Uploading the vNIOS Image to Azure Public Cloud

Before uploading the NIOS image, install and set up the Go language and Azure VHD utilities as prerequisites. To install, complete the following steps:

1. Install Go language version 1.11 or later that is available at: https://golang.org/dl/

2. Set the following Go environment variables in the ~/.profile file once Go language is installed:

   1. export GOROOT=/usr/local/go

   2. export GOPATH=$HOME

   3. export PATH=$GOPATH/bin:$GOROOT/bin:$PATH

3. Source the ~/.profile file as follows: source ~/.profile

4. Install golint and azure-vhd-utils:

   1. Run the go install golang.org/x/lint/golint@latest command to install golint.

   2. Run the go install github.com/Microsoft/azure-vhd-utils@latest command to install azure-vhd-utils. For more information on Azure VHD utilities, see https://github.com/microsoft/azure-vhd-utils.
      
      If the go get github.com/Microsoft/azure-vhd-utils command fails, perform the following steps:

      1. Run the mkdir ~/tmp command to make a temporary directory.
      2. Run the cp -r ~/upload/src/github.com/Microsoft/azure-vhd-utils ~/tmp command to copy azure-vhd-utils to the temporary directory.
      3. Run the cd ~/tmp/azure-vhd-utils command.

      4. Run the make command to install azure-vhd-utils.
         If the command displays the if exec: "gcc": executable file not found in $PATH error message, run the export CGO_ENABLED="0" command and then run the make command once again.
      5. Run the sudo cp azure-vhd-utils /usr/bin/ command.

To upload a vNIOS image on Azure, complete the following steps:

1. Download the NIOS vhd.gz file from the Infoblox Support site as follows:
   1. Log in to the Infoblox Support site.
   2. On the Downloads tab, complete the following:
      1. Infoblox Software: Choose NIOS/vNIOS.
      2. Select release type: Select the release type as General maintenance products with full engineering support for routine patches and bug fixes on all significant issues.
      3. Select version: Choose the vNIOS version.
      4. vNIOS for Azure section: Download the vhd.gz file.

2. Run the following command to unzip the NIOS vhd.gz file:
   gunzip nios-image.vhd.gz

3. Run the following command to upload the .vhd file on Azure using the format:
   azure-vhd-utils upload --localvhdpath <local_path> --stgaccountname <storage_account> --stgaccountkey <account_key> --containername <container_name> --blobname <image_name>

   For example:
   azure-vhd-utils upload --localvhdpath ~/nios-image.vhd --stgaccountname rgeastcloudautomation --stgaccountkey ****** --containername images --blobname nios-image.vhd

After the image file is uploaded on Azure public cloud blob storage, proceed to deploy a VM instance from the Azure CLI.