By extending Azure to customer-owned infrastructure, Azure Local makes it possible for both classic and contemporary apps to run locally across dispersed locations. This solution supports a large variety of verified hardware from reliable Microsoft partners and provides a unified administration experience on a single control plane.
It facilitates the smooth delivery of new workloads, apps, and services from cloud to edge, which further speeds up cloud and AI innovation.
Summary
A computer or group of computers running the Azure Stack HCI operating system and linked to Azure makes up an Azure Local instance. You may examine all Azure Local deployments and monitor and control individual Azure Local instances using the Azure portal. Additionally, you may use your current tools, such as PowerShell and Windows Admin Centre, to manage Azure Local.
The operating system software is available for free 60-day trial download via the Azure portal.
You can buy verified hardware with the operating system already installed from a Microsoft hardware partner to obtain the computers that support Azure Local. Use the sizing tool to estimate hardware needs and view hardware possibilities in the Azure Local Catalogue.
Azure Local architecture and characteristics
Hyper-V, Storage Spaces Direct, and the foundational Azure Management service are among the tested technologies upon which Azure Local is based.
One to sixteen physical machines make up each Azure Local instance. Through the use of Windows Server Failover Clustering, all computers share resources and configurations.
The following are combined in Azure Local:
- Hardware verified by a hardware partner.
- HCI OS for Azure Stack.
- Resources for computing based on Hyper-V.
- Spaces for Storage virtualised storage that is directly based.
- Arc-enabled servers are virtual machines running Linux and Windows.
- Azure Virtual Desktop.
- Azure Arc makes Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) possible.
- Workload deployment for AI and machine learning.
- Azure services include site recovery, backup, monitoring, and more.
- Azure CLI and tools, Azure portal, Azure Resource Manager, and Bicep templates.
Azure Local Solution
Why use Azure Local?
Customers pick Azure Local for a variety of reasons, such as:
- It offers the best virtualisation value and performance in the industry.
- Instead of purchasing the hardware, you pay for the software on a monthly basis through an Azure subscription.
- Because Hyper-V and server administrators are accustomed to it, they can use their current knowledge of virtualization and storage.
- On-premises tools like Microsoft System Centre, Active Directory, Group Policy, and PowerShell scripting can be used to monitor and control it, as can the Azure interface.
- It is compatible with well-known third-party security, monitoring, and backup programs.
- Customers can select the vendor who offers the best service and support in their area thanks to flexible hardware options.
- The customer experience is enhanced when Microsoft and the hardware provider work together.
- Keeping the entire solution current is made simple with solution updates.
Typical Azure Local usage cases
It is frequently selected by customers in the following situations.
Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD)
You can install Azure Virtual Desktop session hosts on your on-premises infrastructure with Azure Virtual Desktop for Azure Local. The Azure portal is where you control your session hosts.
Azure Arc enables Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)
Azure Local can be used to host container-based deployments, which improves resource efficiency and workload density. Additionally, it improves the resilience and agility that come with Azure Kubernetes installations. In the event of a localized failure of the underlying physical components, Azure Local controls the automatic failover of virtual machines (VMs) acting as Kubernetes cluster nodes. This enhances Kubernetes’ high availability feature, which automatically restarts failing containers on the same or a different virtual machine.
Utilize on-premises Azure Arc services
You can run Azure services anywhere using Azure Arc. This enables you to use Azure services that can run on Azure, on-premises, at the edge, or at other cloud providers to create consistent hybrid and multicloud application architectures. To support hybrid workloads, Azure Arc enabled services let you run Arc virtual machines (VMs), Azure data services, and Azure application services like Functions, Logic Apps, Event Grid, and API Management anywhere.
Extremely efficient SQL Server
For mission-critical, highly available SQL Server systems built on Always On availability groups, Azure Local adds an extra degree of resilience. Additional advantages of the single-vendor approach are also provided by this strategy, such as streamlined support and performance enhancements integrated into the underlying platform.
