The best cloud platform to run CurrentWare on is Microsoft Azure Cloud because it supports Windows operating systems natively and has a vast range of operating systems to choose from. 

CurrentWare is compatible with the most modern Windows desktop and server operating systems. A list of all the compatible Windows OS can be found on our system requirement page. 

Follow these 4 simple steps to install CurrentWare on your Microsoft Azure Cloud. 

1. Create a Windows virtual machine
2. Configuring your VM to accept CurrentWare traffic
3. Installing the CurrentWare Server
4. Deploying the CurrentWare Clients

Let’s get started!

Step 1: Create a Windows virtual machine

1. Log into your Microsoft Azure Portal.
2. Type virtual machines in the search bar.
3. Under Services, select Virtual machines.
4. In the Virtual machines page, select Create > Virtual machine.
5. Proceed to create your virtual machine with the following configurations.
   • Under the Basics tab
     • Enter a Virtual Machine name, Windows Image, and instance Size. Refer to the system requirements page for help selecting your for your needs.
     • Under the Administrator account, provide a username and a password. The password must be at least 12 characters long and meet the defined complexity requirements. You will use this to log in using RDP later.
     • Under Inbound port rules, choose Allow selected ports and then select RDP (3389) and HTTPS (443) from the drop-down.
     • Confirm the Licensing checkbox.
   • Under the Networking tab > Public IP > click on Create new. This will create a public IP address for your VM.
     

6. When you are ready, click on the Review + create button at the bottom of the page to create your virtual machine.
7. Once your VM is created, you’ll find the static IP address under properties. Take note of the IP address, you will need it for your CurrentWare client deployment.
   

Connect to the Azure virtual machine using RDP File

1. Log into your Azure portal.
2. Go into Virtual machines.
3. Click on the name of your VM and from the left menu under Settings, select Connect.
   

4. On the virtual machine page, select RDP, and then choose the appropriate IP address and port number. In most cases, the default IP address and port should be used.
5. Select Download RDP File. If the VM has a just-in-time policy set, you first need to select the Request access button to request access before you can download the RDP file. For more information about the just-in-time policy, see Manage virtual machine access using the just in time policy.
6. Open the downloaded RDP file and select Connect when prompted. You will get a warning that the .rdp file is from an unknown publisher. This is expected. In the Remote Desktop Connection window, select Connect to continue
7. Select Yes to verify the identity of the virtual machine and finish logging on with the Administrator Windows account and password you created earlier.

Step 2: Configuring your VM to accept CurrentWare traffic

1. On your Azure portal, select your VM.
2. From the left menu under Networking, select Network Settings.
   
   
3. Click on the button Create port rule, then Inbound Port Rule.
   
   
4. From the Service menu, choose Custom.
5. Enter the Destination Port Range: 8988-8999
   • Learn more about the ports from our system requirement page
6. Set the Priority to any number you prefer.
7. Put in CurrentWare-Port-Forwarding as the name and click Add.
   

The hard part is over. Let’s install the CurrentWare Server and deploy the Clients.

Step 3: Installing the CurrentWare Server

Once you’ve set up your Azure virtual machine and configured it to accept CurrentWare traffic, it’s time to install the CurrentWare Server. 

• Installing the CurrentWare Server & Console

Step 4: Deploying the CurrentWare Clients

With the CurrentWare Server installed, you are ready to deploy the CurrentWare Client to your computers and have them connect to your CurrentWare Server. There are several ways to deploy the Client.

• Run the cwClientSetup.exe Setup File Locally
• Client Deployment using cwConsole’s Remote Client Install
• Client Deployment using Active Directory with Batch File
• Client Deployment using PDQ Deploy

Note: during your client deployment, make sure you point your clients to the server using the static public IP address of your virtual machine.

Related:

• Installing CurrentWare on Google Cloud Platform
• Installing CurrentWare on Amazon Web Services (AWS)