azure-arc

name	azure-arc
description	Expert knowledge for Azure Arc development including troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, architecture & design patterns, limits & quotas, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. Use when managing Arc-enabled Kubernetes, servers/VMs, SQL MI, Edge RAG, resource bridge, or Arc data services, and other Azure Arc related development tasks. Not for Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) (use azure-kubernetes-service), Azure Virtual Machines (use azure-virtual-machines), Azure Stack Edge (use azure-stack-edge), Azure VMware Solution (use azure-vmware-solution).
compatibility	Requires network access. Uses mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch or fetch_webpage to retrieve documentation.
metadata	{"generated_at":"2026-04-19","generator":"docs2skills/1.0.0"}

Azure Arc Skill

This skill provides expert guidance for Azure Arc. 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

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-L72	Diagnosing and fixing Azure Arc issues: connectivity, extensions, GitOps, Kubernetes, servers/VMs, SQL/Edge RAG, resource bridge, site manager, storage, networking, and licensing.
Best Practices	L73-L80	Best practices for Azure Arc storage and data services: filesystem behavior, avoiding out-of-space issues, static retain workflows for Edge Volumes, and common usage FAQs.
Decision Making	L81-L102	Guidance on planning, sizing, licensing, connectivity, platform selection, and migration decisions for Azure Arc servers, Kubernetes, data services, SQL, and Edge RAG workloads.
Architecture & Design Patterns	L103-L111	Patterns for Arc data/compute design: container storage data flow, Arc Edge Volumes, HA/DR for Arc SQL MI and failover groups, and advanced Edge RAG data parsing.
Limits & Quotas	L112-L127	Limits, quotas, versions, and requirements for Arc-enabled Kubernetes, Edge RAG, Arc data services, resource bridge, and billing/ESU behavior for connected machines and Windows Server.
Security	L128-L186	Securing Azure Arc: identity, RBAC, AD/Entra auth, keytabs, TDE, certificates, network/Private Link, policies, and hardening for Kubernetes, servers, SQL MI, Edge RAG, SCVMM, and vSphere.
Configuration	L187-L286	Configuring Azure Arc infrastructure and data services: storage, networking, GitOps, monitoring, security, Edge RAG, agents/extensions, and lifecycle tasks for Arc-enabled Kubernetes, servers, and data.
Integrations & Coding Patterns	L287-L310	Programmatic and automation patterns for Azure Arc: CLI/PowerShell/ARM/SDK usage, onboarding at scale, VM extensions, monitoring/security integration, and infrastructure-as-code workflows.
Deployment	L311-L342	Deploying and upgrading Azure Arc components: data controllers, Edge RAG, resource bridge, agents (Kubernetes, VMs, SCVMM, vSphere), plus prerequisites, support matrices, and clean removal steps.

Troubleshooting

Topic	URL
Fix blob upload and mirroring issues with managed identity	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/container-storage/blobs-not-uploaded
Troubleshoot Azure Arc container storage deployments	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/container-storage/troubleshooting
Troubleshoot failover group connection issues in Arc SQL	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/troubleshoot-managed-instance
Troubleshoot configuration files for Arc SQL Managed Instance	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/troubleshoot-managed-instance-configuration
Collect Azure Arc data controller logs for troubleshooting	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/troubleshooting-get-logs
Known and fixed issues for Edge RAG Preview	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/edge-rag/known-issues
Test and validate Edge RAG chat end-user experience	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/edge-rag/test-end-user-app
Monitor and troubleshoot cert-manager for Arc-enabled Kubernetes	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/kubernetes/cert-manager-monitor-troubleshoot
Diagnose Azure Arc-enabled Kubernetes connection problems	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/kubernetes/diagnose-connection-issues
Troubleshoot Arc-enabled Kubernetes extension failures	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/kubernetes/extensions-troubleshooting
Resolve common issues for Arc-enabled Kubernetes and GitOps

Best Practices

Topic	URL
Handle Azure Arc container storage filesystem behaviors	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/container-storage/reference-filesystem-behavior
Design for out-of-space conditions in Azure Arc storage	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/container-storage/reference-filesystem-out-of-space
Use static retain workflows for Azure Arc Edge Volumes	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/container-storage/static-retain
FAQ for Azure Arc-enabled data services usage	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/faq

Decision Making

Topic	URL
Choose the right Azure Arc service for machines	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/choose-service
Choose connectivity modes for Arc data services	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/connectivity
Plan Azure Arc-enabled data services deployments	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/plan-azure-arc-data-services
Plan and purchase Azure Arc SQL reserved capacity	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/reserved-capacity-overview
Choose SQL Managed Instance Azure Arc service tiers	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/service-tiers
Size Azure Arc-enabled data services deployments	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/sizing-guidance
Select validated Kubernetes platforms for Azure Arc data	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/validation-program
Select an appropriate language model for Edge RAG	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/edge-rag/prepare-language-model
Choose and configure search types in Edge RAG	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/edge-rag/search-types
Use validated Kubernetes distributions for Arc-enabled Kubernetes	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/kubernetes/validation-program
Choose cloud-native licensing and cost options for Arc servers	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/servers/cloud-native/licensing-cost-management

