Azure Local is Microsoft's latest cloud-connected infrastructure solution, introduced in November 2024 as a successor to Azure Stack HCI. It enables organizations to deploy Azure services, virtual machines, and containers directly within their own facilities, facilitating the execution of mission-critical workloads, cloud-native applications, and AI solutions on-premises.
Key Features of Azure Local:
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Unified Management: Manage and scale distributed infrastructure using the Azure portal and APIs, treating on-premises machines as cloud resources. This integration simplifies operations by reducing the need for separate local management tools.
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Flexible Hardware Options: Compatible with over 100 validated hardware platforms, including small industrial PCs and enterprise-class servers, allowing organizations to select hardware that meets their specific requirements and budget.
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Support for Diverse Workloads: Run both virtual machines and containerized applications side by side, supporting Windows and Linux environments. Azure Local includes Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) enabled by Azure Arc, facilitating the deployment and management of Kubernetes clusters on-premises.
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Advanced Security: Extend cloud security features to on-premises infrastructure, enhancing the protection of applications and data against advanced threats.
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Disconnected Operations: Operate without a continuous connection to Azure, meeting regulatory and compliance requirements for data sovereignty and security.
For more detailed information, you can refer to Microsoft's official documentation on Azure Local.
Kristopher Turner - Microsoft MVP/Product Technology Architect
Version: 2411.3.2
This project is current as of 4/01/2025