Summary:

This article details how to set up a Flow server running on AWS that can access an Azure workspace. The windows agents on Azure will have 1 common mount, while the AWS Linux machines use another workspace in Amazon's Elastic File System (EFS).

Solution:

1. You will need to provision separate machines for Linux and Windows agents. The Windows machine can be on either Azure or AWS.  If the windows agent is in AWS, remember to open outbound TCP port 445 in your local network. Please, check with your service provider for details.

2. Use a Linux web server in AWS which has Linux kernel version 4.11 or higher as it is a requirement mentioned in: Use Azure files with Linux. 

3.  In Flow Server all the windows agents in Azure/AWS can use the Azure storage. They should use a workspace with “local” check box unchecked, and has the “UNC Path” set to the mount point used by the windows agents. The “Drive path” also should be set to the mapped Network Drive .  

The “Unix Path” should be set to the mount point used by the Linux webserver ( to mount the Azure storage)  as in below screenshot.

After this is set, the linux webserver will be able to serve step logs even if the windows agents are torn down after the job is completed. The linux webserver can mount the AWS EFS which the linux agents in AWS will also use.

4.  The AWS linux agents can then use another workspace in EFS with “local” checkbox unchecked and the “Unix Path” set to the mount point ( where the EFS or Azure storage is mounted) on the Linux agents. Then the linux webserver will be able to display the step logs even if the linux agents are torn down after the job is completed.

For details on how to mount an Azure Storage account to a Windows VM in Azure or AWS, please follow the steps below:

1.  Provision a Windows VM to use as an ElectricFlow Agent on either AWS or Azure

2. Follow the Steps listed in:  FileCloud Integration with Azure File storage

1. Create a local user in Windows VM with the same name as the storage account name
2. Make a local user created as part of the Administrator group
3. Run Command below to connect the file share:

   net use [drive letter] \\<VM Name>.file.core.windows.net\plugins  /u:AZURE\<vm Name> [storage account access key]