---
description: Learn how to deploy a connector in an Azure environment
---

# Install an Azure connector on ACI using Azure CLI

Azure Container Instances (ACI) is a managed, serverless compute platform for running containerized applications. This guide explains how to install and configure an Apono connector on ACI in your Azure environment using Azure CLI.

***

### Prerequisites

<table><thead><tr><th width="230">Item</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Apono Token</strong></td><td><p>Account-specific Apono authentication value</p><p>Use the following steps to obtain your token:</p><ol><li>On the <a href="https://app.apono.io/connectors"><strong>Connectors</strong></a> page, click <strong>Install Connector</strong>. The <strong>Install Connector</strong> page appears.</li><li>Click <strong>Cloud installation > Azure > Install and Connect Azure Account > CLI (Container Instance)</strong>.</li><li>Copy the token listed on the page in step <strong>1</strong>.</li></ol></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Azure Cloud Command Line Interface (AZ CLI)</strong></td><td><a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cli/azure/get-started-with-azure-cli">Tool</a> that enables interacting with Azure services using your command-line shell</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Azure Cloud Information</strong></td><td><p>Information for your Azure Cloud instance:</p><ul><li><a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-portal/get-subscription-tenant-id">Subscription ID</a></li><li><a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/management-groups/manage#view-management-groups">Management Group Name</a></li><li><a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/management/manage-resource-groups-portal#open-resource-groups">Resource group name</a></li></ul></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Owner Role (Azure RBAC)</strong></td><td><p><a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/role-based-access-control/built-in-roles#owner">Azure role</a> with the following permissions:</p><ul><li>Grants full access to manage all resources</li><li>Assigns roles in Azure RBAC</li></ul></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Global Administrator</strong></td><td><p>The user following this guide should have an <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/role-based-access-control/permissions-reference#global-administrator">Microsoft Entra role</a> with the following permission:</p><ul><li>Manages all aspects of Microsoft Entra ID and Microsoft services that use Microsoft Entra identities</li></ul><p><span data-gb-custom-inline data-tag="emoji" data-code="2757">❗</span><strong>Apono does not require Global Administrator access. This is required for the admin following this guide.</strong> <span data-gb-custom-inline data-tag="emoji" data-code="2757">❗</span></p></td></tr></tbody></table>

***

### Install a new connector

You can install a connector for an Azure **Management Group** or **Subscription.**

{% hint style="info" %}
The connector requires the following roles:

1. Directory Readers - to validate users in Azure
2. User Access Administrator - to provision and de-provision access in the Management Group

Read more about these Microsoft Entra ID roles [here](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/role-based-access-control/permissions-reference#directory-readers).
{% endhint %}

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Management Group" %}
Follow these steps to install a new connector:

1. At the shell prompt, set the environment variables.

```bash
export APONO_CONNECTOR_ID=<A_UNIQUE_CONNECTOR_NAME>
export APONO_TOKEN=<APONO_TOKEN>
export SUBSCRIPTION_ID=<AZURE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID>
export RESOURCE_GROUP_NAME=<AZURE_RESOURCE_GROUP_NAME>
export MANAGEMENT_GROUP_NAME=<AZURE_MANAGEMENT_GROUP_NAME>
```

2. Log in to your Azure account.

```bash
az login
```

3. Set the `REGION` environment variable.

{% code overflow="wrap" %}
```bash
export REGION=$(az group show --name $RESOURCE_GROUP_NAME --query location --output tsv)
```
{% endcode %}

4. Run the following command to deploy the connector on your ACI.

{% code overflow="wrap" %}
```bash
export PRINCIPAL_ID=$(az container create --subscription $SUBSCRIPTION_ID --resource-group $RESOURCE_GROUP_NAME --name $APONO_CONNECTOR_ID --ports 80 --os-type linux --image registry.apono.io/apono-connector:v1.7.3 --environment-variables APONO_CONNECTOR_ID=$APONO_CONNECTOR_ID APONO_TOKEN=$APONO_TOKEN APONO_URL=api.apono.io CONNECTOR_METADATA='{"cloud_provider":"AZURE","subscription_id":"'"$SUBSCRIPTION_ID"'","resource_group":"'"$RESOURCE_GROUP_NAME"'","region":"'"$REGION"'","is_azure_admin":true}' --cpu 1 --memory 2 --registry-login-server registry.apono.io --registry-username apono --registry-password $APONO_TOKEN --location $REGION --assign-identity --query identity.principalId --output tsv)
```
{% endcode %}

5. Add the **User Access Administrator** role to the connector in the management group scope.

{% code overflow="wrap" %}
```bash
az role assignment create --assignee-object-id $PRINCIPAL_ID --assignee-principal-type ServicePrincipal --role "User Access Administrator" --scope /providers/Microsoft.Management/managementGroups/$MANAGEMENT_GROUP_NAME
```
{% endcode %}

6. If your Azure resources have [resource locks](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/management/lock-resources) applied, assign the **Tag Contributor** role to the connector at the management scope. This allows Apono to add a tag marker during the grant or revoke process.

{% code overflow="wrap" %}
```bash
az role assignment create --assignee-object-id $PRINCIPAL_ID --assignee-principal-type ServicePrincipal --role "Tags Contributor" --scope /providers/Microsoft.Management/managementGroups/$MANAGEMENT_GROUP_NAME
```
{% endcode %}

7. For Azure AD, add the **Directory Readers** role to the connector. For Azure AD Groups, add the **Groups Administrator** and **Privileged Role Administrator** roles.

