Azure Local Skill

This skill provides expert guidance for Azure Local. Covers troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, architecture & design patterns, limits & quotas, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. It combines local quick-reference content with remote documentation fetching capabilities.

How to Use This Skill

IMPORTANT for Agent: Use the Category Index below to locate relevant sections. For categories with line ranges (e.g., L35-L120), use read_file with the specified lines. For categories with file links (e.g., [security.md](security.md)), use read_file on the linked reference file

IMPORTANT for Agent: If metadata.generated_at is more than 3 months old, suggest the user pull the latest version from the repository. If mcp_microsoftdocs tools are not available, suggest the user install it: Installation Guide

This skill requires network access to fetch documentation content:

• Preferred: Use mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch with query string from=learn-agent-skill. Returns Markdown.
• Fallback: Use fetch_webpage with query string from=learn-agent-skill&accept=text/markdown. Returns Markdown.

Category Index

Category	Lines	Description
Troubleshooting	L37-L74	Diagnosing and fixing Azure Local issues: provisioning, SDN/NSG, SLB, Arc VMs, multi‑rack/SFF, disconnected ops, upgrades, and collecting logs/health data for support.
Best Practices	L75-L84	Guidance on networking and SDN tuning, drift detection, supported VM operations (Arc-enabled and multi-rack), and best practices for planning and managing Azure Local updates.
Decision Making	L85-L105	Guidance for planning and choosing Azure Local deployments: billing, licensing, storage, networking, identity, migration options, deployment scale/types, and container orchestrator selection.
Architecture & Design Patterns	L106-L142	Designing resilient Azure Local topologies: rack/room networking, SDN and multi-rack patterns, availability zones, DR/backup strategies, and disconnected/management cluster designs
Limits & Quotas	L143-L151	Hardware, network, and lifecycle requirements/limits for Azure Local disaggregated and multi-rack clusters, including host/physical networking and update/support constraints.
Security	L152-L209	Security and compliance for Azure Local: standards mapping (FedRAMP, HIPAA, PCI, ISO), identity/RBAC, firewall/NSG, certificates/PKI, Trusted Launch/CVMs, Defender, logging, and secure operations.
Configuration	L210-L352	Configuring Azure Local infrastructure: networking, storage, GPUs, monitoring, Arc/PE connectivity, multi-rack, images/VMs, SDN, alerts, backups, and post-deployment operations.
Integrations & Coding Patterns	L353-L367	VM connectivity, monitoring, and automation: SSH/RDP access, Grafana in disconnected mode, REST GPU control, disk/image workflows, and scripted VM discovery, replication, and migration.
Deployment	L368-L418	Deploying, expanding, updating, and decommissioning Azure Local/Stack HCI environments, including rack-aware, disaggregated, SDN, disconnected, and small form factor deployments.

