This deployment guide provides information on prerequisites, how to deploy Zscaler Branch Connector & App Connector as a virtual machine (VM) on Linux KVM, and post-deployment configurations.

This procedure describes the steps for deploying Zscaler Branch Connector & App Connector on Linux KVM. To learn more about deploying Branch Connector & App Connector using a Terraform script, see Deployment Templates for Zscaler Branch Connector & App Connector.

Prerequisites

The role that admins are assigned dictates the level of access they have to the Admin Portal. Zscaler provides a default admin account that provides full access to the portal and scope over the entire organization. Admins must have full access to Branch Connector Provisioning permissions. To learn more, see About Role Management and Adding Admin Roles.

Make sure the following prerequisites are met:

• Create a dedicated username for the Branch Connector & App Connector deployment in the Admin Portal.
• Create a dedicated password for the Branch Connector & App Connectordeployment in the Admin Portal. The password must be at least 8 characters in length and include at least one uppercase letter, one number, and one special character. The password must not contain a $, &, >, <, ;, ', or ". Otherwise, the deployment fails.
• Configure a Branch Provisioning Template and copy the Branch Provisioning URL.
• Download the combined Branch Connector & App Connector image from the Branch Connector Images page for Linux KVM.
• Branch Connector uses an API key to authenticate and register the VM with Zscaler. If you do not already have an API key, generate a new key. Then copy the API key from the API Keys page.
• Review the following Branch Connector & App Connector specifications and sizing requirements:
  • Small VM: requires 4 GB of memory, 2 CPU cores, 128 GB data disk size, and 2 network interface cards (NIC)
  • Medium VM: requires 8 GB of memory, 4 CPU cores, 128 GB data disk size, and 4 NICs

Creating and Applying User Data

You must create user data information for your Branch Connector & App Connector VM. This information can either be applied to the KVM VM with an ISO file that is mounted via a virtual CD-ROM drive or applied manually to the VM in the /etc/cloud/cloud.cfg.d/ directory. For both methods, you must create a text file containing the user data.

1. Create your user data in a text file named userdata.cfg using the following template, formatted in YAML:

   • Branch Connector & App Connector with Static Management IP Template

     ZSCALER:
       cc_url: <CC_URL>
       http_probe_port: 50035 #Optional to change the port for load balancer status checks from the default value 50001 to 50035.
       api_key: <API Key>
       password: <Admin Password>
       username: <Admin Username>
     network: 
       config:
       - name: vtnet0
         type: physical
         subnets:
         - address: <IP Address/Netmask> #IP configuration for the management interface
           gateway: <Gateway>
           type: static
       - name: vtnet1    
         type: physical    
         fib: '1'    
         subnets:    
         - address: <IP Address/Netmask> #IP configuration for the App Connector interface  
           gateway: <Gateway>      
           type: static  
         - type: nameserver    
           address:    
          - <IP Address>    
          - <IP Address>    
          search:    
          - zscaler.net  
       version: '1' 
     zscaler_app_connector:  
       enable: yes  
       provisioning_key: <Key>
     #ssh keys are optional
     ssh_authorized_keys:
      - ssh-rsa <Key>

     Example user data with default HTTP probe port and no SSH key

     ZSCALER:
       cc_url: connector.zscaler.net/api/v1/provUrl?name=DemoBC
       api_key: adfads2sd
       password: demopass
       username: bac-demoadmin@12345689.zscaler.net
     network: 
       config:
       - name: vtnet0
         type: physical
         subnets:
         - address: 10.66.118.71/24
           gateway: 10.66.118.254
           type: static
       - name: vtnet1    
         type: physical
         fib: '1'    
         subnets:    
         - address: 10.66.118.72/24      
           gateway: 10.66.118.254
           type: static
         - type: nameserver
           address:
           - 10.66.98.1
           - 8.8.8.8
         search:
         - zscaler.net
       version: '1'
     zscaler_app_connector:
       enable: yes
       provisioning_key: asldkfjalsdkjflaksasldkfjalsdkjflaksasldkfjalsdkjflaksasldkfjalsdkjflaksasldkfjalsdkjflaks 
     

     Close

     Example user data with non-default HTTP probe port and SSH key

     ZSCALER:
       cc_url: connector.zscaler.net/api/v1/provUrl?name=DemoBC
       http_probe_port: 50035
       api_key: adfads2sd
       password: demopass
       username: bac-demoadmin@12345689.zscaler.net
     network: 
       config:
       - name: vtnet0
         type: physical
         subnets:
         - address: 10.66.118.71/24
           gateway: 10.66.118.254
           type: static
       - name: vtnet1    
         type: physical
         fib: '1'    
         subnets:    
         - address: 10.66.118.72/24      
           gateway: 10.66.118.254
           type: static    
        - type: nameserver      
          address:      
          - 10.66.98.1    
          - 8.8.8.8    
        search:    
        - zscaler.net  
       version: '1'
     zscaler_app_connector:
       enable: yes
       provisioning_key: asldkfjalsdkjflaksasldkfjalsdkjflaksasldkfjalsdkjflaksasldkfjalsdkjflaksasldkfjalsdkjflaks 
     ssh_authorized_keys:  
       - ssh-rsa ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAADAQABAAABgQCh3ru9CCnEow69WlQyJuxvZJGHcjhcgJzp8XnoKTJk6o1bit+rq4BNyjS0orauMF6fNMHAyGZqDWw6RICvoeh386xNqnD7+AGE9VGz4cPv0CjoV2HvkKnA2Dj8KZFFJ/bBV0BndNdGATsbDnhq0wkJ+WXFmamb9kx4dSDL5ZD15SybFop0b/3JoqXoU+9pxFc0bQ/cediaifCztliI9i7NAmvIUinLy2OlDW/uPEcB8nBgXhAAc9ALe6+Q4wZt8JUdrcF04bgoAHYsNuzyEk4dNvov97JyExCAwzSLomiHFtdzhGw7/o6KhfhxxBRodKy4wQBwDzPbD6EbN9iCqoK8DY4HZ2L7HyQKRjhnnY/Y0uldO0tleogElbk+4LsoyAPjPAbogu89xSOa6D7sl2G+dPpqTlFBmO/3m/2JhBnGU= admin@branchpc

     Close

     Close

2. Apply your user data to the VM using one of the following methods:

   • ISO Method

     1. Apply the user data to the VM as an ISO image:

        • On Centos, install the genisoimage:

          sudo yum install genisoimage

        • On Ubuntu, install the genisoimage:

          sudo apt install genisoimage

     2. Configure the required user data.

        The user data file must be named user-data.

        zuser@hostname:~$ mkdir isodir
        zuser@hostname:~$ cat > isodir/user-data <<EOF #cloud-config
        <TEXT FROM TEXT FILE>
        EOF
        user@hostname:~genisoimage -o user-data.iso -r isodir/user-data

        You attach the ISO to your Branch Connector VM in the Deploy the Branch Connector procedure.

     Close
   • Manual Method

     You apply your user data at the end of the Deploy the Branch Connector procedure.

     Close

Deploying the Branch Connector & App Connector

After you have met all the prerequisites, created user data, and applied user data to the VM (if you used the ISO method), perform the following procedure to deploy your Branch Connector & App Connector on Linux KVM.

Deployment Procedure