azure-virtual-machines

What this skill does

# Azure Virtual Machines Skill

This skill provides expert guidance for Azure Virtual Machines. 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 | Location | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| Troubleshooting | L37-L65 | Diagnosing and fixing Azure VM issues: kernel/AKS problems, package/extension failures, disk encryption, hibernation, NSG/traffic, restore/maintenance, Trusted Launch, and Image Builder errors. |
| Best Practices | L66-L97 | Best practices for operating, updating, scaling, tuning, and cost-optimizing Azure VMs (Linux/Windows, HPC, InfiniBand, disks, images) and improving performance, HA, and boot times. |
| Decision Making | L98-L170 | Guidance for choosing VM, disk, and image options; planning costs, reservations, and Spot; and designing or migrating Linux, GPU, Oracle, and AKS workloads, especially around retirements. |
| Architecture & Design Patterns | L171-L186 | Design patterns for Azure VM workloads: multi-region and fleet strategies, low-latency/NUMA-aware HPC, clustered/shared-disk setups, and Oracle/OpenShift architectures and DR. |
| Limits & Quotas | L187-L390 | VM size specs, disk and storage performance limits, quotas, and hardware constraints for Azure VMs, including GPU/HPC families, confidential VMs, and Linux/Windows operational behaviors. |
| Security | L391-L468 | Securing Azure VMs and disks: encryption (ADE, CMK, encryption at host, double encryption), Key Vault/PKI, Trusted Launch, MSP/metadata hardening, TLS, RBAC, and security policies. |
| Configuration | [configuration.md](configuration.md) | Configuring Azure VMs and scale sets: disks, images, networking, maintenance, monitoring, extensions (agents, GPUs, security, backup), Linux/Windows guest settings, HPC, Oracle workloads, and AKS hosts. |
| Integrations & Coding Patterns | [integrations.md](integrations.md) | Scripts and patterns for managing Azure VMs: backups, restore points, disk and VHD operations, maintenance/scheduled events, monitoring, encryption, and Oracle/SQL integrations via CLI, PowerShell, REST, and ARM. |
| Deployment | [deployment.md](deployment.md) | Deploying and migrating Azure VMs and disks: image customization, blue-green/rolling deployments, in-place OS upgrades, and moving/migrating VMs, disks, and maintenance configs across regions. |

### Troubleshooting
| Topic | URL |
|-------|-----|
| Manage and debug Azure Linux kernel issues | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-linux/faq-kernel |
| Troubleshoot AKS ACL workloads by toggling SELinux | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-linux/selinux-toggle-troubleshoot |
| Resolve outdated kernel versions on Azure Linux AKS nodes | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-linux/troubleshoot-kernel-version |
| Troubleshoot automatic package upgrade failures on Azure Linux AKS | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-linux/troubleshoot-package-upgrade-aks |
| Resolve Azure Spot VM and scale set error codes | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/error-codes-spot |
| Troubleshoot Azure Windows VM extension failures | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/extensions/troubleshoot |
| Diagnose and fix issues on Azure HB/HBv and N-series VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/hb-hc-known-issues |
| Diagnose and fix Azure VM hibernation issues | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/hibernate-resume-troubleshooting |
| Diagnose and fix Azure cloud-init VM provisioning issues | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/linux/cloud-init-troubleshooting |
| Resolve common Azure Disk Encryption issues on Linux VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/linux/disk-encryption-faq |
| Troubleshoot Azure Disk Encryption on isolated Linux networks | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/linux/disk-encryption-isolated-network |
| Troubleshoot Azure Disk Encryption on Linux VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/linux/disk-encryption-troubleshooting |
| Troubleshoot hibernation problems on Linux Azure VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/linux/hibernate-resume-troubleshooting-linux |
| Connect to Azure Image Builder build VMs for debugging | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/linux/image-builder-connect-to-build-vm |
| Troubleshoot common Azure VM Image Builder failures | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/linux/image-builder-troubleshoot |
| Reset latched MSP keys for Azure VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/metadata-security-protocol/other-examples/key-reset |
| Troubleshoot Metadata Security Protocol issues on Azure VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/metadata-security-protocol/troubleshoot-guide |
| Diagnose VM traffic blocked by NSG rules in Azure portal | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/network-security-group-test |
| Troubleshoot Azure VM restore point failures | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/restore-point-troubleshooting |
| Troubleshoot Azure VM Maintenance Configuration deployment and patching issues | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/troubleshoot-maintenance-configurations |
| Troubleshoot Azure Compute Gallery shared image issues | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/troubleshooting-shared-images |
| Troubleshoot common issues with Azure Trusted Launch VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/trusted-launch-faq |
| Troubleshoot Azure Disk Encryption for Windows VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/disk-encryption-faq |
| Troubleshoot Azure Disk Encryption on Windows VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/disk-encryption-troubleshooting |
| Troubleshoot hibernation problems on Windows Azure VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/hibernate-resume-troubleshooting-windows |

### Best Practices
| Topic | URL |
|-------|-----|
| Operate and support Azure Linux distributions | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-linux/faq-general |
| Manage Azure Linux packages and upgrades | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-linux/faq-packages |
| Perform common developer tasks on Azure Linux | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-linux/get-started-developer |
| Apply best practices for upgrading Azure Linux AKS nodes | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-linux/tutorial-upgrade-azure-linux-nodes |
| Choose and configure Azure Linux VM update strategy | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-linux/update-vm-azure-linux |
| Apply scaling best practices for Azure