NCache Deployment

The NCache deployment process leverages Azure Managed Applications and Virtual Machine Scale Sets (VMSS) to automate the provisioning and configuration of NCache server nodes. This deployment model ensures that your cache cluster is managed efficiently within your own environment, providing built-in scalability, high availability, and fault tolerance.

NCache Cloud on Azure is offered through multiple flexible plans, including an Hourly pricing model where software usage is billed per hour based on the selected server plan, as well as Free Evaluation/ BYOL and Free Dev/QA options for various testing and licensing needs.

Prerequisites

Before deploying NCache Cloud on Azure, ensure that the following requirements are met to facilitate a seamless installation process.

Setup Azure Infrastructure

NCache Cloud deploys as a managed application that attaches to your existing infrastructure. So, you must pre-configure the following resources in your target deployment region before initiating the NCache Cloud setup:

  • Resource Group: A dedicated or existing resource group to house the managed application.

  • Managed Identity Resource: Already created managed identity resource with contributor access on the resource group.

  • Virtual Network (VNet): An existing VNet where NCache will reside.

  • NCache Subnet: A specific subnet named ncache-subnet must be created within your VNet with public access.

Accepting NCache Cloud Image Terms

Before proceeding with any of the deployment plans, ensure that your Azure subscription has accepted the legal terms for NCache Cloud images. Failure to do so may result in a deployment error referencing "PurchaseIdentity.PrincipalName".

To resolve or prevent this, run the following commands in your local PowerShell:

  • Connect to Azure: Execute the following command to connect with Azure.
Connect-AzAccount
  • Accept Terms: Execute the following script to accept the terms for NCache Cloud Marketplace images:
az vm image terms accept --publisher ncache --offer ncache_vm_offer_win --plan byol
az vm image terms accept --publisher ncache --offer ncache_vm_offer_win --plan ent-4-2
az vm image terms accept --publisher ncache --offer ncache_vm_offer_win --plan ent-8-2
az vm image terms accept --publisher ncache --offer ncache_vm_offer_win --plan ent-8-4
az vm image terms accept --publisher ncache --offer ncache_vm_offer_win --plan ent-16-2
az vm image terms accept --publisher ncache --offer ncache_vm_offer_win --plan ent-16-4
az vm image terms accept --publisher ncache --offer ncache_vm_offer_win --plan ent-16-8
az vm image terms accept --publisher ncache --offer ncache_vm_offer_win --plan ent-32-4
az vm image terms accept --publisher ncache --offer ncache_vm_offer_win --plan ent-32-8
az vm image terms accept --publisher ncache --offer ncache_vm_offer_win --plan ent-32-16
az vm image terms accept --publisher ncache --offer ncache_vm_offer_win --plan ent-64-8
az vm image terms accept --publisher ncache --offer ncache_vm_offer_win --plan ent-64-16
az vm image terms accept --publisher ncache --offer ncache_vm_offer_win --plan ent-64-32
az vm image terms accept --publisher ncache --offer ncache_vm_offer_win --plan ent-128-16
az vm image terms accept --publisher ncache --offer ncache_vm_offer_win --plan ent-128-32
az vm image terms accept --publisher ncache --offer ncache_vm_offer_win --plan ent-128-64
az vm image terms accept --publisher ncache --offer ncache_vm_offer_win --plan ent-256-32
az vm image terms accept --publisher ncache --offer ncache_vm_offer_win --plan ent-256-64

Deployment Steps

Following are the initial steps for all deployment models on Azure:

  • Go to Azure Portal and log in.

  • From the Azure Services, select Marketplace.

  • In the search box, type NCache in the Discover Products section and choose NCache Cloud Azure Application.

    Azure MarketPlace

Step 1: Select a Plan

  • On selecting NCache Cloud Azure application, a new page with Subscription and Plan options will appear. NCache provides following plans:

    • Hourly: It provides an on-demand, pay-as-you-go approach to distributed caching on Azure offering 4GB, 8GB, 16 GB, 32GB, 64GB and 256GB server plans. Designed for flexibility and rapid deployment, this plan eliminates the need for pre-obtained license keys or manual registration. Each server node automatically registers upon activation, allowing you to scale your cluster up to 10 nodes instantly while ensuring your costs align directly with your hourly usage.

    • Free Eval (60-days): This plan offers a 60-day free trial on all server plans. In this plan the software is completely free to use, however you have to pay for the underlying Azure infrastructure.

    • BYOL: This plan offers you to reuse the existing licenses or purchase them separately to deploy NCache. You only pay for the underlying infrastructure, with the option to handle license purchases or renewals directly through the Azure Marketplace.

    • Free Dev/QA: This plan offers a free 4GB single-server deployment specifically for development and testing. The NCache software is provided at no cost, meaning you pay only for the underlying Azure infrastructure. This plan includes a 2GB cache size with certain performance limitations.

On this page we will proceed with Hourly server deployment.

