Set up Broker VM on Microsoft Azure

Learn how to set up your Cortex XDR Broker virtual machine (VM) on Microsoft Azure.

After you download your Cortex XDR Broker VHD (Azure) image, you need to upload it to Azure as a storage blob.

Prerequisite

Download a Cortex XDR Broker VM VHD (Azure) image. For more information, see the virtual machine compatibility requirements in Set up and configure Broker VM.

Perform the following procedures in the order listed below.

Task 1. Extract the downloaded VHD (Azure) image

Make sure you extract the zipped hard disk file on a server that has more then 512 GB of free space.

Note

Extraction can take up to a few hours.

Task 2. Create a new storage blob on your Azure account by uploading the VHD file

Upload from Microsoft Windows or Ubuntu.

Windows

1. Verify you have:

   • Windows PowerShell version 5.1 or later.
   • .NET Framework 4.7.2 or later.
2. Open PowerShell and run Set-ExecutionPolicy unrestricted.

   • [Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [Net.SecurityProtocolType]::Tls12
   • Install-PackageProvider -Name NuGet -MinimumVersion 2.8.5.201-Force
3. Install azure cmdlets.

   Install-Module -Name Az -AllowClobber
4. Connect to your Azure account.

   Connect-AzAccount
5. Start the upload.

   • For Azure PowerShell:

     Set-AzStorageBlobContent -Container $containerName -File $localFilePath -Context $storageContext -BlobType Page

   • For Azure CLI:

     az storage blob upload -f <vhd to upload> -n <vhd name> -c <container name> --account-name <account name>

   Note

   Upload can take up to a few hours.

Linux

• Option 1:

  curl -sL https://aka.ms/InstallAzureCLIDeb | sudo bash

• Option 2:

  1. Get the packages needed for the installation process:

     sudo apt-get update
     sudo apt-get install apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl gnupg lsb-release

  2. Download and install the Microsoft signing key:

     sudo mkdir -p /etc/apt/keyrings
     curl -sLS https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc |
       gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/microsoft.gpg > /dev/null
     sudo chmod go+r /etc/apt/keyrings/microsoft.gpg

  3. Add the Azure CLI software repository:

     AZ_DIST=$(lsb_release -cs)
     echo "Types: deb
     URIs: https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/azure-cli/
     Suites: ${AZ_DIST}
     Components: main
     Architectures: $(dpkg --print-architecture)
     Signed-by: /etc/apt/keyrings/microsoft.gpg" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/azure-cli.sources

  4. Update repository information and install the azure-cli package:

     sudo apt-get update
     sudo apt-get install azure-cli

1. Install Azure util.

   There are two different ways to install the Azure util.

   Note

   For more information, see the Azure Documentation.
2. Connect to Azure.

   az login
3. Start the upload.

   az storage blob upload -f <vhd to upload> -n <vhd name> -c <container name> --account-name <account name>

Task 3. Add and configure a new disk in Azure

1. In the Azure home page, navigate to Azure services → Disks and Add a new disk.
2. Navigate to the Create a managed disk → Basics page, and define the following information:

Heading	Parameter
Project details	Resource group: Select your resource group.
Disk details	Disk name: Enter a name for the disk object. Region: Select your preferred region. Source type: Select Storage Blob. Additional fields are displayed, which you can define as follows: Source blob: Select Browse. You are directed to the Storage accounts page. From the navigation panel, select the bucket and then container to which you uploaded the Cortex XDR VHD image. In the Container page, Select your VHD image. OS type: Select Linux VM generation: Select Gen 1

1. Check you settings by clicking Review + create.

Task 4. Create the Broker VM disk

1. Create your Broker VM disk, and after deployment is complete, click Go to resource.
2. In your created Disks page, click Create VM.
3. In the Create a virtual machine page, define the following:

Read more...

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Heading

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Parameter

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Instance details

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(Optional) Virtual machine name: Enter the same name as the disk name you defined.

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Size: Select the size according to your company guidelines.

Select Next to navigate to the Networking tab.

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Network interface

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NIC network security group—Select Advanced.

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Configure network security group—Select HTTPS to be able to access the Broker VM Web UI, and SSH to allow for remote access when troubleshooting. Make sure to allow these connection to the Broker VM from secure networks only.

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1. To check your settings, click Review + create.
2. Create your VM.

   After deployment is complete, click Go to resource. You are directed to your VM page.

   Note

   Creating the VM can take up to 15 minutes. The Broker VM Web UI is not accessible during this time.
3. Ensure that the VM you created contains an Outbound port rule that allows the broker to reach the Azure Instance Metadata Service using the IP address 169.254.169.254 and port 80. For more information about the Azure Instance Metadata Service, see the Azure Documentation.

   To configure an outbound rule on your VM, select Networking → Network settings, and under the Rules → Outbound port rules section, you can either:

   Note

   For more information on creating a rule in an Azure VM, see Create a Security Rule in the Azure Documentation.

   • Configure a new outbound port rule by selecting Create port rule → Outbound port rule and setting the following settings in the Add outbound security rule dialog box:

     • Destination: Select IP Addresses.
     • Destination IP addresses/CIDR ranges: Enter the IP address as 169.254.169.254.
     • Destination port ranges: Enter the port as 80.
     • Protocol: Select TCP.
     • Name: Enter a unique name for this new outbound port rule, such as AzureInstanceMetadataService.

     Click Add to create the new outbound port rule.
   • Edit an existing outbound port rule and ensure that the settings provided above for creating a new outbound port rule match what is already configured in the rule.