---
title: "Deploying a vNIOS for Google Cloud Instance with High Availability"
canonical: "https://docs.infoblox.com/space/vniosgcp/639434755/Deploying%20a%20vNIOS%20for%20Google%20Cloud%20Instance%20with%20High%20Availability"
format: markdown
---
Starting from NIOS 9.0.4, you can deploy vNIOS for Google Cloud instances in an HA (high availability) setup. Configure the vNIOS instance of each node in the HA pair with three network interfaces, nic0, nic1, and nic2 that are labelled in NIOS as MGMT, LAN1, and HA respectively.

Unlike NIOS that requires the LAN and HA interfaces of an instance to be on the same VPC, Google Cloud, due to a limitation, requires that each of the three interfaces of a node is assigned to subnetworks on different VPCs. Additionally, you must configure an alias IP address on the HA interface of one of the HA nodes. The alias IP address will be used by NIOS for external communication.

To ensure that your vNIOS for Google Cloud functions properly, update the instance configuration as required. For the list of supported vNIOS appliance models, the shapes that they support, and additional specifications, see *[vNIOS for Google Cloud X6 Series](https://docs.infoblox.com/space/vniosspec/1488748597/vNIOS+for+GCP+X6+series)* and *[vNIOS for Google Cloud X5 Series](https://docs.infoblox.com/space/vniosspec/1488650431/vNIOS+for+GCP+X5+Series)*. 

Before deploying the instances, ensure that your setup meets the common and HA specific requirements defined in the *[prerequisites](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/vniosgcp/pages/35786159)** *topic. After you *[upload the NIOS image](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/vniosgcp/pages/35483486)* to Google cloud, you can proceed to deploy VM instances with HA.

To deploy, complete the following steps on each node of the HA pair:

1. Log in to your Google Cloud Console using the URL: *[https://console.cloud.google.com](https://console.cloud.google.com)*
2. Navigate to **Compute Engine** -> **VM instances**.
3. In the *VM instances* panel, click **Create Instance**.  
The Create an instance panel is displayed with values automatically populated in some fields based on previous configurations. Click a field that you want to make changes to and update the values as described in the steps that follow.
4. On the **Machine configuration** tab:
  - **Name**: Enter a name for the instance.
  - **Region**: Choose the Google Cloud region from the drop-down list.
  - **Zone**: Choose a zone where you want your data to be stored.
  - To select the required machine type:
    - On the **General purpose** tab, according to the required instance shape, select **N1** or **N4** from the machine types list.
    - On the **Machine type** > **Preset** tab, choose the required shape from the drop-down list.
5. On the **OS and storage** tab:
  1. Under *Operating system and storage*, click **Change**.
  2. On the *Boot disk* panel > **Custom images** tab:
    1. **Image**: Choose the image or a snapshot that you created.
    2. **Boot disk type**: Choose the disk type according to the NIOS version and the machine type:
      - Choose **SSD persistent disk** for a Trinzic X5 or X6 appliance with an N1 series machine type running NIOS 9.0.4 or later.  
Infoblox recommends **SSD persistent disk** for better performance.
      - Choose **Hyperdisk Balanced** for a Trinzic X5 or X6 appliance with an N4 series machine type, supported from NIOS 9.0.7 onwards.
    3. **Size**: Choose a disk size based on the model you are deploying.
    4. Click **Select**.
6. On the **Networking** tab: Set up one interface each for MGMT, LAN1, and HA. Ensure that each of the three network interfaces is assigned to subnets in different VPCs.  
Example: In an HA setup, assign MGMT interfaces on node1 and node2 to a subnet on VPC1, LAN1 interfaces of node1 and node2 to a subnet on VPC2, and HA interfaces on node1 and node2 and the alias IP address to a subnet on VPC3.  
When the LAN1 and HA interfaces are assigned to subnets in different VPCs, you must configure *[VPC network peering](https://cloud.google.com/vpc/docs/using-vpc-peering)* to enable the networks in different VPCs to communicate with each other.  
Note that vNIOS instances do not support the Google Cloud Custom Hostname feature. Do not configure the **Hostname** field.
  1. By default, the Google Cloud instance has a network interface added and allocated to the MGMT port. Expand the menu and update the default values in the editor or click **Add a network interface** and complete the following:
    1. **Interface type**: Select **VPC**.
    2. **Network**: Change the default network to the correct network.
    3. **Subnetwork**: Select your subnetwork.
    4. **IP stack type**: Select **IPv4 (single stack)**.
    5. **Primary internal IPv4 address**: Infoblox recommends that you use a static IP instead of **Ephemeral**. If you choose **Ephemeral**, the IP address changes every time the system reboots.
    6. **External IPv4 address**: Infoblox recommends that you use a static IP instead of **Ephemeral**. If you choose **Ephemeral**, the IP address changes every time the system reboots.
    7. Click **Done**.
  2. To add the second network interface and allocate it to the LAN1 port:  
Note: When you need to add a network interface to an existing vNIOS for Google Cloud instance, you must power off the instance, add the interface, and then start the instance.
    1. In the *Network interfaces* section, click **Add a network interface**.
    2. In the *New network interface* dialog box:
      1. **Network**: Choose a network for the LAN1 interface.
      2. **Subnetwork**: Choose a subnet that is on a VPC that is different from the VPCs of the MGMT and HA interfaces.
      3. Click **Done**.
  3. To add the third network interface and allocate it to the HA port:  
Note: When you need to add a network interface to an existing vNIOS for Google Cloud instance, you must power off the instance, add the interface, and then start the instance.
    1. In the *Network interfaces* section, click **Add a network interface**.
    2. In the *New network interface* dialog box:
      1. **Network**: Choose a network for the HA interface.
      2. **Subnetwork**: Choose a subnet that is on a VPC, which is different from the VPCs of the MGMT and LAN1 interfaces.
      3. **Alias IP ranges**:** **Configure the **Alias IP range** on one of the nodes of the HA pair. NIOS uses the alias IP address configured on the active node as the VIP for external communication.
        1. Click **ADD IP RANGE** and define ranges for subnet and alias IP addresses.
        2. **External IPv4 address**: By default, this field picks up an IP address. Ensure to choose **None** from the drop-down list because this feature is not supported.
          Click **Done**.
7. On the **Security** tab:
  - **Service accounts**: From the drop-down list, choose the service account that you created by assigning role permissions that NIOS requires to call Google Cloud APIs. For information about roles, see the *[Configuring a Google Cloud Service Account](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/vniosgcp/pages/35786159)* section.
  - **Access scopes**: Select **Allow full access to all Cloud APIs**.
8. On the **Advanced** tab > in the *Metadata* section, add the following key-value pair:  
Note: This metadata will install temporary license keys for the selected services.
  1. Add **Key**:` user-data`.
  2. Add **Value**:  
`#infoblox-config`  
`temp_license: nios xx-Vxxxx enterprise dns`  
`remote_console_enabled: y`
  3. Click **Done**.  
For more information about user-data settings, see <u>*[cloud-init Configuration in vNIOS for Google Cloud](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/vniosgcp/pages/1930264593)*</u>.
9. Click **Create** to deploy the vNIOS for Google Cloud instance.

For the settings that you must configure in NIOS to set up HA, refer to HA related topics under *Deploying a Grid* in the *[Infoblox NIOS Documentation](https://docs.infoblox.com/space/NIOS/35400616/NIOS)*.