azure-batch

What this skill does

# Azure Batch Skill

This skill provides expert guidance for Azure Batch. 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](https://github.com/MicrosoftDocs/mcp/blob/main/README.md)

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-L43 | Diagnosing and fixing Azure Batch job, task, pool, and node errors, including failure patterns, error codes, and best practices for handling and recovering from failures. |
| Best Practices | L44-L57 | Guidance on designing efficient, secure, and performant Azure Batch solutions, including scheduling, dependencies, concurrency, output persistence, rendering workloads, and large-scale job/task optimization. |
| Decision Making | L58-L69 | Guidance on choosing VM sizes, images, Spot and ephemeral disks, and planning/migrating pools (custom images, Compute Gallery, comms model) to optimize Azure Batch performance and cost. |
| Architecture & Design Patterns | L70-L75 | Architectures and best practices for bursting on-prem render farms to Azure Batch, including storage layout, data movement patterns, and performance-optimized rendering workflows. |
| Limits & Quotas | L76-L81 | Azure Batch account-level limits, default and adjustable quotas, and how to view, manage, and request quota increases using .NET and the Azure portal. |
| Security | L82-L100 | Securing Batch accounts and pools: identity (Entra ID, managed identities, RBAC), keys/certs rotation, encryption, private endpoints/network perimeters, Key Vault, and Azure Policy governance. |
| Configuration | L101-L133 | Configuring Azure Batch pools, nodes, and tasks: autoscale, OS upgrades, networking, storage mounts, containers, diagnostics events, metrics/logs, and secure task/user environments. |
| Integrations & Coding Patterns | L134-L147 | Client SDKs, CLIs, and patterns for integrating with Azure Batch: managing pools/tasks, containers, MPI, storing task output, and monitoring with Application Insights. |
| Deployment | L148-L152 | Deploying Azure Batch workloads using Azure Pipelines and CLI templates, including end-to-end job setup, automation, and integration into CI/CD workflows. |

### Troubleshooting
| Topic | URL |
|-------|-----|
| Diagnose and handle Azure Batch job and task errors | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-job-task-error-checking |
| Troubleshoot Azure Batch pool and node errors | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-pool-node-error-checking |
| Diagnose and handle Azure Batch task errors | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/error-handling |

### Best Practices
| Topic | URL |
|-------|-----|
| Design efficient Azure Batch list queries | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-efficient-list-queries |
| Use job prep and release tasks in Azure Batch | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-job-prep-release |
| Schedule Azure Batch jobs for efficiency and priority | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-job-schedule |
| Run concurrent tasks on Azure Batch nodes | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-parallel-node-tasks |
| Use Azure Batch capabilities for rendering workloads | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-rendering-functionality |
| Configure task dependencies for Azure Batch jobs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-task-dependencies |
| Persist Azure Batch task and job output data safely | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-task-output |
| Apply performance best practices for Azure Batch | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/best-practices |
| Optimize Azure Batch jobs with large task counts | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/large-number-tasks |
| Apply security best practices to Azure Batch | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/security-best-practices |

### Decision Making
| Topic | URL |
|-------|-----|
| Migrate Batch custom image pools to Compute Gallery | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-custom-image-pools-to-azure-compute-gallery-migration-guide |
| Choose and migrate custom images for Azure Batch pools | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-custom-images |
| Select compute-intensive and GPU VM sizes for Batch | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-pool-compute-intensive-sizes |
| Choose Azure Batch VM sizes and images | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-pool-vm-sizes |
| Plan and migrate Azure Batch pools to new node communication model | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-pools-to-simplified-compute-node-communication-model-migration-guide |
| Decide when to run Azure Batch workloads on Spot VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-spot-vms |
| Decide when to use ephemeral OS disks in Azure Batch | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/create-pool-ephemeral-os-disk |
| Plan and manage Azure Batch costs effectively | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/plan-to-manage-costs |

### Architecture & Design Patterns
| Topic | URL |
|-------|-----|
| Reference architectures for bursting render farms to Azure Batch | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-rendering-architectures |
| Design storage and data movement for Azure Batch rendering | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-rendering-storage-data-movement |

### Limits & Quotas
| Topic | URL |
|-------|-----|
| Manage Azure Batch accounts and quotas with .NET | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-management-dotnet |
| Review Azure Batch service quotas and limits | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-quota-limit |

### Security
| Topic | URL |
|-------|-----|
| Rotate shared keys for Azure Batch accounts | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/account-key-rotation |
| Enable automatic certificate rotation in Azure Batch pools | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/automatic-certificate-rotation |
| Authenticate Azure Batch apps with Entra ID | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-aad-auth |
| Secure Azure Batch Management with Entra ID | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-aad-auth-management |
| Encrypt Azure Batch data with customer-managed keys | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-customer-managed-key |
| Configure Azure RBAC roles for Azure Batch | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-role-based-access-control |
| Securely access Azure Key Vault from Batch pools | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/credential-access-key-vault |
| Configure disk encryption for Azure Batch pools | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/disk-encryption |
| Manage Azure Batch private endpoint connections | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/manage-private-endpoint-connections |
| Configure us