---
title: Before You Begin
slug: ps/help/en_us/vtm/cloudgs/aAMf-before-you-begin
docTags: 
createdAt: 2026-08-02T08:48:57.972Z
---

:::hint{type="info"}
Make sure that you have met the requirements listed in [Prerequisites](docId\:bit63YeWOUj48jsQDRE5u).
:::

To achieve high availability (HA), deploy a cluster of at least two Traffic Manager instances. Azure implements high availability through automatically load-balancing traffic to the public service IP address and port that you specify when you deploy your instances. To add specific load balancer and network security rules, see the instructions at [Deploying Traffic Manager in Azure Portal](docId\:G-2vxBWjsmVZl9sjVicsb). If you do not need HA, select a cluster size of 1 during the deployment process.

A cluster of Traffic Managers created inside the Azure portal cannot be joined to other non-Azure Traffic Manager instances.