Manage Azure NICs for Optimal Network Performance

Managing Azure Network Interface Cards (NICs) is crucial for optimal network performance. Properly configured NICs can significantly improve your application's reliability and throughput.

To start, you should understand that Azure NICs are virtual, meaning they're not tied to a specific physical network interface. This allows for greater flexibility and scalability in your network architecture.

A key consideration when managing Azure NICs is assigning the correct IP address configuration. Static IP addresses can provide stability, while dynamic IP addresses can be more flexible, but also risk IP address conflicts.

NICs can also be used to connect to multiple subnets, which can be useful for segregating traffic or implementing network segmentation. This can be done by creating multiple IP addresses on a single NIC.

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IP address management is a crucial aspect of Azure NIC configuration. You can add multiple IP addresses to a network interface, including private and public IPv4 addresses, and private IPv6 addresses.

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Each network interface can have one IPv6 private address, and you can optionally add a public IPv6 address to an IPv6 network interface configuration. To add an IP address, go to the Network interfaces page in the Azure portal, select the network interface, and under Settings, select IP configurations and then select + Add.

You can specify the name, IP version, type, private IP address settings, and public IP address settings when adding an IP configuration. The allocation method for private IP addresses can be Dynamic or Static, and you can manually assign an unused private IP address if you select Static.

To create an IP configuration, you can use the Add-AzNetworkInterfaceIpConfig or az network nic ip-config create command. After adding a private IP address, you'll need to manually add the private IP address to the virtual machine operating system.

IP forwarding enables a NIC attached to a VM to receive and send network traffic with different source IP addresses. You can enable or disable IP forwarding on a NIC's page in the Azure portal or using the az network nic update command.

Here are the steps to enable or disable IP forwarding:

Note that IP forwarding is typically used with user-defined routes, and the VM must also run an application that's able to forward the traffic.

You can assign private and public IPv4 addresses to an IP configuration.

Private IPv4 addresses can be added to a network interface within the limits listed in the Azure limits article.

Each network interface can have one IPv6 private address, which can be added to one secondary IP configuration.

Public IPv4 addresses are optional and can be added to an IP configuration.

Public IPv6 addresses can be added to an IPv6 network interface configuration, but only one IPv6 private address can be assigned to a network interface.

Here's a summary of the address types you can assign:

IP Address Allocation is a crucial aspect of Azure NIC. You can assign public and private IP addresses to an IP configuration using one of the following allocation methods: Dynamic or Static.

Dynamic allocation allows Azure to automatically assign the next available address from the address space of the subnet that the network interface is deployed in. This is a convenient option, but it may not be suitable for all scenarios.

Static allocation, on the other hand, requires you to manually assign an unused private IP address from the address space of the subnet that the network interface is deployed in. This option provides more control over IP address assignment.

To add a private IP address, you can create a secondary IP configuration. This allows you to have multiple IP addresses associated with a single network interface. However, be aware that a network interface can only have one primary IP configuration.

Here are the allocation methods in a concise table:

Remember to update the IP configuration of a network interface using Set-AzNetworkInterfaceIpConfig or az network nic ip-config update if you need to change the allocation method or IP address.

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To view network interface settings, you can use the Azure portal or Azure PowerShell/Azure CLI. In the Azure portal, select Network interfaces, then choose the NIC you want to view. You can find essential information such as IPv4 and IPv6 IP addresses and network security group (NSG) membership on the Overview page.

You can also use the Azure CLI command az network nic show to view the settings for a NIC. If you want to view all NICs in the subscription, use az network nic list. The Azure portal doesn't display the DNS suffix or application security group membership for the NIC, but you can use Azure PowerShell or Azure CLI to view this information.

To delete a NIC, you must first stop and deallocate the VM it's attached to, then detach the NIC. You can use az network nic delete to delete the NIC. If you want to enable or disable IP forwarding, you can use az network nic update or Set-AzNetworkInterface.

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To create an interface, you need to understand the different types of interfaces that exist. There are several types, including physical, virtual, and logical interfaces.

A physical interface is a tangible connection between two devices. It's the physical layer of the interface.

A network interface card (NIC) is a type of physical interface that allows devices to connect to a network. It's a crucial component for establishing a connection.

A virtual interface, on the other hand, is a software-based connection. It's created using a virtual private network (VPN) or a virtual network interface controller (VNIC).

A logical interface is an abstraction of a physical or virtual interface. It's used to represent a connection in a more abstract way.

The interface can be either unidirectional or bidirectional, depending on the type of communication. A unidirectional interface only allows data to flow in one direction.

A bidirectional interface, however, allows data to flow in both directions. This is common in many network applications.

Viewing network interface settings is a crucial step in managing your Azure network. You can view most settings for a NIC after you create it, but the Azure portal doesn't display the DNS suffix or application security group membership for the NIC.

To view the DNS suffix and application security group membership, you can use Azure PowerShell or Azure CLI. This is because the portal doesn't provide this information, but you can access it using these tools.

To view the settings for a NIC, you can follow these steps:

1. In the Azure portal, search for and select Network interfaces.

2. On the Network interfaces page, select the NIC you want to view.

3. On the Overview page for the NIC, view essential information such as IPv4 and IPv6 IP addresses and network security group (NSG) membership.

You can also view the IP configurations, DNS servers, and network security group associated with the NIC. To do this, select IP configurations, DNS servers, and Network security group from the left navigation.

The Effective security rules and Effective routes pages list security rules and routes if the NIC is attached to a running VM and associated with an NSG or a subnet.

