Deploy NCache with Azure Kubernetes Service

Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) provides a managed Kubernetes environment in which NCache server containers run on Linux worker nodes. The NCache Helm chart configures the server deployment and gateway services required to access the caches and NCache Management Center.

This page explains how to connect to an existing AKS cluster, install NCache, and verify the deployment. The examples use the default two-server configuration and include options for licensing and management access.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure that:

  • You have access to an existing AKS cluster, or permission to create one as described below.
  • Azure CLI is installed and configured.
  • kubectl is installed.
  • Helm with OCI registry support is installed and configured.
  • You have permission to deploy namespace resources and the chart’s cluster-wide RBAC resources.
  • The selected NCache OCI chart version and container image are accessible.
  • You have the required deployment key and, for license activation, the appropriate license key and environment name.
  • The cluster can provide networking for the NCache gateway services.
  • The cluster must run Kubernetes version 1.25.0 or later and provide at least two schedulable Linux worker nodes for the default two-server deployment. The default setting, deployment.podAntiAffinity=true, places each server on a separate node. If shared-node placement is acceptable, this value can be set to false during installation.

Create an AKS Cluster

If you do not already have an AKS cluster, create one through the Azure portal. For the complete procedure, see Create an AKS Cluster Using the Azure Portal.

  • In the Azure portal, create an Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) resource.
  • Select your subscription and resource group, then specify the cluster name, region, and Kubernetes version.
  • Configure a Linux node pool with sufficient resources for NCache. Provide at least two schedulable worker nodes so that the default two-server deployment can place each NCache server on a separate node.
  • Configure networking and cluster access for your environment, then select Review + create and Create.
  • After deployment completes, note the resource group and cluster name. Use these values in the following connection procedure.

Deployment Process

Follow the steps below to deploy NCache on an existing AKS cluster.

Step 1: Connect kubectl to AKS

  • Sign in to your Azure account:
az login
  • Get the credentials for your AKS cluster:
az aks get-credentials --resource-group "<resource-group>" --name "<aks-cluster-name>"

This command updates your local Kubernetes configuration so that kubectl can communicate with the selected AKS cluster.

  • Verify that kubectl is connected to the AKS cluster:
kubectl get nodes

If the connection is successful, the command displays the AKS worker nodes.

Step 2: Prepare the NCache Helm Chart

  • Open Azure Cloud Shell or a local PowerShell terminal connected to your cluster. The unified OCI chart can be installed directly, so uploading a provider-specific package is no longer required.

  • Inspect the defaults for the NCache chart you intend to install:

helm show values oci://registry-1.docker.io/alachisoft/ncache --version 1.0.0

Step 3: Install Helm Chart

Run the following command to deploy two NCache servers with defaultCache enabled. Replace xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx with your deployment key:

helm install ncache oci://registry-1.docker.io/alachisoft/ncache --version 1.0.0 --namespace ncache --create-namespace `
  --set-string deployment.key="xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" `
  --set-string deployment.platform="AKS"
Tip

For guidance on deploying in different scenarios, refer to Manage an Existing Deployment.

Verify the Server Pods

Check the pods and their worker-node placement after installation:

kubectl get pods,jobs -n ncache
kubectl get pods -n ncache -o wide

After Helm installs the release, NCache completes cache configuration and licensing through a configuration job. Check for failed jobs and verify the caches in NCache Management Center before using the deployment.

Verify that all configured NCache server pods are ready; the default deployment contains two. If a pod fails to start, inspect its events and logs using its actual name, and check the deployment key, licensing values, and access to the selected image.

Step 4: Verify NCache Services

  • Check the gateway services created by the installed chart:
kubectl get svc -n ncache

Verify that the required endpoints are assigned and reachable:

  • Client connections: gateway.clientPort defaults to 9800.
  • Management: gateway.mgmtPorts defaults to 9801-9802, with session affinity.
  • Additional gateway ports: gateway.ports defaults to 9803-9997.
  • Portal: gateway.portalPorts defaults to 9998-9999, with session affinity.

Step 5: Access NCache Management Center

Use the gateway's external IP address or DNS name to access the NCache Management Center. The default direct-access URLs are http://<management-gateway-endpoint>:9801 and, when HTTPS is configured, https://<management-gateway-endpoint>:9802.

When accessing Management Center through an HTTPS load balancer, use the configured public HTTPS endpoint and forward requests to HTTP port 9801 with sticky sessions enabled. For the NCache Cloud Portal, which uses HTTPS port 9998 and HTTP port 9999, configure the HTTPS load balancer to forward requests to HTTP port 9999 with sticky sessions enabled. These port assignments are described in Firewalls and Ports.

After verifying the deployed caches in NCache Management Center, follow Getting Started to begin using NCache. Applications outside Kubernetes can connect through the client gateway using ConnectionOptions, as described in Configure the External Client. For subsequent licensing changes, cache configuration updates, and image upgrades, see Manage Deployment.

See Also

Evaluation Period Management
License Management