How to Deploy Neverfail Continuity Engine in Microsoft Azure

Overview

This article provides comprehensive guidance on deploying Neverfail Continuity Engine in a Microsoft Azure environment. It covers both Azure-to-Azure deployments, where all cluster nodes reside in Azure, and On-premises-to-Azure deployments, where one or more standby nodes are hosted in Azure while the Primary node remains on-premises.

1. Azure-to-Azure Deployment

Starting Point

• The Production (Primary) server is hosted in Microsoft Azure.

Supported Configurations

• High Availability (HA) Pair – Each node with a dedicated static Azure Public IP.
• Disaster Recovery (DR) Pair – Each node with a dedicated static Azure Public IP.
  
• HA + DR Trio – All nodes with individual static Azure Public IPs.

Deployment Steps

Step 1: Install EMS Web Console

• Deploy the EMS web console on an Azure VM in the same virtual network/subnet as the intended Primary node.

• This VM can be dedicated or shared, but must not be the Primary server itself.

Step 2: Prepare the Primary Server

• Set a static private IP address in Azure for the VM (initially allocated via DHCP).

• Ensure Azure Public IP is static and reserved to persist across reboots.

• Enable RDP for remote access via the Azure portal.

Step 3: Install Continuity Engine on the Primary Node

• Perform the standard installation through the EMS web console.

• No additional Azure-specific steps are required.

Step 4: Add Standby Nodes (HA/DR)

Manual Cloning Process

1. Once the Primary is ready (status shown in EMS), create a snapshot of the VM.

2. From the snapshot:

   • Create a Managed Disk.

   • Deploy a new VM (HA or DR) from the Managed Disk without associating a Public IP.

Post-Cloning Configuration

1. RDP into the HA/DR VM using private IP from any connected Azure VM.

2. Set the Neverfail Engine Service startup type to Manual.

3. From the Azure portal:

   • Stop the VM.

   • Associate a static Public IP.

   • Add and configure the Channel NIC with the appropriate Channel IP.

4. Start the VM.

5. RDP again and:

   • Run ConfigWizard to assign correct Public and Channel IPs to NICs.

   • Set the Engine Service to Automatic.

   • Start the Engine Service.

At this point, the standby node will connect to the cluster and begin replication.

Step 5: Deploy an HA + DR Trio

Since manual cloning is used, the HA node must be added first to form a Pair. Then, the DR node can be added using the same procedure:

• Clone the HA node to create the DR node (from Secondary to DR).

• Follow the same post-cloning steps as above.

Notes

• The same deployment steps apply for clusters spread across different subscriptions, VNets, or Azure regions. Additional configuration (e.g., VPN gateways, VNet peering) is required to ensure Engine node connectivity but falls outside the scope of this article.

• Single Public IP Setup (Advanced): Azure Load Balancer with PAT could theoretically allow all nodes to share one Public IP, but this does not change the standard deployment process.

• Azure Backup Consideration: If Azure Backup is enabled on both Active and Passive nodes, ensure the Management IP is set as the Primary IP in Azure networking. Otherwise, the Azure Backup Agent will fail to connect.

2. On-Premises-to-Azure Deployment

Starting Point

• Primary (Production) server is hosted On-premises.
• Hybrid Azure AD environment with existing On-premises-to-Azure connectivity (VPN, ExpressRoute, etc.).

Supported Configurations

Same as Azure-to-Azure:

• HA Pair

• DR Pair

• HA + DR Trio (HA and/or DR nodes in Azure)

Deployment Steps

1. EMS Web Console Installation

• Deploy the EMS web console on-premises, not in Azure.

2. Primary Server Deployment

• The Primary remains on-premises and must meet all standard requirements per the Continuity Engine installation guide.

3. Clone and Migrate Standby Nodes to Azure

(1) Clone Source On-Premises VM (Primary)

• Use the cloning method appropriate for the Primary platform (VMware, Hyper-V, Physical, Xen, KVM, etc.).

(2) Migrate the clone to Azure

• Use Azure Migrate or another supported migration tool that maintains server identity, SID, and configuration integrity.

4. Post-Migration Configuration

• Once the cloned VMs are running in Azure, follow the same post-cloning steps as described in the Azure-to-Azure deployment section:

  • Set the Engine Service to Manual

  • Configure Azure networking (Public IP, Channel NIC)

  • Complete ConfigWizard setup

  • Start Engine Service