You can use the following Azure CLI command to view all NICs in the subscription: az network nic list. To view the settings for a NIC, use az network nic show. With Azure PowerShell, you can use Get-AzNetworkInterface to view NICs in the subscription or view settings for a NIC.

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To work with Azure Network Interfaces (NICs), your account must be assigned to the network contributor role or a custom role with specific actions. This includes the ability to get, create, update, and delete network interfaces, as well as attach and detach them from virtual machines.

To perform these actions, your custom role must be assigned the following permissions:

Note that the default outbound access IP is disabled when you create VMs using virtual machine scale sets in flexible orchestration mode.

Security rules are a crucial aspect of ensuring your virtual machines (VMs) are secure and can communicate effectively. You can view the effective security rules for each Network Interface Card (NIC) attached to a VM by using the Azure portal or Azure CLI commands.

To view effective security rules using the Azure portal, follow these steps:

You can also use Azure CLI commands to view the list of effective security rules. Two such commands are az network nic list-effective-nsg and Get-AzEffectiveNetworkSecurityGroup.

To work with network interfaces, you need to be assigned to the network contributor role or a custom role with specific permissions.

The network contributor role or custom role needs to have the following actions assigned: Get network interface, Create or update network interface, Attach a network interface to a virtual machine, Delete network interface, Join a resource to a network interface via private ip, Get network interface effective route table, Get network interface effective security groups, Get network interface load balancers, Get service association, Create or update a service association, Delete service association, and Validate service association.

Here's a list of the required actions with their corresponding names:

To manage application security groups, you can add or remove NICs from them. This can only be done in the Azure portal if the NIC is attached to a VM, otherwise, use PowerShell or Azure CLI.

You can add a NIC to an application security group by selecting the VM, going to the Networking page, and then selecting Configure the application security groups. From there, you can select the application security groups you want to add the NIC to.

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To remove a NIC from an application security group, follow the same steps, but deselect the application security groups you want to remove the NIC from.

You can also use PowerShell or Azure CLI to manage application security groups. For example, you can use az network nic ip-config update to set the application security group.

Here are the steps to add or remove a NIC from an application security group:

If you're experiencing connectivity issues with your Azure NIC, it's likely due to network security group rules or effective routes.

Network security group rules can block traffic, preventing your VM from communicating with the outside world. Check your security group rules to ensure they're not the culprit.

Effective routes can also cause connectivity issues by directing traffic to the wrong destination. Review your routes to ensure they're set up correctly.

Use the Azure portal to check and edit your network security group rules and effective routes to resolve the connectivity issue.

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Azure NIC Configuration is a crucial aspect of setting up and managing your Azure resources. You can view most settings for a NIC after you create it, but the portal doesn't display the DNS suffix or application security group membership for the NIC.

To view network interface settings, you can use Azure PowerShell or Azure CLI. You can also view the IP forwarding, Subnet, and public and private IPv4 and IPv6 IP configurations by selecting IP configurations in the left navigation. For more information about IP configurations and how to add and remove IP addresses, see Configure IP addresses for an Azure network interface.

Here are some key settings you can view for a NIC:

IP configurations are a crucial aspect of Azure NIC configuration. You can assign multiple IP configurations to a network interface, each with its own private and public IP addresses.

Each IP configuration can have a private and public IP address, which can be either IPv4 or IPv6. You can add multiple private IP addresses to an IP configuration, but only one private IPv6 address is allowed per IP configuration.

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To add an IP configuration, you can use the Azure portal, Azure PowerShell, or Azure CLI. When adding an IP configuration, you can specify the name, IP version, and allocation method for the private IP address.

Here are the steps to add an IP configuration:

1. Go to the Azure portal and search for "network interfaces".

2. Select the network interface you want to add an IP configuration to.

3. Under "Settings", select "IP configurations" and then click on "+ Add".

4. Specify the name, IP version, and allocation method for the private IP address.

5. Select "OK" to add the IP configuration.

Alternatively, you can use the Azure CLI command `az network nic ip-config create` to add an IP configuration.

Once you have added an IP configuration, you can view the settings for the IP configuration, including the private and public IP addresses, by going to the "IP configurations" page for the network interface.

You can also update an existing IP configuration by going to the "IP configurations" page, selecting the IP configuration you want to update, and making the necessary changes.

IP forwarding is a feature that allows a network interface to forward traffic to and from the virtual machine. You can enable or disable IP forwarding for a network interface by going to the "IP configurations" page and selecting the "IP forwarding" setting.

Here are the steps to enable or disable IP forwarding:

1. Go to the Azure portal and search for "network interfaces".

2. Select the network interface you want to enable or disable IP forwarding for.

3. Under "Settings", select "IP configurations" and then click on the "IP forwarding" setting.

4. Select "Enabled" or "Disabled" to enable or disable IP forwarding.

5. Click "Save" to save the changes.

Alternatively, you can use the Azure CLI command `az network nic update` to enable or disable IP forwarding.

Note that IP forwarding is typically used with user-defined routes. For more information, see the article on user-defined routes.

The "Wait" command is a powerful tool in Azure NIC configuration. It allows you to pause the CLI until a certain condition is met, ensuring that your network interface card is properly configured before proceeding.

You can use the "az network nic wait" command to wait until a NIC is created with a provisioning state of "Succeeded". This is especially useful when you're working with resources that need to be fully provisioned before they can be used.

Another option is to wait until a custom JMESPath query is satisfied, such as when the provisioning state is not "InProgress" and the instance view status code is "PowerState/running". This level of control can be a game-changer for complex network configurations.

You can also use the "az network nic wait" command to wait until a NIC is updated with a provisioning state of "Succeeded". This ensures that your NIC is fully configured and ready to use before you move on to the next step.