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--- title: Create a global load balancer with cross-subscription backends titleSuffix: Azure Load Balancer description: Learn how to create a global load balancer with cross-subscription backends by connecting a virtual network in a subscription to a load balancer in a different subscription. services: load-balancer author: mbender-ms ms.service: azure-load-balancer ms.topic: how-to ms.date: 08/06/2026 ms.author: mbender ms.custom: devx-track-azurepowershell # Customer intent: As a cloud architect, I want to configure a global load balancer with backends across multiple subscriptions, so that I can optimize traffic management and resource utilization across different Azure environments. --- # Create a global load balancer with cross-subscription backends In this article, you learn how to create a global load balancer with cross-subscription backends. A [cross-subscription load balancer](cross-subscription-overview.md) can reference a virtual network that resides in a different subscription other than the load balancers. This feature allows you to deploy a load balancer in one subscription and reference a virtual network in another subscription. ## Prerequisites # [Azure PowerShell](#tab/azurepowershell) - Two Azure subscriptions. One subscription for the regional load balancer and its virtual network (**Azure Subscription A**) and another subscription for the global load balancer (**Azure Subscription B**). - An Azure account with active subscriptions. [Create an account for free](https://azure.microsoft.com/pricing/purchase-options/azure-account?cid=msft_learn). - A regional load balancer deployed in **Azure Subscription A**. - Azure PowerShell installed locally or Azure Cloud Shell. If you choose to install and use PowerShell locally, this article requires the Azure PowerShell module version 5.4.1 or later. Run `Get-Module -ListAvailable Az` to find the installed version. If you need to upgrade, see [Install Azure PowerShell module](/powershell/azure/install-azure-powershell). If you're running PowerShell locally, you also need to run `Connect-AzAccount` to create a connection with Azure. > [!IMPORTANT] > All of the code samples use example names and placeholders. Be sure to replace these values with the values from your environment. > The values needing replacement are enclosed in angle brackets, like this: `<example value>`. > # [Azure CLI](#tab/azurecli) - Two Azure subscriptions. Use one subscription for the virtual network (**Azure Subscription A**) and another subscription for the load balancer (**Azure Subscription B**). - An Azure account with active subscriptions. [Create an account for free](https://azure.microsoft.com/pricing/purchase-options/azure-account?cid=msft_learn). - A regional load balancer deployed in **Azure Subscription A**. For this example, the load balancer is called **load-balancer-regional** in a resource group called **resource-group-a**. [!INCLUDE [azure-cli-prepare-your-environment.md](~/reusable-content/azure-cli/azure-cli-prepare-your-environment-no-header.md)] > [!IMPORTANT] > All of the code samples use example names and placeholders. Be sure to replace these values with the values from your environment. > The values needing replacement are enclosed in angle brackets, like this: `<example value>`. --- ## Sign in to Azure # [Azure PowerShell](#tab/azurepowershell) By using Azure PowerShell, you sign in to Azure by using [`Connect-AzAccount`](/powershell/module/az.accounts/connect-azaccount), and change your subscription context by using [`Set-AzContext`](/powershell/module/az.accounts/set-azcontext) to **Azure Subscription A**. Then get the regional load balancer information by using [`Get-AzLoadBalancer`](/powershell/module/az.network/get-azloadbalancer) and [`Get-AzLoadBalancerFrontendIpConfig`](/powershell/module/az.network/get-azloadbalancerfrontendipconfig). You need the Azure subscription ID, resource group name, and load balancer name from your environment. ```azurepowershell # Sign in to Azure Connect-AzAccount # Set the subscription context to Azure Subscription A Set-AzContext -Subscription '<Subscription ID of Subscription A>' # Get the regional load balancer information with Get-AzLoadBalancer $rlb = @{ Name = 'load-balancer-regional' ResourceGroupName = 'resource-group-a' } $rlbinfo = Get-AzLoadBalancer @rlb $rlbfe = Get-AzLoadBalancerFrontendIpConfig -LoadBalancer $rlbinfo ``` # [Azure CLI](#tab/azurecli) By using Azure CLI, you sign in to Azure by using [`az login`](/cli/azure/reference-index#az-login), and change your subscription context by using [`az account set`](/cli/azure/account#az-account-set) to **Azure Subscription B**. ```azurecli # Sign in to Azure CLI and change subscription to Azure Subscription B az login az account set --subscription '<Subscription ID of Subscription B>' ``` --- ## Create a resource group In this section, you create a resource group in **Azure Subscription B**. This resource group is for all of your resources associated with your load balancer. # [Azure PowerShell](#tab/azurepowershell) By using Azure PowerShell, you switch the subscription context by using [`Set-AzContext`](/powershell/module/az.accounts/set-azcontext) and create a resource group by using [`New-AzResourceGroup`](/powershell/module/az.resources/new-azresourcegroup). ```azurepowershell # Set the subscription context to Azure Subscription B Set-AzContext -Subscription '<Azure Subscription B>' # Create a resource group $rg = @{ Name = 'resource-group-b' Location = 'eastus2' } New-AzResourceGroup @rg ``` > [!NOTE] > When you create the resource group for your global load balancer, use a [Global load balancer home region](cross-region-overview.md#home-regions-in-azure). # [Azure CLI](#tab/azurecli) By using Azure CLI, you can switch the subscription context by