This article outlines how to create and configure your Microsoft Connected Cache for Enterprise and Education cache nodes. The creation and configuration of your cache node takes place in Azure. The deployment of your cache node requires downloading and running an OS-specific provisioning package on your host machine.
Prerequisites
Azure Pay-As-You-Go subscription: Microsoft Connected Cache is a free-of-charge service hosted in Azure. You'll need a pay-as-you-go Azure subscription in order to onboard to our service. To create a subscription, go to pay-as-you-go subscription page.
Hardware to host Connected Cache: The recommended configuration serves approximately 35,000 managed devices, downloading a 2-GB payload in 24-hour timeframe at a sustained rate of 6.5 Gbps.
In the Azure portal, select Create a Resource and search for Microsoft Connected Cache for Enterprise and Education.
Select the Microsoft Connected Cache for Enterprise resource. When prompted, choose the subscription, resource group, and location for the resource. Then enter a name for the resource, then select Review + Create.
After a few moments, you'll see a "Validation successful" message, indicating you can move onto the next step and select Create.
The creation of the resource might take a few minutes. After a successful creation, you'll see a page stating the deployment is complete. Select Go to resource to create cache nodes.
Sign in to the Azure CLI by using the az login command.
Run az version to find the version and dependent libraries that are installed. To upgrade to the latest version, run az upgrade.
Install Azure CLI extension mcc by following the instructions here.
Resource group under which a Connected Cache resource can be created. Use the az group create command to create a new Resource group if you don't already have one.
Create Connected Cache Azure resource
Replace the following placeholders with your own information:
<resource-group>: Name of an existing resource group in your subscription.
<mcc-resource-name>: A name for your Microsoft Connected Cache for Enterprise resource.
<location>: The Azure region where your Microsoft Connected Cache will be located.
az mcc ent resource create --mcc-resource-name <mymccresource> --resource-group <myrg> --location <region>
Open Azure portal and navigate to the Microsoft Connected Cache for Enterprise resource that you created.
Under Cache Node Management, select Cache Nodes then Create Cache Node.
Provide a name for your cache node and select the host OS you plan to deploy the cache node on, then select Create. Note, cache node names have to be unique under the Microsoft Connected Cache resource.
The creation of the cache node might take a few minutes. Select Refresh to see your recently created cache node.
Once the cache node state changes to Not Configured, you can now configure your cache node.
For more information about different cache node states, see Cache node states.
Use the following command to create a new cache node if you don't already have one.
Replace the following placeholders with your own information:
<resource-group>: Name of existing resource group in your subscription.
<mcc-resource-name>: Name of the Microsoft Connected Cache for Enterprise resource.
<cache-node-name>: A name for your Microsoft Connected Cache node.
<host-os>: The OS on which cache node will be provisioned.
Accepted values: windows, linux
az mcc ent node create --cache-node-name <mycachenode> --mcc-resource-name <mymccresource> --resource-group <myrg> --host-os <linux>
Note
To ensure cache node has been created successfully, run the following command before continuing with cache node configuration.
az mcc ent node show --cache-node-name <mycachenode> --mcc-resource-name <mymccresource> --resource-group <myrg>
In the output look for cacheNodeState. If cacheNodeState = Not Configured, you can continue with cache node configuration.
If cacheNodeState = Registration in Progress, then the cache node is still in process of being created. Wait a couple of minutes and run the command again.
To know more about different cache node state, see Cache node states.
Enter required values to configure your cache node. For more information about the definitions of each field, review the Configuration fields at the bottom of this article.
Don't forget to select save after adding configuration information.
Configure Linux-hosted Connected Cache node
Use the following command to configure cache node for deployment to a Linux host machine.
Replace the following placeholders with your own information:
<resource-group>: Name of the resource group in your subscription.
<mcc-resource-name>: Name of your Microsoft Connected Cache for Enterprise resource.
<cache-node-name>: Name for your Microsoft Connected Cache node.
<physical-path>: The cache drive path. You can add up to nine cache drives.
<size-in-gb>: The size of cache drive. Must be at least 50 Gb.
<proxy>: If proxy needs to be enabled or not.
Accepted values: enabled, disabled
Proxy should be set to enabled if the cache node will need to pass through a network proxy to download content. The provided proxy will also be used during deployment of the Connected Cache cache node to your host machine.
<proxy-host>: The proxy host name or ip address. Required if proxy is set to enabled.
<proxy-port>: Proxy port number. Required if proxy is set to enabled.
<auto-update-ring>: Update ring the cache node should have.
Accepted values: slow, fast.
If update ring is set to slow, you must provide the day of week, time of day and week of month the cache node should be updated.
<auto-update-day>: The day of the week cache node should be updated. Week starts from Monday.
Accepted values: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7
<auto-update-time>: The time of day cache node should be updated in 24 hour format (hh:mm)
<auto-update-week>: The week of month cache node should be updated.
