Microsoft Azure Linux Out Of Box Catalog items

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Microsoft Azure Linux Out Of Box Catalog items

    This catalog provides ServiceNow customers with a set of ready-to-use Microsoft Azure Linux virtual machine (VM) deployment options. It enables ordering Linux VMs with flexible configurations, including agent client collector installation, additional storage, security group assignments, and scalable VM sets. The catalog items facilitate compliance, security, and scalability within Azure environments directly from the ServiceNow Cloud Services Catalog.

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    Key Features

    • Linux VM with Agent Client Collector (ACC): Orders Linux VMs on Azure with mandatory ACC installation for production environments. ACC helps with monitoring and management.
    • Approval Controls: Certain VM sizes and configurations (beyond StandardA1v2 and StandardA2v2, or more than two additional disks) require administrator approval per policy to ensure compliance.
    • Additional Disk Attachments: Allows attaching up to 10 additional disks of varying sizes and types to a Linux VM. Approval is required when requesting more than two disks.
    • Security Groups Assignment: Enables assignment of one or more security groups to restrict network access, leveraging firewall-port rules for enhanced VM security. Security groups are filtered by the selected virtual private cloud (VPC) and subnet.
    • Linux VM Scale Set: Supports deployment of identical Linux VMs as a scale set for automated scaling and high availability.
    • Compliance and Policy Scanning: Cloud configuration scans (CCG scans) run automatically post-deployment to verify compliance with policy rules. Any violations set the deployment state to “Follow up required.”
    • Post-Provisioning Notifications: Automatically emails the deployed application’s endpoint URL to the requester after provisioning.
    • Tagging: Assigns key-value tags to all deployed resources (VMs, network, storage) within the CMDB for tracking purposes. Note that tags currently update only in the CMDB, not directly in Azure, with plans for future improvements.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    • Quickly provision compliant and secure Linux VMs in Microsoft Azure with built-in governance and approval workflows.
    • Control resource configurations such as VM size, attached storage, and network security through an intuitive catalog interface.
    • Automate scaling needs with VM scale sets, supporting business continuity and performance under load.
    • Receive immediate feedback on policy compliance and endpoint access details post-deployment.
    • Maintain resource visibility and control through tagging within ServiceNow’s CMDB.

    Cloud Services Catalog Linux VM with agent client collector (ACC), up to 10 additional disks, security groups or with scalable web servers or with security groups.

    This is a fully functional sample catalog item that can be used to request a Linux instance of any instance type from Microsoft Azure.

    Order Features

    Order a Linux virtual machine on Microsoft Azure, that allows installation of agent client collector. ACC is compulsory for production instances. VM sizes other than Standard_A1_v2 and Standard_A2_v2 require approval. Cloud configuration scan is run for compliance checking.

    For instance types other than Standard_A1_v2 and Standard_A2_v2, approval is needed from administrator by policy. The catalog item has built in client rules to drive a ACC (Agent Client Collector) installation, when the deployment environment is marked for production.

    To select the credential alias key for ACC deployment from mid, the appropriate ACC admin role permissions are required to be bestowed to the user.

    The work-flow automation runs a CCG scan on the deployed Linux instance, and checks the policy rule with the configuration of the VM. If there is any violation, the stack will be set with 'Follow up required' state to notify that the stack deployment is not as per norms.

    Order a Linux virtual machine and specify up to 10 additional disks. For up to two disks, no approval is necessary. Seek approval for anything beyond that.

    This catalog item form allows ordering up to 10 additional disks (volumes) attached to the VM of varying sizes and types. If more than two additional disks are added to the request, seek approval from administrator, by policy.

    Order a secure Linux virtual machine, assign security groups. Select as many you require, for the highest level of security.

    This catalog item form allows capability to assign one or more security groups (firewall-port rules) to the compute instance so that the network access to the VM is restricted. Security groups are listed for the selected VPC and subnets.

    Order a Linux virtual machine scale set to deploy identical virtual machines, enabling automated scaling and ensuring high availability.

    This catalog item provides the capability to deploy identical virtual machines using a Linux virtual machine scale set, which supports automated scaling for enhanced availability. Email URL is added as a post provision operation which emails the deployed application's end point URL to the requester.
    Note:

    Tag (key-value) is assigned to all deployed resources. Example: VM, network, storage as present in the stack.

    The key-value is updated only in the cmdb_key_value table, not in public cloud at this time. This will be fixed in future releases to update the tags in cloud.