using [`az account set`](/cli/azure/account#az-account-set) and create a resource group by using [`az group create`](/cli/azure/group#az-group-create). ```azurecli # Create a resource group in Azure Subscription B az group create --name resource-group-b --location eastus2 ``` > [!NOTE] > When you create the resource group for your global load balancer, use a [Global load balancer home region](cross-region-overview.md#home-regions-in-azure). --- ## Create a global load balancer In this section, you create the resources needed for the global load balancer. The frontend of the global load balancer uses a global standard SKU public IP. Because Azure global Load Balancer doesn't support cross-subscription frontends, you deploy this public IP address in **Azure Subscription B** along with the global load balancer. # [Azure PowerShell](#tab/azurepowershell) By using Azure PowerShell, you: - Create the public IP address by using [`New-AzPublicIpAddress`](/powershell/module/az.network/new-azpublicipaddress). - Create a frontend IP configuration by using [`New-AzLoadBalancerFrontendIpConfig`](/powershell/module/az.network/new-azloadbalancerfrontendipconfig). - Create a backend address pool by using [`New-AzLoadBalancerBackendAddressPoolConfig`](/powershell/module/az.network/new-azloadbalancerbackendaddresspoolconfig). - Create a load balancer rule by using [`Add-AzLoadBalancerRuleConfig`](/powershell/module/az.network/add-azloadbalancerruleconfig). - Create a global load balancer by using [`New-AzLoadBalancer`](/powershell/module/az.network/new-azloadbalancer). ```azurepowershell # Create global IP address for load balancer $ip = @{ Name = 'public-IP-global' ResourceGroupName = 'resource-group-b' Location = 'eastus2' Sku = 'Standard' Tier = 'Global' AllocationMethod = 'Static' } $publicIP = New-AzPublicIpAddress @ip # Create frontend configuration $fe = @{ Name = 'front-end-config-global' PublicIpAddress = $publicIP } $feip = New-AzLoadBalancerFrontendIpConfig @fe # Create backend address pool $be = @{ Name = 'backend-pool-global' } $bepool = New-AzLoadBalancerBackendAddressPoolConfig @be # Create the load balancer rule $rul = @{ Name = 'HTTP-rule-global' Protocol = 'tcp' FrontendPort = '80' BackendPort = '80' FrontendIpConfiguration = $feip BackendAddressPool = $bepool } $rule = New-AzLoadBalancerRuleConfig @rul # Create global load balancer resource $lbp = @{ ResourceGroupName = 'resource-group-b' Name = 'load-balancer-global' Location = 'eastus2' Sku = 'Standard' Tier = 'Global' FrontendIpConfiguration = $feip BackendAddressPool = $bepool LoadBalancingRule = $rule } $lb = New-AzLoadBalancer @lbp ``` # [Azure CLI](#tab/azurecli) By using Azure CLI, you: - Create a global load balancer by using [`az network cross-region-lb create`](/cli/azure/network/cross-region-lb#az-network-cross-region-lb-create). - Create a load balancer rule by using [`az network cross-region-lb rule create`](/cli/azure/network/cross-region-lb#az-network-cross-region-lb-rule-create). ```azurecli # Create global load balancer az network cross-region-lb create --name load-balancer-global --resource-group resource-group-b --frontend-ip-name front-end-config-global --backend-pool-name backend-pool-global # create a load balancer rule az network cross-region-lb rule create --backend-port 80 --frontend-port 80 --lb-name load-balancer-global --name HTTP-rule-global --protocol tcp --resource-group resource-group-b --backend-pool-name backend-pool-global --frontend-ip-name front-end-config-global ``` --- ## Add load balancer frontends to global load balancer In this section, you add a regional load balancer's frontend IP configuration as a backend address in the global load balancer's backend pool. Because the regional load balancers are in a different subscription than the global load balancer, this configuration is a cross-subscription backend configuration. # [Azure PowerShell](#tab/azurepowershell) By using Azure PowerShell, you: - Create a backend address that references the regional load balancer's frontend IP configuration by using [`New-AzLoadBalancerBackendAddressConfig`](/powershell/module/az.network/new-azloadbalancerbackendaddressconfig). - Apply the backend address to the global load balancer's backend pool by using [`Set-AzLoadBalancerBackendAddressPool`](/powershell/module/az.network/set-azloadbalancerbackendaddresspool). ```azurepowershell ## Create the backend address configuration from the regional load balancer frontend ## $rlbbaf = @{ Name = 'backend-pool-config-regional' LoadBalancerFrontendIPConfigurationId = $rlbfe.Id } $beaddressconfigRLB = New-AzLoadBalancerBackendAddressConfig @rlbbaf ## Apply the backend address pool configuration for the global load balancer ## $bepoolcr = @{ ResourceGroupName = 'resource-group-b' LoadBalancerName = 'load-balancer-global' Name = 'backend-pool-global' LoadBalancerBackendAddress = $beaddressconfigRLB } Set-AzLoadBalancerBackendAddressPool @bepoolcr ``` # [Azure CLI](#tab/azurecli) By using Azure CLI, you can add the regional load balancer frontend to the backend pool of the global load balancer by using [`az network cross-region-lb address-pool address add`](/cli/azure/network/cross-region-lb/address-pool/address#az-network-cross-region-lb-address-pool-address-add). ```azurecli az network cross-region-lb address-pool address add \ --frontend-ip-address '/subscriptions/<Subscription ID of Subscription A>/resourceGroups/resource-group-a/providers/Microsoft.Network/loadBalancers/load-balancer-regional/frontendIPConfigurations/<regional frontend IP configuration name>' \ --lb-name load-balancer-global \ --name myFrontEnd-R2 \ --pool-name backend-pool-global \ --resource-group resource-group-b ``` --- ## Next steps > [!div class="nextstepaction"] > [Create a cross-subscription internal load balancer](./cross-subscription-how-to-internal-load-balancer.md)