Architecture & Design Patterns

Topic	URL
Control cloud data flow in Azure Container Storage	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/container-storage/howto-ingest-data-flow
Design data flows using Azure Arc Edge Volumes options	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/container-storage/storage-options
Plan disaster recovery with failover groups for Arc SQL	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/managed-instance-disaster-recovery
Design high availability for Arc SQL Managed Instance	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/managed-instance-high-availability
Use advanced data parsing patterns in Edge RAG	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/edge-rag/advanced-data-parsing

Limits & Quotas

Topic	URL
Disconnected operation behavior for Arc container storage	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/container-storage/disconnected-operations
Version and component matrix for Arc data services	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/version-log
Understand data deletion behavior and limits in Edge RAG	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/edge-rag/delete-data
Release notes and changes for Edge RAG Preview	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/edge-rag/release-notes
Hardware, software, and network requirements for Edge RAG	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/edge-rag/requirements
Feature changes and capabilities in Edge RAG	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/edge-rag/whats-new
Meet network requirements for Azure Arc-enabled Kubernetes connectivity	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/kubernetes/network-requirements
Review system requirements and constraints for Arc-enabled Kubernetes	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/kubernetes/system-requirements
Maintain Azure Arc resource bridge health and uptime	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/resource-bridge/maintenance
Understand Azure Arc ESU billing rules and timing	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/servers/billing-extended-security-updates
Billing behavior for Windows Server pay-as-you-go via Arc	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/servers/billing-windows-server-pay-go

Security

Topic	URL
Secure Azure Arc access via Azure Firewall Explicit Proxy	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/azure-firewall-explicit-proxy
Configure OneLake identity for Azure Arc cloud subvolumes	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/container-storage/howto-configure-onelake-identity
Configure workload identity for Arc container subvolumes	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/container-storage/howto-configure-workload-identity
Understand AD authentication modes for Azure Arc data services	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/active-directory-introduction
Prepare Active Directory for Azure Arc data services	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/active-directory-prerequisites
Manually configure TDE for Arc SQL Managed Instance	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/configure-transparent-data-encryption-manually
Enable or disable TDE on Arc SQL Managed Instance	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/configure-transparent-data-encryption-sql-managed-instance
Connect to AD-authenticated Arc SQL Managed Instance	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/connect-active-directory-sql-managed-instance
Deploy Active Directory connector for Arc SQL using CLI	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/deploy-active-directory-connector-cli
Manage Active Directory connector for Arc SQL via Azure portal	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/deploy-active-directory-connector-portal

Configuration

Topic	URL
Configure Azure Monitor for Arc container storage clusters	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/container-storage/howto-azure-monitor-kubernetes
Configure blob index and metadata tags from Edge Volumes	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/container-storage/howto-blob-index-metadata-tags
Configure Cloud Ingest subvolumes for Azure Arc Edge Volumes	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/container-storage/howto-configure-cloud-ingest-subvolumes
Configure Cloud Mirror subvolumes and sync frequency	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/container-storage/howto-configure-cloud-mirror-subvolumes
Configure Local Shared Edge Volumes in Azure Container Storage	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/container-storage/howto-configure-local-shared-edge-volumes
Map file paths to cloud object paths in Azure Container Storage	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/container-storage/howto-map-names
Prepare Linux hosts for Azure Arc Edge Volumes	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/container-storage/howto-prepare-linux-edge-volumes
Set up Prometheus and Grafana for Arc container storage	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/container-storage/howto-third-party-monitoring
Run automated validation tests for Arc data services	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/automated-integration-testing
Back up the Azure Arc data controller database

Integrations & Coding Patterns

Topic	URL
Azure CLI az arcdata command reference	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/about-arcdata-extension
Run Azure Resource Graph queries for Arc-enabled Kubernetes	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/kubernetes/resource-graph-samples
Use Azure Arc WS2012 ESU ARM APIs programmatically	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/servers/api-extended-security-updates
Use azcmagent CLI to manage Azure Arc servers	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/servers/azcmagent
Connect servers to Azure Arc with azcmagent connect	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/servers/azcmagent-connect
Deploy Arc VM extensions using Ansible automation	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/servers/manage-vm-extensions-ansible
Manage Arc VM extensions using Azure CLI	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/servers/manage-vm-extensions-cli
Manage Arc VM extensions with PowerShell	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/servers/manage-vm-extensions-powershell
Migrate to Azure Monitor Agent with Ansible	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/servers/migrate-azure-monitor-agent-ansible
Onboard Azure Arc servers at scale with Ansible	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/servers/onboard-ansible-playbooks
Use Config Manager task sequences for Arc onboarding	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/servers/onboard-configuration-manager-custom-task

Deployment

Topic	URL
Install Edge Volumes extension for Azure Container Storage	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/container-storage/howto-install-edge-volumes
Deploy Azure Arc data controller via Azure portal	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/create-data-controller-direct-azure-portal
Create Azure Arc data controller using Azure CLI	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/create-data-controller-direct-cli
Prepare prerequisites for direct-connect Arc data controller	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/create-data-controller-direct-prerequisites
Configure Arc SQL failover groups with CLI	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/managed-instance-disaster-recovery-cli
Configure Arc SQL disaster recovery in Azure portal	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/managed-instance-disaster-recovery-portal
Install and test pre-release Arc data services builds	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/preview-testing
Complete prerequisites checklist for Edge RAG deployment	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/edge-rag/complete-prerequisites
Deploy Edge RAG extension via CLI or portal	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/edge-rag/deploy
Overview of Edge RAG deployment process and options	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/edge-rag/deploy-overview
Prepare AKS on Azure Local for Edge RAG