Troubleshooting

Topic	URL
Troubleshoot simplified machine provisioning in Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/deploy/troubleshoot-simplified-machine-provisioning?view=azloc-2609
Resolve known issues in Azure Local releases	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/known-issues?view=azloc-2609
Collect diagnostic logs for Azure Local Arc-enabled VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/collect-log-files-arc-enabled-vms?view=azloc-2609
Use appliance fallback log collection in disconnected Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/disconnected-operations-fallback?view=azloc-2609
Known issues and workarounds for Azure Local disconnected operations	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/disconnected-operations-known-issues?view=azloc-2609
Collect on-demand logs for disconnected Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/disconnected-operations-on-demand-logs?view=azloc-2609
Review new features and issues in Azure Local disconnected operations	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/disconnected-operations-whats-new?view=azloc-2609
Track and understand Health Service actions	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/health-service-actions?view=azloc-2609
Interpret and resolve Health Service faults in Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/health-service-faults?view=azloc-2609
Use Remediation Support Tool for Azure Local infrastructure issues	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/remediate-support-tool-infrastructure?view=azloc-2609
Use Azure Local Remote Support Arc extension	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/remote-support-arc-extension?view=azloc-2609
Repair disaggregated Azure Local nodes safely	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/repair-server-disaggregated?view=azloc-2609
Collect logs to troubleshoot Azure Local SDN issues	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/sdn-log-collection?view=azloc-2609
Troubleshoot Azure Local SDN and NSG issues	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/sdn-troubleshooting?view=azloc-2609
Run Azure Local Support Diagnostic Tool for issue resolution	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/support-tools?view=azloc-2609
Troubleshoot Azure Local Arc-enabled virtual machines	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/troubleshoot-arc-enabled-vms?view=azloc-2609
Collect traces and logs for common Azure Local SDN issues	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/troubleshoot-common-sdn-issues?view=azloc-2609
Troubleshoot Azure Local confidential VM deployments and attestation	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/troubleshoot-confidential-vm?view=azloc-2609
Troubleshoot Azure Local registration via Configurator app	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/troubleshoot-deployment-configurator-app?view=azloc-2609
Fix Azure Local deployment validation issues in Azure portal	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/troubleshoot-deployment?view=azloc-2609
Troubleshoot Azure Local SDN deployment via Windows Admin Center	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/troubleshoot-sdn-deployment?view=azloc-2609
Troubleshoot Software Load Balancer data path in SDN	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/troubleshoot-software-load-balancer?view=azloc-2609
Troubleshoot Azure Local VM migrations using Azure Migrate	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/migrate/migrate-troubleshoot?view=azloc-2609
Resolve known Azure Migrate issues for Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/migrate/migration-known-issues?view=azloc-2609
Use Azure CLI serial console for Azure Local multi-rack VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/multi-rack/multi-rack-serial-console?view=azloc-2609
Resolve Azure Local multi-rack storage appliance errors	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/multi-rack/multi-rack-storage-appliance-error-messages?view=azloc-2609
Troubleshoot Azure Local multi-rack Arc-enabled VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/multi-rack/multi-rack-troubleshoot-arc-enabled-vms?view=azloc-2609
Known issues and workarounds for Azure Local 23xx	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/previous-releases/known-issues-23?view=azloc-2609
Known issues and workarounds for Azure Local 24xx	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/previous-releases/known-issues-24?view=azloc-2609
Collect support logs from Azure Local SFF devices	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/small-form-factor/small-form-factor-collect-system-logs?view=azloc-2609
Known issues for Azure Local small form factor deployments	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/small-form-factor/small-form-factor-known-issues?view=azloc-2609
Diagnose issues in Azure Local small form factor deployments	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/small-form-factor/small-form-factor-troubleshoot?view=azloc-2609
Troubleshoot Azure Local solution update failures	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/update/update-troubleshooting-23h2?view=azloc-2609
Troubleshoot Azure Local upgrade failures and issues	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/upgrade/troubleshoot-upgrade-to-23h2?view=azloc-2609

Best Practices

Topic	URL
Apply Network ATC for Azure Local networking	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/concepts/network-atc-overview?view=azloc-2609
Use Azure Local drift detection for configuration health	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/drift-detection?view=azloc-2609
Optimize availability and performance of Azure Local SDN	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/optimize-sdn-availability-performance?view=azloc-2609
Use supported operations for Azure Local Arc-enabled VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/virtual-machine-operations?view=azloc-2609
Use supported operations for Azure Local multi-rack VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/multi-rack/multi-rack-virtual-machine-operations?view=azloc-2609
Best practices for managing Azure Local updates	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/update/update-best-practices?view=azloc-2609

Decision Making

Topic	URL
Use Azure Hybrid Benefit with Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/concepts/azure-hybrid-benefit?view=azloc-2609
Understand billing and payment for Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/concepts/billing?view=azloc-2609
Compare Azure Local VM types and management capabilities	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/concepts/compare-vm-management-capabilities?view=azloc-2609
Decide between Azure Local and Windows Server	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/concepts/compare-windows-server?view=azloc-2609
Plan external SAN storage integration for Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/concepts/external-storage-support?view=azloc-2609
Plan Network Controller deployment on Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/concepts/plan-network-controller-deployment?view=azloc-2609
Plan SDN infrastructure for Azure Local 23H2	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/concepts/plan-software-defined-networking-infrastructure-23h2?view=azloc-2609
Evaluate local identity with Key Vault for Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/deploy/deployment-local-identity-with-key-vault-overview?view=azloc-2609
Plan billing for disconnected Azure Local operations	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/disconnected-operations-billing?view=azloc-2609
Plan disconnected operations for Azure Local deployments	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/disconnected-operations-overview?view=azloc-2609
Choose migration options for VMs to Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/migrate/migration-options-overview?view=azloc-2609
Select load balancer types for Azure Local multi-rack	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/multi-rack/multi-rack-load-balancer-overview?view=azloc-2609
Choose network reference pattern for disaggregated Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/plan/choose-network-pattern-disaggregated?view=azloc-2609
Use wizard to choose Azure Local deployment	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/plan/find-your-deployment-type?view=azloc-2609
Select Azure Local deployment scale and type	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/scalability-deployments?view=azloc-2609
Select connectivity modes for Azure Local small form factor	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/small-form-factor/connectivity-modes?view=azloc-2609
Choose container orchestrators for Azure Local small form factor	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/small-form-factor/small-form-factor-container-orchestrators?view=azloc-2609