Azure MarketPlace

Note

For an hourly subscription, you are not required to have an installation or evaluation key beforehand. These machines automatically register themselves upon activation and are charged on an hourly basis.

Step 2: Basics

After clicking Create on your chosen plan, configure the core Azure project parameters:

  • Subscription: Select the active Azure subscription for billing and resource allocation.

  • Resource Group: Identify the group where the NCache resources will be logically organized.

  • Region: Select the geographical location for your deployment.

  • Managed Application Details:

    • Application Name: Assign a unique identifier for the NCache Managed Application.

    • Managed Resource Group: Specify the name for the resource group that Azure will manage internally to hold the application's infrastructure.

    Azure MarketPlace

Step 3: User Details

  • Upon clicking Next, you will land on the User Details page where you need to provide the user information including First Name, Last Name, Company Name, and, Email Address. Click Next.

    Azure MarketPlace

Step 4: Environment Details

Upon clicking Next, you will land on the Environment Details page. Provide environment-related details as follows:

  • Name & Type: Assign an environment name and designate the type (e.g., Production or Staging).

  • Install/License Key: Required for BYOL or Free Eval; however, for the Hourly plan, this is automatically handled.

  • Admin Credentials: Set the Admin Username, Password, and Confirm Password for VM-level access.

  • Number of Servers: Set the initial node count. You can scale beyond 10 nodes post-deployment via the Administrator's Guide.

  • Connectivity & Storage: Configure the network infrastructure and storage performance levels to ensure optimal cluster accessibility and data reliability.

    • Enable Public IP Address: Select this checkbox to allow RDP access using the Admin credentials.

    • Virtual Network: Select the VNet for deployment.

    • OS Disk Type & Availability Zone: Choose the storage performance level and physical location within the region for high availability.

    Azure MarketPlace

    Note

    To enable TLS security or NCache user security, you need to edit a custom data script provided by NCache Cloud and then run it via Azure VMSS. Click here to learn more.

Step 5: NCache Details

Configure software specifications and maintenance windows:

  • Version, Operating System, & Server Plan: Select the NCache version, OS, and hardware resource profile.

    Azure MarketPlace

  • OS Patch Schedule: The OS Patch Schedule automates critical security updates for your cluster nodes during designated low-traffic windows. By using Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), NCache ensures global maintenance consistency across all deployment regions. You can configure this as follows:

    • Week of the Month: Select the specific week (First, Second, Third, Fourth, or Last) during which the maintenance window should occur. This allows you to align patching with your organization's internal maintenance cycles.

    • Day of the Week: Choose the preferred day (e.g., Sunday or Saturday) to execute the updates. Typically, a day with the lowest recorded application traffic is selected to ensure that any brief node reboots have zero impact on end-users.

    • Time (UTC): Specify the exact start time for the patching process in Coordinated Universal Time. Using UTC provides a global standard that ensures maintenance happens at the same absolute time regardless of the server's physical region or local time zone shifts.

  • Verification of Updates: You can verify the status and details of the patching process at two levels:

    • Orchestrator Level: Check the Runbook resource within your managed resource group. The Jobs section will show an entry whenever a schedule is triggered, displaying the current status (Running, Succeeded, or Failed). This job remains active until all cluster VMs have been processed.

    • VM Level: For granular details, access each individual VM and review the patch-logs.txt file placed at C:\Program Files\NCache\log-files. This log identifies the specific patches applied, the current status of the VM, and whether a restart was triggered by the updates.

Step 6: Managed Identity Details

NCache Cloud is fully managed but sits inside your subscription, giving you full control and security.

  • Contributor Access: The deployment identity must have Contributor permissions on your target Resource Group.

  • Dedicated Public Subnet: A subnet named ncache-subnet with internet access is mandatory.

  • Deployment Script: You must execute the provided script in your Azure subscription. This script automates two critical tasks:

  • Subnet Creation: It creates a dedicated subnet for NCache named as ncache-subnet if it is not already present.

  • Role Assignment: It assigns the Contributor role to the Managed Identity, giving the application the necessary rights to deploy and manage the VMSS nodes.

Select the confirmation checkbox once the script has been executed to finalize your deployment.

Important

If you have not manually created a dedicated subnet for NCache, the script provided in this section will automatically create the required ncache-subnet along with an identity with contributor access for your deployment.

Azure MarketPlace

Step 7: Review and Create

  • Upon clicking Next, you will land on the Review + create page, which validates all the required information provided in the previous steps.

    Azure MarketPlace

  • After validation is successful, click Create. NCache will be deployed on Azure, and the required resources will be provisioned.

After the deployment is complete and all resources are successfully provisioned, the next step is to connect to one of the deployed instances to access and manage your NCache environment.

Important

Modifying resources within the Managed Resource Group is not recommended. While you may manage instances (add, remove, start, stop) or provide CustomData scripts via the customScriptExtension, altering core configurations like VM resizing, termination policies, NSG port rules, or the patching script may cause the application to fail or behave unexpectedly.

See Also

NCache Deployment
Connect to Instance
Security Configuration