Lab: Connected Mode Multi-Site Deployment
Lab Scenario
Company: GlobalTech Expansion
Objective: Deploy Azure Local in connected mode across two geographic sites
Compliance: GDPR, data residency requirements
Resources: 2 Azure Local clusters, Azure connectivity services
Learning Outcomes
After completing this lab, you will:
- Deploy multi-site Azure Local architecture
- Configure Azure ExpressRoute connectivity
- Implement cluster federation
- Set up multi-site monitoring
- Execute failover procedures
Lab Environment
Pre-lab Setup
- Primary site Azure Local cluster (configured, ready)
- Secondary site Azure Local cluster (pre-staged)
- Azure subscription with network infrastructure
- ExpressRoute circuit (or simulated connectivity)
Success Criteria
- Both clusters operational and federated
- Azure connectivity validated
- Multi-site workload deployed
- Monitoring showing both sites
- Failover test completed successfully
Exercises
Exercise 1: Site Federation (90 minutes)
Objective: Configure cluster federation across sites
- Validate cluster health on both sites
- Create federation relationship
- Synchronize configuration policies
- Validate replication health
- Test management operations from primary
Deliverables:
- Federated cluster status
- Replication metrics
- Configuration consistency check
Exercise 2: Azure Connectivity (90 minutes)
Objective: Establish cloud connectivity
- Configure ExpressRoute Private Peering
- Connect primary cluster to Azure
- Connect secondary cluster to Azure
- Validate cross-site cloud access
- Test failover between connectivity paths
Deliverables:
- Connectivity validation report
- Failover test results
- Bandwidth metrics
Exercise 3: Multi-Site Workload (60 minutes)
Objective: Deploy applications across sites
- Create application on primary site
- Configure site affinity policies
- Deploy replica workload to secondary
- Verify data synchronization
- Test load distribution
Deliverables:
- Workload deployment confirmation
- Replication status report
- Performance metrics
Exercise 4: Multi-Site Monitoring (60 minutes)
Objective: Set up comprehensive monitoring
- Deploy monitoring agents to both sites
- Aggregate metrics to Azure Monitor
- Create cross-site dashboards
- Set up alerts for site failures
- Verify incident response workflow
Deliverables:
- Dashboard screenshots
- Alert configuration
- Incident response test results
Exercise 5: Failover & Recovery (60 minutes)
Objective: Practice failure scenarios
- Simulate site failure
- Execute failover procedures
- Verify workload migration
- Test recovery procedures
- Return to normal operations
Deliverables:
- Failover execution log
- Recovery time metrics
- Lessons learned document
Exercise 6: Performance Tuning (30 minutes)
Objective: Optimize multi-site performance
- Collect baseline performance metrics
- Identify optimization opportunities
- Adjust QoS policies
- Re-measure performance
- Document changes
Deliverables:
- Baseline vs. optimized comparison
- Configuration changes applied
- Performance improvement summary
Troubleshooting Guide
Federation Issues
- Cluster network connectivity
- Certificate validation
- Policy compatibility
Connectivity Problems
- ExpressRoute diagnostics
- Site-to-site routing
- Firewall rules
Replication Lag
- Bandwidth constraints
- Latency issues
- Data size factors
Grading Rubric
| Area | Excellent | Good | Needs Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cluster Federation | Federated, fully synced | Federated, minor issues | Fails to federate |
| Azure Connectivity | Redundant, failover working | Connected, no redundancy | Connection issues |
| Workload Deployment | Multi-site with replication | Single site working | Deployment failure |
| Monitoring | All metrics aggregated | Partial monitoring | No monitoring |
| Failover Response | <5 min, automatic | <15 min, manual | >30 min or incomplete |