vMX and Microsoft Azure Overview
The vMX router is a virtual version of the MX Series 3D Universal Edge Router. Like the MX Series router, the vMX router runs the Junos operating system (Junos OS) and supports Junos OS packet handling and forwarding modeled after the Trio chipset. Configuration and management of vMX routers are the same as for physical MX Series routers.
Benefits and Uses of vMX Routers
You can use the vMX router to:
Quickly introduce new services
More easily deliver customized and personalized services to customers
Scale operations to push IP services closer to customers or to manage network growth when growth forecasts are low or uncertain
Quickly expand service offerings into new sites
vMX Limitations on Microsoft Azure
vMX does not support these features on Microsoft Azure:
Layer 2 features, and any features or protocols dependent on Layer 2 features
Attachment or detachment of interfaces while a vMX instance is running
VLAN tagging
Jumbo frames (MTU greater than 1500)
vMX with Microsoft Azure
Microsoft Azure is Microsoft's application platform for the public cloud. It is an open, flexible, enterprise-grade cloud computing platform for building, deploying, and managing applications and services through a global network of Microsoft-managed data centers. You place your virtual machines (VMs) onto Azure virtual networks, where the distributed and virtual networks in Azure help ensure that your private network traffic is logically isolated from traffic on other Azure virtual networks.
You can add vMX as an application instance within an Azure virtual network.
You can deploy the vMX VM in Azure using the following deployment method:
Azure CLI—You can customize the vMX VM deployment settings and dependencies based on your network requirements in Microsoft Azure Cloud. To help automate and simplify the deployment of the vMX VM in the Microsoft Azure virtual network, Juniper Networks provides script and configuration files.
To use these files, you can install the latest version of Azure CLI on your server.
In Microsoft Azure, you can host servers and services on the cloud as a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) or bring-your-own-license (BYOL) service. PAYG images do not require Juniper Networks licenses.
Some Junos OS software features require a license to activate the feature. To understand more about vMX Licenses, see, Managing vMX Licenses. Please refer to the Licensing Guide for general information about License Management. Please refer to the product Data Sheets for further details, or contact your Juniper Account Team or Juniper Partner.