Architecture & Design Patterns

Topic	URL
Understand Azure Local private path network architecture	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/concepts/private-path-network-overview?view=azloc-2609
Apply rack aware cluster network reference patterns	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/concepts/rack-aware-cluster-reference-architecture?view=azloc-2609
Design room-to-room connectivity for rack aware clusters	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/concepts/rack-aware-cluster-room-to-room-connectivity?view=azloc-2609
Plan SDN Multisite topology for Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/concepts/sdn-multisite-overview?view=azloc-2609
Use SDN enabled by Azure Arc on Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/concepts/sdn-overview?view=azloc-2609
Design local availability zones for Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/configure-local-availability-zones-disaggregated?view=azloc-2609
Plan resilient infrastructure for Azure Local deployments	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/disaster-recovery-infrastructure-resiliency?view=azloc-2609
Design disaster recovery strategy for Azure Local VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/disaster-recovery-overview?view=azloc-2609
Design resilient virtual machines on Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/disaster-recovery-vm-resiliency?view=azloc-2609
Plan workload-level disaster recovery on Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/disaster-recovery-workloads-resiliency?view=azloc-2609
Design a dedicated management cluster for Azure Local disconnected operations	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/disconnected-operations-control-plane-appliance?view=azloc-2609
Plan networking for Azure Local disconnected operations	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/disconnected-operations-network?view=azloc-2609
Plan post-restore rehydration for disconnected Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/disconnected-operations-post-restore-overview?view=azloc-2609
Load balance multiple logical networks in Azure Local SDN	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/load-balance-multiple-networks?view=azloc-2609
Understand automatic vTPM state transfer for Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/trusted-launch-automatic-state-transfer?view=azloc-2609
Use NAT gateway in Azure Local multi-rack deployments	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/multi-rack/multi-rack-nat-gateway-overview?view=azloc-2609
Plan network fabric and workload networking for Azure Local multi-rack	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/multi-rack/multi-rack-network-fabric-overview?view=azloc-2609
Choose Azure Local network pattern for small deployments	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/plan/choose-network-pattern?view=azloc-2609
Design Azure Local cloud deployment network	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/plan/cloud-deployment-network-considerations?view=azloc-2609
Plan FC disaggregated pattern without backup network	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/plan/fiber-channel-no-backup-disaggregated-pattern?view=azloc-2609
Plan FC disaggregated pattern with backup network	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/plan/fiber-channel-with-backup-disaggregated-pattern?view=azloc-2609
Plan four-node switchless dual-link Azure Local pattern	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/plan/four-node-switchless-two-switches-two-links?view=azloc-2609
Plan iSCSI 6-NIC disaggregated SAN pattern	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/plan/iscsi-6-network-adapters-disaggregated-pattern?view=azloc-2609
Understand network reference patterns for disaggregated Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/plan/network-patterns-overview-disaggregated?view=azloc-2609
Understand Azure Local network reference patterns	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/plan/network-patterns-overview?view=azloc-2609
Apply SDN considerations to Azure Local patterns	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/plan/network-patterns-sdn-considerations?view=azloc-2609
Plan single-server Azure Local storage network pattern	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/plan/single-server-deployment?view=azloc-2609
Plan three-node switchless single-link Azure Local pattern	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/plan/three-node-switchless-two-switches-single-link?view=azloc-2609
Plan three-node switchless dual-link Azure Local pattern	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/plan/three-node-switchless-two-switches-two-links?view=azloc-2609
Plan two-node switched converged Azure Local pattern	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/plan/two-node-switched-converged?view=azloc-2609
Plan two-node switched non-converged Azure Local pattern	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/plan/two-node-switched-non-converged?view=azloc-2609
Plan two-node switchless single-switch Azure Local pattern	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/plan/two-node-switchless-single-switch?view=azloc-2609
Plan two-node switchless dual-switch Azure Local pattern	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/plan/two-node-switchless-two-switches?view=azloc-2609

Limits & Quotas

Topic	URL
Host network requirements for disaggregated Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/concepts/host-network-requirements-disaggregated?view=azloc-2609
Physical network requirements for disaggregated Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/concepts/physical-network-requirements-disaggregated?view=azloc-2609
System requirements for Azure Local disaggregated clusters	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-disaggregated?view=azloc-2609
Understand Azure Local support lifecycle and update window	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/get-support?view=azloc-2609
Prerequisites and requirements for Azure Local multi-rack VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/multi-rack/multi-rack-vm-management-prerequisites?view=azloc-2609