Accepted values: 1,2,3,4
az mcc ent node update --cache-node-name <mycachenode> --mcc-resource-name <mymccresource> --resource-group <myrg>
--cache-drive "[{physical-path:</physical/path>,size-in-gb:<size of cache drive>},{</physical/path>,size-in-gb:<size of cache drive>}...]"> --proxy <enabled> --proxy-host <"proxy host name"> --proxy-port <proxy port> --auto-update-day <day of week> --auto-update-time <time of day> --auto-update-week <week of month> --auto-update-ring <update ring>
Configure Windows-hosted Connected Cache node
Use the following command to configure cache node for deployment to a Windows host machine.
Replace the following placeholders with your own information:
<resource-group>: Name of the resource group in your subscription.
<mcc-resource-name>: Name of your Microsoft Connected Cache for Enterprise resource.
<cache-node-name>: Name for your Microsoft Connected Cache node.
<physical-path>: The cache drive path.
Accepted value: /var/mcc
<size-in-gb>: The size of cache drive. Must be at least 50 Gb.
<proxy>: If proxy needs to be enabled or not.
Accepted values: enabled, disabled
Proxy should be set to enabled if the cache node will need to pass through a network proxy to download content. The provided proxy will also be used during deployment of the Connected Cache cache node to your host machine.
<proxy-host>: The proxy host name or ip address. Required if proxy is set to enabled.
<proxy-port>: Proxy port number. Required if proxy is set to enabled.
<auto-update-ring>: Update ring the cache node should have.
Accepted values: slow, fast.
If update ring is set to slow, you must provide the day of week, time of day and week of month the cache node should be updated.
<auto-update-day>: The day of the week cache node should be updated. Week starts from Monday.
Accepted values: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7
<auto-update-time>: The time of day cache node should be updated in 24 hour format (hh:mm)
<auto-update-week>: The week of month cache node should be updated.
Accepted values: 1,2,3,4
az mcc ent node update --cache-node-name <mycachenode> --mcc-resource-name <mymccresource> --resource-group <myrg>
--cache-drive "[{physical-path:/var/mcc,size-in-gb:<size of cache drive>}]" --proxy <enabled> --proxy-host <"proxy host name"> --proxy-port <proxy port> --auto-update-day <day of week> --auto-update-time <time of day> --auto-update-week <week of month> --auto-update-ring <update ring>
The name of the cache node. You may choose names based on location such as "Seattle-1". This name must be unique and can't be changed later
Host OS
Linux or Windows
This is the operating system of the host machine that the cache node will be deployed to.
Storage fields
Cache node for Linux
Important
All cache drives must have full read/write permissions set or the cache node will not function. For example, in a terminal you can run: sudo chmod 777 /path/to/cachedrivefolder
Field Name
Expected Value
Description
Cache drive folder
File path string
Up to nine drive folders accessible by the cache node can be configured for each cache node to configure cache storage. Enter the location of the folder in Ubuntu where the external physical drive is mounted. For example: /dev/sda3/. Each cache drive should have read/write permissions configured. Ensure your disks are mounted and visit Attach a data disk to a Linux VM for more information.
Cache drive size in gigabytes
Integer in GB
Set the size of each drive configured for the cache node. Minimum cache drive size is 50 GB.
Cache node for Windows
Field Name
Expected Value
Description
Cache drive folder
File path string /var/mcc
This is the folder path where content is cached. You can't change the folder path.
Cache drive size in gigabytes
Integer in GB
Set the size of each drive configured for the cache node. Minimum cache drive size is 50 GB.
Proxy settings
You can choose to enable or disable proxy settings on your cache node. Proxy should be set to enabled if the cache node will need to pass through a network proxy to download content. The provided proxy will also be used during deployment of the Connected Cache node to your host machine.
Important
Enabling or disabling the proxy settings after your cache node has been deployed will require running the provisioning script on the host machine again. This will ensure that proxy changes are in effect on the cache node.
On the left pane, select Cache Nodes under Cache Node Management to see all the cache nodes under the Connected Cache resource. Select the cache node you wish to delete and select the Delete option on top of the page.
Use the following command to delete the cache node under the resource.
Replace the following placeholders with your own information:
<resource-group>: Name of the resource group in your subscription.
<mcc-resource-name>: Name of your Microsoft Connected Cache for Enterprise resource.
az mcc ent node delete --mcc-resource-name <mymccresource> --resource-group <myrg>
Cache node states
Cache node state
Description
Operation in progress
An operation is being done on the cache node
Registration in progress
Cache node is being registered
Not configured
Cache node is ready to be configured
Not provisioned
Cache node is ready to be provisioned on host machine
Healthy
Cache node phoning home
Unhealthy
Cache node has stopped phoning home
Never phoned home
Cache node has provisioned but has never phoned home