How to add a Virtual Machine as an Edge App Type

Introduction

This article describes how to add a virtual machine as an edge app type.

Prerequisites

Ensure your application's details are stored in a place the edge node can access. See our guide to Data Stores for details.

Procedure

1. Log in to the ZEDEDA GUI.
2. Hover over Marketplace on the left side nav and click on Edge Apps.
3. Click on the icon + to create a new edge app.
4. Select Virtual Machine as the Edge App Type.
5. Fill in the Identity section. Note the following fields.
   
   • Name: This value can't be changed later.
   • Version: Provide the version of your edge application.
   • Deployment Type: Deployment types are like labels that help our backend services recognize what kind of application is being set up. They're used in automatic ways of deploying applications, such as creating different kinds of clusters (like k3s and TKG), setting up Azure runtime for projects (Azure Runtime), and VCE for velo-cloud.
   • VM Mode: Select a virtualization mode like HVM, PVH, etc.
     • HVM (Hardware Virtual Machine): This is a type of virtualization where the guest operating system doesn't need to change its kernel drivers. It uses hardware help like VTx for virtualization and works with BIOS only. This is mainly used in KVM, a popular virtual machine environment.
     • HVM (Emulated Legacy IO): This is a lot like HVM but it also simulates older IO drivers for the guest OS. These drivers help set up devices that are directly connected to the system.
     • PVH (Beta) (ParaVirtualization Hardware): Here, the guest operating system is modified to work with special drivers for paravirtualization. It's mostly used for Windows in Xen mode
     • FML (Full Machine Virtualization): Mainly used for attaching Nvidia GPUs directly. It only supports starting the guest OS in UEFI mode.
6. Configure the Resources section. Note the following field.
   
   • Resource: You can choose either a pre-configured size profile or specify custom values for CPU, Memory, and Storage.
7. Fill in the Drives section. Choose an existing image or upload one as instructed in our guide to Edge App Images
8. Fill in the Environments section by clicking on Add Environment. Note the following fields.
   
   • Direct Attach: Check if you're using the hardware resource directly, known as Passthrough.
   • Add inbound rules section by clicking on Add Rule.
     
     • Edge App Port, Rate, Burst: Specify these if Action is set to Limit.
9. Add the Configuration section, if needed. The Configuration sections will provide cloud-init functionality. More info on Custom Configuration Edge Application
10. Fill in the Developer Info section. Note the following fields.
    • Agreement: A place to include specific agreements about services offered or standards complied with.
    • Support Description: Add relevant support contacts or instructions.
11. Click the Add button to add the Virtual Machine Edge Application.
12. Verify your new addition by checking for it in the ZEDEDA Marketplace.