November 2, 2017 How to Install CentOS on Azure (Plus Azure CentOS 7.4 Cloud Support)Operating SystemsBy Mike HaganCentOS is available on Azure. Here we share how to install CentOS on Azure. Plus, we cover the fifth CentOS 7 release on Azure — and how to get support.How to Install CentOS 7.4 on AzureHere's are the basics of how to install CentOS 7.4 on Azure.1. Create a VM on AzureFirst, you'll need to create a VM on Azure. You can do this by using a script.2. Open the VMNext, you'll. open the VM you just created.3. Select Install CentOS 7Then, you'll select install CentOS 7 from the menu.4. Follow the InstructionsNext, you'll follow the guided instructions to install CentOS 7 on Azure. You'll select:LanguageInstall destinationConfigure partitioningAccept changesBegin installationRebootConsidering a Migration to CentOS?Find out why CentOS is the best choice for enterprise Linux at a fair price. Get the white paper to learn more.Get the White PaperWhat's in the Azure CentOS 7.4.1708 Release?The fifth CentOS-7 release or CentOS 7.4.1708 is available in Microsoft Azure. The changes and enhancements ensure CentOS continues to be a stable, predictable, manageable, and reproducible platform. Changes and enhancements in this release include the following.KernelThese significant changes include added or updated proc entries, sysctl, and sysfs default values, boot parameters, kernel configuration options, and the NVMe Over Fabric is now supported in the NVM-Express kernel driver.Security Security changes including Network Bound Disk Encryption (NBDE) support and changes to USBGuard, OpenSSH, OpenSC, and OpenSSL.This includes:SSH1-support has been removed from the SSH-server.OpenSSL now supports DTLS (TLS via UDP) and ALPN.OpenSSH now using SHA2 for public key signaturesAuthentication and InteroperabilityAuthentication and interoperability changes including System Security Services Daemon (SSSD) in a container is now fully supported.Networking EnhancementsThe kernel Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) tunneling has been enhanced and NetworkManager supports routing, enables the Media Access Control Security (MACsec) technology, and is now able to handle unmanaged devices.Additional ChangesThis CentOS Azure update also includes:Support added in LVM for RAID level takeover, RAID reshaping, and LVM supports reducing the size of a RAID logical volume.SELinux security labels are now supported on the OverlayFS file system and SELinux is supported for use with GFS2 file systems.New storage, network, and graphics drivers.Various new packages including python-gssapi, python-netifaces, mod_auth_openidc, pidgin, and Qt5.Various rebased packages including openLDAP, samba, clufter, ipmitool, tcpdump, shim, GNOME, NetworkManager, Kernel-GRE-module, openssh, openSSL, libreswan, chrony, rsyslog, sudo, and libvirt.ca-certificates and nss now meet the recommendations as published with the latest Mozilla Firefox ESR.Amazon ENA drivers have been added to the kernel.Access more detailed information on what’s new in CentOS 7.4 in the release notes.Get Support for CentOS Azure From OpenLogicRunning CentOS on Azure is increasingly popular. But there can be issues with supporting CentOS on Azure. That's why it's important to get help from the CentOS experts.OpenLogic's CentOS experts are skilled in CentOS, with many years of experience. Our team even creates and manages the official CentOS images for Microsoft Azure. We can help you with CentOS migrations. And we can provide ongoing support with consultative guidance to help you get the most out of CentOS.In fact, when you choose CentOS supported by OpenLogic, you'll get:50% cost-savings.Long-term support.Backporting.Guaranteed SLAs.Architectural minimization.Multi-platform support.CentOS distributions.Expert guidance.Learn more about how our experts can help you with CentOS. Get in touch with one of our experts today. Talk to a CentOS Expert Related Content:CentOS 6 EOLCentOS 8 FeaturesCentOS Guide
Mike HaganSenior Software Engineer, OpenLogic by Perforce Mike works on enhanced support for CentOS team at OpenLogic. His areas of expertise include CentOS, C++, C, C++ Standard Template Library, and Agile. Mike's experience is broad and ranges from open source to HPC, EDA, and factory automation.