---
title: "About Deploying a vNIOS for Azure Instance with High Availability"
canonical: "https://docs.infoblox.com/space/vniosazure/1324942556/About%20Deploying%20a%20vNIOS%20for%20Azure%20Instance%20with%20High%20Availability"
format: markdown
---
Starting from NIOS 9.0.4, vNIOS for Azure supports deploying instances in a high availability (HA) setup. vNIOS instances identified as node1 and node2 can be configured as an HA (high availability) pair in an active/passive configuration to provide hardware redundancy for core network services. For more information, refer to the About HA Pairs topic in the[ Infoblox Documentation Portal](https://docs.infoblox.com/space/NIOS/35400616/NIOS).

This topic summarizes all that you need to know to deploy instances with HA.

1. Complete the common and HA-specific prerequisites described in *[Prerequisites for the Azure Public Cloud Deployment](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/vniosazure/pages/37814511)*.
2. Consider the recommendations and limitations listed in the following sections in topic *[Limitations and Recommendations](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/vniosazure/pages/1324975255)*:
  1. Common Limitations and Recommendations
  2. Limitations Specific to Azure Public Cloud
  3. Limitations Specific to HA
3. Deploy the vNIOS instance with HA using one of the following deployment types:
  - Deployment from the Azure MarketPlace:
    - Deploy an instance each for node 1 and node 2 with MGMT and LAN1 interfaces by completing steps described in the topic *[Deploying vNIOS for Azure from the Marketplace](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/vniosazure/pages/37486729)**.*
    - Set up each node with HA by attaching an HA interface and defining a secondary IP address as described in *[Configuring the vNIOS Instance with High Availability](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/vniosazure/pages/847578419)*.
  - Deployment from the CLI:  
From the Azure CLI, deploy an instance each for node1 and node2 with HA configuration by following steps described in:
    - *[Uploading the vNIOS Image to Azure Public Cloud](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/vniosazure/pages/37585035)*
    - *[Deploying the vNIOS Instance with High availability](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/vniosazure/pages/636026896)*
4. Assign a managed identity to the VM instance as described below. Managed identities allow VM instances to access resources in Azure cloud. For detailed instructions, refer to the Azure documentation.  
According to the version of NIOS, do one of the following:
  - NIOS 9.0.6 and later: Assign a system-assigned managed identity to each of the two nodes.  A system-assigned managed identity is unique to an instance on which it is set up and is dependent on the lifecycle of that instance.
    - In the Microsoft Azure portal, go to the *Virtual machines* page and open the VM instance you created.
    - Click **Security** > **Identity**.
    - On the **System assigned** tab, set the **Status** button to **On**.
    - Click **Save** and then click **Yes**.
    - Click **Azure role assignments** > **Add role assignment (Preview)**.
    - In the *Add role assignment (Preview)* panel:
      - **Scope**: Choose one of the following resource types:  
Note: The scope that you select displays under **Resource Type** after the role assignment is saved.
        - **Subscription**: Defining **Subscription** as the scope allows the managed identity to access all resources and/or resources groups in the subscription.
        - **Resource Group**: Defining **Resource Group** as the scope allows the managed identity to access only the resource groups in the subscription.  
Complete the following:
          - **Subscription**: Choose your subscription from the drop-down list.
          - **Resource Group**: Select the resource group that this managed identity must access.
      - **Role**: Choose the custom role that you created as a *[Prerequisites for the Azure Public Cloud Deployment](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/vniosazure/pages/37814511)* that must be assigned to the managed identity.
      - Click **Save.**
  - NIOS 9.0.4 and 9.0.5: Assign a User-assigned managed identity to each of the two nodes:  
**Note**: Only user-assigned managed identity is supported in NIOS versions 9.0.4 and 9.0.5. For more information on supported managed identities, see the [Prerequisites for the Azure Public Cloud Deployment](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/vniosazure/pages/37814511) section.
    - In the Microsoft Azure portal, go to the *Virtual machines* page and open the VM instance you created.
    - Click **Security** > **Identity**.
    - On the **User assigned** tab, click **Add**.
    - In the *Add user assigned managed identity* panel:
      - **Subscription**: Select your subscription
      - **User assigned managed identities**: Select the managed identity that you created as a *[Prerequisites for the Azure Public Cloud Deployment](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/vniosazure/pages/37814511)*.
    - Click **Add**.
5. After deploying vNIOS instances in Azure, set up NIOS for HA. For the settings that you must configure in NIOS, refer to HA related topics under *Deploying a Grid* in the *[Infoblox NIOS Documentation](https://docs.infoblox.com/space/NIOS/35400616/NIOS)*.