update --name <routeserver-name>  --resource-group <resource-group-name>   --allow-b2b-traffic true

You just completed two important tasks. First, you configured Azure VMware Solution private cloud correctly for outbound internet connectivity. Second, you set up a route exchange mechanism between ARS and Azure VMware Solution private cloud. You'll look at introducing security into the design in next unit.