azure-policy

What this skill does

# Azure Policy Skill

This skill provides expert guidance for Azure Policy. Covers troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, 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 | L35-L41 | Diagnosing and fixing Azure Policy non-compliance, common policy evaluation/deployment errors, and Machine Configuration deployment and remediation issues. |
| Best Practices | L42-L57 | Designing effective Azure Policy definitions: effects, logical/value operators, arrays, tags, initiatives, parameters, and testing/behavior of Machine/Guest Configuration. |
| Decision Making | L58-L64 | Guidance for planning migrations from Azure Automation DSC, DSC extension, and Automanage Best Practices to Azure Policy/Machine Configuration, including mapping features and migration steps. |
| Security | L65-L119 | Using Azure Policy and Machine Configuration for security baselines and mapping/implementing compliance frameworks (CIS, NIST, ISO, PCI, FedRAMP, HIPAA, etc.) across Azure and Azure Government. |
| Configuration | L120-L134 | Authoring, assigning, storing, and securing Machine Configuration (guest configuration) packages and policies, plus prerequisites, networking, remediation, and compliance result analysis. |
| Integrations & Coding Patterns | L135-L140 | Using Azure Resource Graph to query Azure Policy compliance data and guest configuration state across resources for reporting, auditing, and large-scale policy analysis |
| Deployment | L141-L150 | How to deploy and assign Machine Configuration packages via ARM/Bicep/Terraform/REST, publish packages to storage, and use safe deployment practices with Azure Policy. |

### Troubleshooting
| Topic | URL |
|-------|-----|
| Troubleshoot Azure Machine Configuration deployments | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/machine-configuration/overview/04-operations-troubleshooting |
| Diagnose causes of Azure Policy non-compliance | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/policy/how-to/determine-non-compliance |
| Troubleshoot common Azure Policy errors and issues | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/policy/troubleshoot/general |

### Best Practices
| Topic | URL |
|-------|-----|
| Test Machine Configuration packages with GuestConfiguration tools | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/machine-configuration/how-to/develop-custom-package/3-test-package |
| Understand PSDSC behavior changes in Machine Configuration | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/machine-configuration/whats-new/psdsc-in-machine-configuration |
| Author Azure Policy rules for array properties | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/policy/how-to/author-policies-for-arrays |
| Count array members with Azure Policy count operator | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/policy/samples/pattern-count-operator |
| Deploy resources using deployIfNotExists policies | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/policy/samples/pattern-deploy-resources |
| Choose and configure Azure Policy effects | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/policy/samples/pattern-effect-details |
| Apply field properties correctly in Azure Policy | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/policy/samples/pattern-fields |
| Group Azure Policy definitions into initiatives | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/policy/samples/pattern-group-with-initiative |
| Use logical operators effectively in Azure Policy rules | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/policy/samples/pattern-logical-operators |
| Parameterize Azure Policy definitions for reuse | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/policy/samples/pattern-parameters |
| Enforce and inherit tags using Azure Policy | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/policy/samples/pattern-tags |
| Use the value operator safely in Azure Policy | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/policy/samples/pattern-value-operator |

### Decision Making
| Topic | URL |
|-------|-----|
| Plan migration from Azure Automation DSC to Machine Configuration | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/machine-configuration/whats-new/migrating-from-azure-automation |
| Plan migration from DSC extension to Machine Configuration | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/machine-configuration/whats-new/migrating-from-dsc-extension |
| Plan migration from Automanage Best Practices to Azure Policy | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/policy/how-to/migrate-from-automanage-best-practices |

### Security
| Topic | URL |
|-------|-----|
| Deploy Machine Configuration security baseline policies | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/machine-configuration/how-to/assign-security-baselines/deploy-a-baseline-policy-assignment |
| Customize Machine Configuration security baseline parameters | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/machine-configuration/how-to/assign-security-baselines/specify-custom-parameters-for-baseline-policy |
| Author JSON parameters for Machine Configuration baselines | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/machine-configuration/how-to/assign-security-baselines/understand-baseline-settings-parameter |
| Sign Machine Configuration packages and enforce signed content | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/machine-configuration/how-to/develop-custom-package/6-sign-package |
| Define and use Azure Policy exemption structure | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/policy/concepts/exemption-structure |
| Map Azure Policy to Australian ISM PROTECTED controls | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/policy/samples/australia-ism |
| Use Azure Policy for Microsoft cloud security benchmark | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/policy/samples/azure-security-benchmark |
| Use Azure built-in policy initiatives for compliance | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/policy/samples/built-in-initiatives |
| Use Azure built-in policy definitions for governance | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/policy/samples/built-in-policies |
| Use Azure Policy for Canada Federal PBMM compliance | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/policy/samples/canada-federal-pbmm |
| Map CIS Azure 1.1.0 controls to Azure Policy | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/policy/samples/cis-azure-1-1-0 |
| Map CIS Azure 1.3.0 controls to Azure Policy | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/policy/samples/cis-azure-1-3-0 |
| Map CIS Azure 1.4.0 controls to Azure Policy | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/policy/samples/cis-azure-1-4-0 |
| Map CIS Azure 2.0.0 controls to Azure Policy | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/policy/samples/cis-azure-2-0-0 |