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Azure AD" %}
{% code overflow="wrap" %}
```bash
az rest --method POST --uri 'https://graph.microsoft.com/beta/roleManagement/directory/roleAssignments' --body '{"principalId": "'"$PRINCIPAL_ID"'", "roleDefinitionId": "88d8e3e3-8f55-4a1e-953a-9b9898b8876b", "directoryScopeId": "/"}'
```
{% endcode %}
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Azure AD Groups" %}
{% code overflow="wrap" %}
```bash
# First role assignment
az rest --method POST --uri 'https://graph.microsoft.com/beta/roleManagement/directory/roleAssignments' --body '{"principalId": "'"$PRINCIPAL_ID"'", "roleDefinitionId": "fdd7a751-b60b-444a-984c-02652fe8fa1c", "directoryScopeId": "/"}'

# Second role assignment
az rest --method POST --uri 'https://graph.microsoft.com/beta/roleManagement/directory/roleAssignments' --body '{"principalId": "'"$PRINCIPAL_ID"'", "roleDefinitionId": "e8611ab8-c189-46e8-94e1-60213ab1f814", "directoryScopeId": "/"}'
```
{% endcode %}
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

8. On the [**Connectors**](https://app.apono.io/connectors) page, verify that the connector has been updated.

You can now integrate with an [Azure Management Group or Azure Subscription](../azure-integrations/integrate-with-azure-management-groups-or-subscriptions).
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Subscription" %}
Follow these steps to install a new connector:

1. At the shell prompt, set the environment variables.

```bash
export APONO_CONNECTOR_ID=<A_UNIQUE_CONNECTOR_NAME>
export APONO_TOKEN=<APONO_TOKEN>
export SUBSCRIPTION_ID=<AZURE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID>
export RESOURCE_GROUP_NAME=<AZURE_RESOURCE_GROUP_NAME>
```

2. Log in to your Azure account.

```sh
az login
```

3. Set the `REGION` environment variable.

{% code overflow="wrap" %}
```bash
export REGION=$(az group show --name $RESOURCE_GROUP_NAME --query location --output tsv)
```
{% endcode %}

4. Run the following command to deploy the connector on your ACI.

{% code overflow="wrap" %}
```bash
export PRINCIPAL_ID=$(az container create --subscription $SUBSCRIPTION_ID --resource-group $RESOURCE_GROUP_NAME --name $APONO_CONNECTOR_ID --ports 80 --os-type linux --image registry.apono.io/apono-connector:v1.7.3 --environment-variables APONO_CONNECTOR_ID=$APONO_CONNECTOR_ID APONO_TOKEN=$APONO_TOKEN APONO_URL=api.apono.io CONNECTOR_METADATA='{"cloud_provider":"AZURE","subscription_id":"'"$SUBSCRIPTION_ID"'","resource_group":"'"$RESOURCE_GROUP_NAME"'","region":"'"$REGION"'","is_azure_admin":true}' --cpu 1 --memory 2 --registry-login-server registry.apono.io --registry-username apono --registry-password $APONO_TOKEN --location $REGION --assign-identity --query identity.principalId --output tsv)
```
{% endcode %}

5. Add the **User Access Administrator** role to the connector in the subscription scope.

{% code overflow="wrap" %}
```bash
az role assignment create --assignee-object-id $PRINCIPAL_ID --assignee-principal-type ServicePrincipal --role "User Access Administrator" --scope /subscriptions/$SUBSCRIPTION_ID
```
{% endcode %}

6. If your Azure resources have [resource locks](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/management/lock-resources) applied, assign the **Tag Contributor** role to the connector at the subscription scope. This allows Apono to add a tag marker during the grant or revoke process.

{% code overflow="wrap" %}
```bash
az role assignment create --assignee-object-id $PRINCIPAL_ID --assignee-principal-type ServicePrincipal --role "Tags Contributor" --scope /subscriptions/$SUBSCRIPTION_ID
```
{% endcode %}

7. For Azure AD, add the **Director Readers** role to the connector. For Azure AD Groups, add the **Groups Administrator** and **Privileged Role Administrator** roles.

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Azure AD" %}
{% code overflow="wrap" %}
```bash
az rest --method POST --uri 'https://graph.microsoft.com/beta/roleManagement/directory/roleAssignments' --body '{"principalId": "'"$PRINCIPAL_ID"'", "roleDefinitionId": "88d8e3e3-8f55-4a1e-953a-9b9898b8876b", "directoryScopeId": "/"}'
```
{% endcode %}
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Azure AD Groups" %}
{% code overflow="wrap" %}
```bash
# First role assignment
az rest --method POST --uri 'https://graph.microsoft.com/beta/roleManagement/directory/roleAssignments' --body '{"principalId": "'"$PRINCIPAL_ID"'", "roleDefinitionId": "fdd7a751-b60b-444a-984c-02652fe8fa1c", "directoryScopeId": "/"}'

# Second role assignment
az rest --method POST --uri 'https://graph.microsoft.com/beta/roleManagement/directory/roleAssignments' --body '{"principalId": "'"$PRINCIPAL_ID"'", "roleDefinitionId": "e8611ab8-c189-46e8-94e1-60213ab1f814", "directoryScopeId": "/"}'
```
{% endcode %}
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

8. On the [**Connectors**](https://app.apono.io/connectors) page, verify that the connector has been updated.

You can now create integrate with an [Azure Management Group or Azure Subscription](../azure-integrations/integrate-with-azure-management-groups-or-subscriptions).
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}
