Create a custom size Azure compliant Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) file

IBM provides an Azure-compliant VHD file that can be used to deploy ISAM to Azure.

The size of the VHD file is 800 GB. To use a size other than 800 GB, we can create a custom pre-installed Security Verify Access image for Azure manually. After the ISAM installation finishes, it is not possible to resize the hard disk. This process requires a Microsoft Hyper-V environment and the ISAM firmware installation ISO.

This procedure can be automated using the generate_azure_image.ps1 Powershell Script that can be obtained from the File Downloads page in the common > samples > deploy directory on a running appliance.

These steps apply to Hyper-V Manager version 10 and similar.

Steps

  1. In the Hyper-V Manager, create a new virtual machine using the wizard. During the wizard:

    1. When prompted to Specify Generation, select the Generation 1 option.
    2. When prompted to Assign Memory, enter 2048MB or more. This amount can be changed later after installation.
    3. When prompted to Configure Networking, no network connection is required.
    4. When prompted to Connect Virtual Hard Disk, create a new virtual hard disk. Set the size of the virtual disk to the desired custom size. This size can not be changed after installation finishes.
    5. When prompted for Installation Options, attach the ISAM installation ISO.

  2. Start the newly created virtual machine. The virtual machine boots from the ISAM installation ISO and automatically installs the ISAM firmware. When this process is complete, the virtual machine shuts down automatically.
  3. Wait for the firmware to install and for the virtual machine to shut down.

  4. On the Actions tab, click Edit Disk. The Edit Virtual Hard Disk Wizard is started. During the wizard:

    1. When prompted to Locate Disk, select the VHD file associated with the virtual machine created earlier.
    2. When prompted to Choose Action, select the Convert option.
    3. When prompted to Choose Disk Format, select VHD. Azure does not support the VHDX format.
    4. When prompted to Choose Disk Type, select Fixed size. Azure does not support dynamically expanding or thin-provisioned disks.
    5. When prompted to Configure Disk, choose a new location to save the converted disk to.

  5. After the Edit Virtual Hard Disk Wizard is complete, the newly converted VHD is ready to be uploaded to Microsoft Azure.

    • The Security Verify Access firmware must not be configured before preparing it to upload to Azure. If the machine is not in the unconfigured state when first started on Azure, it will not correctly detect the Azure environment.
    • It is possible to convert the VHD using other methods, such as the Powershell extensions for Hyper-V and qemu-img.
    • The firmware installation must take place in a Microsoft Hyper-V environment. For example, we can not install Security Verify Access in VMware and convert it to an Azure-appropriate VHD. The hypervisor the ISAM firmware is installed in must be the same as its intended execution environment. Microsoft Hyper-V Generation 1 is considered to be the same hardware as Microsoft Azure by the ISAM firmware.
    • For details about the VHD requirements, see the General Linux Installation Notes topic on the Microsoft Azure documentation website.

Parent topic: Microsoft Azure support