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 deployment, upgrade, SDN, Arc VM, multi-rack, and small form factor issues, plus collecting logs and using support tools for troubleshooting.
Best Practices	L75-L85	Guidance on Azure Local networking, SDN performance, rack-aware deployments, VM operations, disks/NICs, multi-rack VM behavior, and safe update/maintenance practices.
Decision Making	L86-L103	Guides for choosing Azure Local deployment types, scale, hardware, networking, identity, and billing models (including disconnected), and comparing Azure Local with other options.
Architecture & Design Patterns	L104-L137	Designing Azure Local network/SDN topologies, rack/room layouts, SAN patterns, resiliency and disaster recovery strategies, including connected and disconnected deployment architectures.
Limits & Quotas	L138-L146	Hardware, network, and system requirements, limits, and prerequisites for Azure Local disaggregated clusters, multi-rack setups, SLB HA ports, and Arc-enabled VMs.
Security	L147-L194	Compliance, identity, encryption, firewall/NSG, certificates, Defender, JIT access, and other security controls for Azure Local (connected and disconnected, multi-rack, small form factor).
Configuration	L195-L325	Configuring and managing Azure Local infrastructure: networking, storage, GPUs, VM images/activation, SDN, monitoring, Arc/disconnected setups, multi-rack, small form factor, and update settings.
Integrations & Coding Patterns	L326-L337	Integrating Azure Local with external tools and Azure services: Grafana monitoring, GPU REST APIs, disk/image import, VM creation/migration, and CLI/PowerShell/Terraform automation.
Deployment	L338-L381	Deploying, updating, and upgrading Azure Local: cluster types, ARM/portal installs, SDN, SQL/CVM/VM apps, disconnected operations, repairs, and solution/OS update workflows.

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-2608
Resolve known issues in Azure Local releases	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/known-issues?view=azloc-2608
FAQ for managing Azure Local Arc-enabled VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/azure-arc-vms-faq?view=azloc-2608
Collect diagnostic logs for Azure Local Arc VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/collect-log-files-arc-enabled-vms?view=azloc-2608
Use appliance fallback logging for ALDO Arc-enabled VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/disconnected-operations-fallback?view=azloc-2608
Resolve known issues in Azure Local disconnected operations	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/disconnected-operations-known-issues?view=azloc-2608
Collect on-demand logs for Azure Local disconnected operations	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/disconnected-operations-on-demand-logs?view=azloc-2608
Track and manage Health Service actions in Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/health-service-actions?view=azloc-2608
Interpret and resolve Health Service faults in Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/health-service-faults?view=azloc-2608
Use AKS Arc Support Tool to remediate Azure Local infrastructure	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/remediate-support-tool-infrastructure?view=azloc-2608
Use Azure Local Remote Support Arc extension	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/remote-support-arc-extension?view=azloc-2608
Collect SDN logs for Azure Local troubleshooting	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/sdn-log-collection?view=azloc-2608
Troubleshoot Azure Local SDN deployment and connectivity	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/sdn-troubleshooting?view=azloc-2608
Run Azure Local Support Diagnostic Tool for issue resolution	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/support-tools?view=azloc-2608
Troubleshoot Azure Local Arc-enabled virtual machines	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/troubleshoot-arc-enabled-vms?view=azloc-2608
Gather 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-2608
Troubleshoot confidential VM deployments on Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/troubleshoot-confidential-vm?view=azloc-2608
Troubleshoot Azure Local registration via Configurator app	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/troubleshoot-deployment-configurator-app?view=azloc-2608
Resolve Azure Local deployment validation issues via portal	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/troubleshoot-deployment?view=azloc-2608
Troubleshoot SDN deployment via Windows Admin Center on Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/troubleshoot-sdn-deployment?view=azloc-2608
Diagnose and fix Software Load Balancer data path issues	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/troubleshoot-software-load-balancer?view=azloc-2608
Troubleshoot Azure Local VM migration with Azure Migrate	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/migrate/migrate-troubleshoot?view=azloc-2608
Resolve known Azure Migrate issues for Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/migrate/migration-known-issues?view=azloc-2608
Use serial console to troubleshoot Azure Local multi-rack VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/multi-rack/multi-rack-serial-console?view=azloc-2608
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-2608
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-2608
Address known issues in Azure Local 23xx releases	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/previous-releases/known-issues-23?view=azloc-2608
Work around known issues in Azure Local 24xx releases	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/previous-releases/known-issues-24?view=azloc-2608
Collect support logs from Azure Local small form factor	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/small-form-factor/small-form-factor-collect-system-logs?view=azloc-2608
Use Configurator App to manage Azure Local small form factor devices	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/small-form-factor/small-form-factor-configurator-app?view=azloc-2608
Diagnose known issues in Azure Local small form factor	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/small-form-factor/small-form-factor-known-issues?view=azloc-2608
Troubleshoot Azure Local small form factor deployments	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/small-form-factor/small-form-factor-troubleshoot?view=azloc-2608
Troubleshoot Azure Local solution update failures	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/update/update-troubleshooting-23h2?view=azloc-2608
Troubleshoot Azure Local upgrade issues and failures	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/upgrade/troubleshoot-upgrade-to-23h2?view=azloc-2608

