# Deploying Sisense on AKS with Azure Files Premium

> How to Deploy Sisense on AKS with Azure Files Premium

*Source: https://docs.sisense.com/main/SisenseLinux/deploying-sisense-on-aks-with-azure-files-premium-csi-drivers.htm*

---

Last updated: June 10, 2026

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| [Tier](https://www.sisense.com/pricing/#pricing) | [Deployment](https://docs.sisense.com/main/SisenseLinux/introduction-to-sisense-cloud-managed-services.md#ComparisonofManagedCloudandSelfHosted) |
| Enterprise | On-Prem |

## Prerequisites

- Sisense version L2021.1.4 (or later)
- An [installed Azure CLI](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/cli/azure/install-azure-cli)
  version on the system
- AKS with CSI Enabled
- Azure Files **Premium** CSI drivers (regular/non-premium do not provide enough IOPS for Sisense)

## Deploying Sisense with Azure Files

It is recommended to deploy Azure Files via NFS (rather than SMB/"azurefile").

### Deploying Sisense via NFS Protocol Access to the Azure Files Premium Storage

1. Go to [Deploying Sisense on Azure Kubernetes Service](https://docs.sisense.com/main/SisenseLinux/deploying-sisense-on-azure-kubernetes-service.md) and complete the deployment procedure starting with Step 5, which directs you to open and
   edit the cloud\_config.yaml file.
2. In the *cloud\_config.yaml* file, set the following parameters:

```
storage_type: nfs  
nfs_server: "<your NFS server address>"  
nfs_path: "<your NFS remote path>"   
              
```

### Deploying Sisense with Azure Files Using CSI Drivers via SMB Protocol Access

The Azure Files Container Storage Interface (CSI) driver is a CSI specification-compliant driver used by Azure
Kubernetes Service (AKS) to manage the lifecycle of Azure Files shares deployed in storage accounts.

The CSI is a standard for exposing arbitrary block and file storage systems to containerized workloads on Kubernetes.
By deploying the CSI, AKS can write, deploy, and iterate plug-ins to expose new, or improve existing,
Kubernetes-based storage systems without having to touch the core Kubernetes code or depend on the Kubernetes code
release cycles.

**To create an AKS cluster with CSI driver support:**

Before you deploy Sisense, use the following script to deploy AKS with CSI Drivers enabled.

```
curl http://data.sisense.com/linux/scripts/sisense_azure_aks-csi.sh | bash  
      
```

**To deploy Sisense with Azure Files using CSI Drivers:**

1. Download a Sisense version package. Contact your Sisense Customer Success Manager for a link to the latest
   version.

   ```
   wget [sisense-linux-deployment-link]  
                 
   ```
2. Extract the Sisense package.

   ```
   tar zxf [sisense-linux-deployment-package-name]  
                 
   ```
3. Navigate to the directory where you extracted the tar.gz file.

   ```
   cd sisense-$sisense_version  
                 
   ```
4. Open the configuration file for editing (for older versions open ./installer/experimental.yaml).

   ```
   vim ./installer/extra_values/installer/installer-values.yaml  
                 
   ```
5. Set the azure\_csi enabled parameter to **true**.

   ```
   azure_csi:  
   enabled: true  
                 
   ```

   **Note:**

   If you set azure\_csi: false, the Sisense installation uses In-tree (Non CSI) Premium Azure Files Drivers.
6. Go to [Deploying Sisense on Azure Kubernetes Service](https://docs.sisense.com/main/SisenseLinux/deploying-sisense-on-azure-kubernetes-service.md) and complete the deployment procedure starting with Step 8, which directs you to open and
   edit the cloud\_config.yaml file.
7. In the cloud\_config.yaml file, set the following parameters:

   - To use the SMB protocol for accessing your Azure Files Premium storage, set:

   ```
   storage_type: azurefile  
                 
   ```

   For more information about these parameters, and all parameters in the cloud\_config.yaml file, see [Deploying Sisense on Azure Kubernetes Service](https://docs.sisense.com/main/SisenseLinux/deploying-sisense-on-azure-kubernetes-service.md).

After you complete the Sisense deployment, you can use the URLs returned by the installer to access Sisense.