Reliable virtualization for businesses
Azure Local’s integrated support for Virtualization-based Security (VBS) meets the trusted enterprise virtualisation standards. The technology known as virtual secure mode, which creates a specific, isolated memory area inside its guest virtual machines, is implemented by VBS using Hyper-V. It is feasible to carry out specific, security-sensitive actions in this memory area while preventing the host operating system from accessing it by employing programming techniques. This significantly reduces the possibility of vulnerability to kernel-based exploits.
Storage scale-out
One of Azure Local’s key technologies, Storage Spaces Direct, provides high availability, performance, and scalability by utilising industry-standard servers with locally linked SSDs. When compared to competitor options based on storage area network (SAN) or network-attached storage (NAS) technology, using Storage Spaces Direct leads in significant cost savings. These advantages stem from a creative architecture and numerous improvements, including deduplication, mirror-accelerated parity, nested resiliency, and persistent read/write cache storage.
Disaster recovery for workloads that are virtualized
After a primary site failure, a stretched cluster of Azure Local (available only in Azure Stack HCI OS, version 22H2) automatically switches virtualized workloads to a secondary site. The crash consistency of virtual machine discs is guaranteed by synchronous replication.
Modernizations and consolidation of data centers
Using Azure Local to update and consolidate outdated virtualisation hosts can increase scalability and simplify and secure your environment. In order to lower the overall cost of ownership and footprint, it’s also a chance to retire legacy SAN storage. A single point of support and consistent tools and interfaces streamline operations and systems administration.
Edge and the branch office
Deploying two-node clusters with low-cost witness solutions, such Cloud Witness or a USB drive-based file sharing witness, can help you reduce infrastructure costs for workloads in branch offices and on the edge. Support for switchless networking, which uses crossover wire between cluster nodes rather than more costly high-speed switches, is another element that lowers the cost of two-node clusters. Additionally, customers can use the Azure portal to centrally view remote Azure Local deployments.
Benefits of Azure integration
Azure Local lets you monitor, secure, and backup to the cloud natively while using on-premises and cloud resources.
The Azure portal can be used for a growing range of functions, such as:
- Monitoring: You may group and tag all of your Azure Local systems by resource group in a single, global view.
- Billing: Use your Azure subscription to pay for Azure Local.
Additional Azure hybrid services are now available for subscription.
Essentials for Azure Local
To begin, you will require:
- One or more computers that you bought from your favourite Microsoft hardware partner from the Azure Local Catalogue.
- A subscription to Azure.
- Licenses for operating systems, such as Windows Server, for the virtual machines you use for work. Look Turn on Windows Server virtual machines.
- Per machine in the system that can send out HTTPS traffic to familiar Azure endpoints at least once per 30 days should have an internet connection.
- For systems that span multiple locations (only version 22H2 has this functionality):
- Four servers at the very least, two for each site
- A 25 Gb RDMA connection is ideal, however at least one 1 Gb connection is required between sites.
- If synchronous replication where writes happen concurrently in both sites is desired, there should be an average round-trip latency of 5 ms between sites.
- A virtual hard disc (VHD) for the Azure Stack HCI OS is required to construct Network Controller virtual machines (VMs) if you intend to use SDN.
Verify that your network satisfies the physical network and host network requirements for Azure Local, as well as that your hardware satisfies the system requirements.
The cost of Azure Local is determined by the number of cores on your on-premises computers.
Partners in software and hardware
For the optimal Azure Local solution experience, Microsoft advises acquiring Premier Solutions, which are provided in partnership with its hardware partners. Additionally, Microsoft partners provide a single point of contact for support and implementation services.
View Azure Local solutions from Microsoft partners including ASUS, Blue Chip, DataON, Dell EMC, Fujitsu, HPE, Hitachi, Lenovo, NEC, primeLine Solutions, QCT, and Supermicro by perusing the Azure Local Catalogue.
Software that expands Azure Local’s capabilities while letting IT administrators utilize well-known tools is being developed by a few Microsoft partners.
