azure-local-skills — Claude Code plugin: what it does, how to install
Manages planning, day-2 operations, workloads, and multi-rack fabrics for Azure Local environments via Claude Code.
/plugin marketplace add microsoft/skills
/plugin install azure-local-skills@skillsWhat azure-local-skills does
The plugin bundles two skills: azure-local and azure-local-multi-rack. The first handles standard Azure Local setups (formerly Azure Stack HCI), covering 1 to 16 hyperconverged nodes or up to 64 disaggregated nodes. It assists with lifecycle updates, troubleshooting, AKS on Azure Local, VM disks, and software-defined networking.
The second skill handles rack-scale multi-rack deployments built on Microsoft.NetworkCloud and Microsoft.ManagedNetworkFabric. Standard and multi-rack workflows use separate procedures for similar tasks, so the skills determine deployment scale first and hand off between each other when needed. Operations start in read-only mode, requesting user confirmation before applying updates, deleting resources, changing fabric settings, or toggling VM power.
Under the hood, azure-local-skills calls npx to launch the Azure MCP Server, inheriting settings from .npmrc. Run it strictly on trusted devices to prevent running unverified code through an altered npm configuration. You can disable the bundled ghcfa-telem telemetry tool by setting AZURE_MCP_COLLECT_TELEMETRY=false.
What it helps with
- Deploy and maintain standard 1-16 node Azure Local hyperconverged clusters
- Configure virtual machines, logical networks, and SDN security groups
- Set up AKS workloads, disk images, and storage on Azure Local
- Manage preview multi-rack fabrics using Network Fabric Controller and Cluster Manager
Example prompts for the agent
- Inspect logical networks and virtual machine states on my Azure Local cluster
- Help plan an 8-node hyperconverged deployment with software-defined networking
- Review the Network Fabric Controller settings for multi-rack infrastructure
How to install azure-local-skills
Plugin marketplace
/plugin marketplace add microsoft/skills/plugin install azure-local-skills@skillsStep by step, with commands for each platform: Claude Code plugins: marketplaces, installing, and building your own
Questions about azure-local-skills
How do I install azure-local-skills in Claude Code?
Run /plugin marketplace add microsoft/skills first, then run /plugin install azure-local-skills@skills.
What is the difference between standard and multi-rack skills?
The azure-local skill covers setups up to 16 hyperconverged nodes, whereas azure-local-multi-rack handles preview rack-scale environments scaling to hundreds of machines through Microsoft.NetworkCloud.
Does azure-local-skills require confirmation before making changes?
Yes. Both skills operate in read-only mode initially and require approval before updates, reimages, fabric modifications, or VM power operations.
Source text
azure-local-skills · MIT
# Azure Local Skills Azure Local planning, deployment, operations, and workload management skills, covering both standard and rack-scale deployments. ## Security > [!WARNING] > The `azure-local-skills` plugin uses `npx` to download and run the Azure MCP Server, inheriting the local environment's `.npmrc` configuration. Install this plugin only on trusted devices. A compromised `.npmrc` configuration could cause `npx` to download and execute malicious code, potentially resulting in remote code execution. ## Telemetry The `track-telemetry` hook installs a pinned native `ghcfa-telem` release asset when needed, verifies its platform-specific SHA-256 digest before extraction, and caches the executable for reuse. To opt out of telemetry collection, set `AZURE_MCP_COLLECT_TELEMETRY=false` in the environment of the process running the agent. ## Skills - **azure-local** — Standard Azure Local (formerly Azure Stack HCI): 1-16 node hyperconverged, up to 64 disaggregated, and rack-aware clusters. Covers planning and deployment, day-2 operations and lifecycle updates, workloads (Azure Local VMs, AKS on Azure Local, images, disks, logical networks), SDN and network security, and troubleshooting. - **azure-local-multi-rack** — Multi-rack (rack scale) deployments: preintegrated racks scaling to hundreds of machines, built on `Microsoft.NetworkCloud` and `Microsoft.ManagedNetworkFabric` with a Network Fabric Controller, Cluster Manager, SAN storage, and managed network fabric. Multi-rack is in preview. ### Choosing between them Standard Azure Local and multi-rack use separate, non-interchangeable procedures for same-sounding tasks such as creating logical networks, VMs, and network security groups. Both skills establish the deployment scale before recommending procedures and hand off to each other when the scale does not match. Both skills start read-only and ask for confirmation before updates, deletes, reimages, network or fabric changes, and VM power operations. ## Installation ```bash # Copilot CLI /plugin marketplace add microsoft/azure-skills /plugin install azure-local-skills@azure-skills ```
© Microsoft · MIT · microsoft/skills
