Self-deploy a Bold Reports® Server on Microsoft Azure

To install and run the Bold Reports® server on a Microsoft Azure virtual machine, follow these steps in a concise manner.

Set up a Microsoft Azure VM

  • Sign into the Azure Portal.

  • Click on Create a resource.

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  • Select the Compute option under the Categories section.

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  • Search for Windows Server and select it.

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  • Choose the Windows Server software plan that meets our system requirements and click Create.

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  • Provide the necessary administrative information for the new VM on the Basics blade.

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    self-vm-basic

    Subscription: This VM should be associated with the Azure subscription.

    Resource group: Choose Create new and enter the name of the new resource group to host the VM’s resources.

    Virtual Machine Name: Enter a name for your VM (maximum of 15 characters).

    Region: Choose your preferred region for your VM.

    Username: Enter your username, which you will use to log in to the VM using the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP).

    Password: Enter your password, as you will need it to log in to the VM using RDP.

  • Under the Disks blade, choose the VM OS disk type (SSD is recommended).

    self-vm-disk

    VM disk type: Choose SSD or HDD as your convenience (SSD is recommended for better performance).

    Size: Choose the VM size that meets our system requirements. For example, choose the D2s_V3 size, and then click Select.

  • Under the Networking blade, select Advanced in NIC network security group and click on Create new in the Configure network security group option to add an inbound security rule. This rule will allow specific types of internet traffic to reach your VM.

    self-vm-networking

    self-vm-add-inbound-rule

  • Choose HTTP from the Service drop-down list on the Add inbound security rule blade.

  • In the Priority box, assign a numerical priority to the rule, such as 100. Rules with lower numbers are processed first. For instance, a rule with a priority of 100 will be processed before a rule with a priority of 110.

  • In the Name box, type a name for the inbound rule, and then click OK.

  • Repeat the steps to create an inbound security rule for the HTTPS service with a priority of 101.

  • When finished, the Create network security group dialog should have three rules allowing RDP, HTTP, and HTTPS access. Click OK.

  • Review your settings and click Create.

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How to Connect the VM Through the Remote Desktop Connection

Follow the below steps to connect to the virtual machine.

  • Click Connect on the virtual machine overview window to download a Remote Desktop Protocol (.rdp) file from the Azure portal.

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  • Open the .rdp file and click Connect to proceed, despite the warning from an unknown publisher.

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  • Enter the credentials that you provided when creating the VM, as shown below, and click OK.

    vm-self-credentials

  • After a successful connection, the identity verification window will be displayed, as shown below. Click Yesto accept the certificate problems and connect to the virtual machine.

    vm-self-connect-verification

Installation and running of the Bold Reports® Server

This section provides instructions on how to install and run the Bold Reports® server on a virtual machine (VM).

  • Install the Bold Reports® server on the created virtual machine (VM) in the Azure portal using the help link.

  • Launch your application either by default or through your desktop shortcut menu item. For example, start Bold Reports® in IIS. Then, provide the application startup details and complete your setup by selecting the appropriate license.

    application-start-up

  • Follow the steps in the link to do the application startup.