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Configure the Azure Node Role in a Node Template

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Applies To: Microsoft HPC Pack 2008 R2, Microsoft HPC Pack 2012, Microsoft HPC Pack 2012 R2

An Azure node template provides settings to configure the Azure role instances that will be added as Azure nodes to the HPC cluster. Starting with HPC Pack 2008 R2 with Service Pack 1, HPC Pack supports the addition of worker role instances, which run a guest operating system that is substantially similar to Windows Server.

Important

  • Certain versions of HPC Pack include settings to add Azure VM role instances as Azure nodes. The VM Role feature (beta) in Microsoft Azure is being retired on May 15, 2013. Also now deprecated are the settings in Microsoft HPC Pack 2008 R2 and Microsoft HPC Pack 2012 to deploy a custom VHD to VM role nodes from a Windows HPC cluster. After the retirement date, VM role deployments from an HPC cluster will fail or be inaccessible. To add Azure nodes to an HPC cluster, use the Azure worker role.

  • The node template settings to select VM role instances for deployments of Azure nodes are removed as of HPC Pack 2012 with SP1.

After you add the nodes to the cluster and provision them in Azure, you can use the Azure nodes to run many of the applications and jobs that can run in an on-premises Windows HPC cluster.

For more information about adding Azure nodes to your HPC cluster, see Burst to Azure with Microsoft HPC Pack in the Microsoft TechNet Library.

Guest operating systems for worker nodes

The following table indicates the support in HPC Pack for the Windows Server guest operating system on Azure worker role instances. Starting n HPC Pack 2012, you can choose one of the supported operating systems to run on the worker nodes. In HPC Pack 2008 R2, the supported operating system is installed by default.

Version of HPC Pack

Guest operating system

HPC Pack 2012 R2

  • Windows Server 2012 R2 (Azure Guest OS 4.x)

  • Windows Server 2012 (Azure Guest OS 3.x)

  • Windows Server 2008 R2 (Azure Guest OS 2.x)

HPC Pack 2012

  • Windows Server 2012 (Azure Guest OS 3.x)

  • Windows Server 2008 R2 (Azure Guest OS 2.x)

HPC Pack 2008 R2 (with at least SP1)

  • Windows Server 2008 R2 (Azure Guest OS 2.x)

For more information about Azure guest operating systems, see Azure Guest OS Releases and SDK Compatibility Matrix.

Application VHD for worker nodes

Starting with HPC Pack 2012, you can optionally configure the node template to mount a durable VHD file (an Azure drive) on each Azure worker node. For more information, see Mount an Application VHD on Azure Worker Nodes.

See Also

Configuring an Azure Node Template for Microsoft HPC Pack Add Azure Nodes to a Windows HPC Cluster