Best Practices

Topic	URL
Apply Network ATC best practices in Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/concepts/network-atc-overview?view=azloc-2608
Prepare network and machines for rack aware deployment	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/deploy/rack-aware-cluster-deploy-prep?view=azloc-2608
Optimize availability and performance of Azure Local SDN	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/optimize-sdn-availability-performance?view=azloc-2608
Supported and unsupported operations for Azure Local VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/virtual-machine-operations?view=azloc-2608
Manage disks and NIC resources for Azure Local VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/multi-rack/multi-rack-manage-arc-virtual-machine-resources?view=azloc-2608
Understand 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-2608
Best practices for managing Azure Local updates	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/update/update-best-practices?view=azloc-2608

Decision Making

Topic	URL
Use Azure Hybrid Benefit with Azure Local deployments	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/concepts/azure-hybrid-benefit?view=azloc-2608
Understand billing and payment for Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/concepts/billing?view=azloc-2608
Compare Azure Local VM types and management capabilities	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/concepts/compare-vm-management-capabilities?view=azloc-2608
Decide between Azure Local and Windows Server	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/concepts/compare-windows-server?view=azloc-2608
Select hardware and network for Azure Local deployments	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2?view=azloc-2608
Plan private endpoint connectivity for Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/deploy/about-private-endpoints?view=azloc-2608
Decide on 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-2608
Evaluate billing model for Azure Local disconnected operations	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/disconnected-operations-billing?view=azloc-2608
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-2608
Choose a network pattern for disaggregated Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/plan/choose-network-pattern-disaggregated?view=azloc-2608
Choose the right Azure Local deployment type	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/plan/find-your-deployment-type?view=azloc-2608
Select Azure Local deployment scale and type	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/scalability-deployments?view=azloc-2608
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-2608
Choose container orchestrator 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-2608

Architecture & Design Patterns

Topic	URL
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-2608
Understand private path network architecture for Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/concepts/private-path-network-overview?view=azloc-2608
Apply rack aware cluster network reference patterns	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/concepts/rack-aware-cluster-reference-architecture?view=azloc-2608
Design room-to-room links for rack aware clusters	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/concepts/rack-aware-cluster-room-to-room-connectivity?view=azloc-2608
Design SDN Multisite topology and disaster recovery	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/concepts/sdn-multisite-overview?view=azloc-2608
Plan SDN enabled by Azure Arc on Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/concepts/sdn-overview?view=azloc-2608
Design local availability zones for Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/configure-local-availability-zones-disaggregated?view=azloc-2608
Design resilient infrastructure for Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/disaster-recovery-infrastructure-resiliency?view=azloc-2608
Plan disaster recovery for Azure Local virtual machines	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/disaster-recovery-overview?view=azloc-2608
Improve virtual machine resiliency on Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/disaster-recovery-vm-resiliency?view=azloc-2608
Design workload-level disaster recovery on Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/disaster-recovery-workloads-resiliency?view=azloc-2608
Design dedicated management clusters for disconnected Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/disconnected-operations-control-plane-appliance?view=azloc-2608
Plan networking for disconnected Azure Local deployments	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/disconnected-operations-network?view=azloc-2608
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-2608
Select Azure Local deployment network patterns	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/plan/choose-network-pattern?view=azloc-2608
Design Azure Local cloud deployment network	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/plan/cloud-deployment-network-considerations?view=azloc-2608
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-2608
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-2608
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-2608
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-2608
Understand network reference patterns for disaggregated Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/plan/network-patterns-overview-disaggregated?view=azloc-2608
Understand Azure Local network reference patterns	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/plan/network-patterns-overview?view=azloc-2608
Consider SDN options for Azure Local network patterns	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/plan/network-patterns-sdn-considerations?view=azloc-2608
Plan single-server network pattern for Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/plan/single-server-deployment?view=azloc-2608
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-2608
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-2608
Plan two-node switched converged Azure Local pattern	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/plan/two-node-switched-converged?view=azloc-2608
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-2608
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-2608
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-2608

Limits & Quotas

Topic	URL
Physical network requirements for disaggregated Azure Local	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/concepts/physical-network-requirements-disaggregated?view=azloc-2608
System requirements for Azure Local disaggregated clusters	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-disaggregated?view=azloc-2608
Prerequisites for Azure Local Arc-enabled VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/azure-arc-vm-management-prerequisites?view=azloc-2608
Configure SLB high availability ports and understand limitations	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/configure-software-load-balancer?view=azloc-2608
Review 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-2608