# prepare

Maps application components to Azure services, calculates pricing, and checks quotas before infrastructure generation.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, GitHub Copilot · ★ 3149
- Author: microsoft
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/microsoft/skills/tree/HEAD/.github/plugins/azure-skills/skills/azure-app-onboard/prepare/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-23
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/prepare

## What it does

This skill acts as Phase 2 of Microsoft's `azure-app-onboard` orchestrator. It inspects application requirements, applies Well-Architected Framework guidance, and maps components to Azure services before saving the layout into `prepare-plan.json`.

The workflow uses tools like `mcp_azure_mcp_pricing` and `az rest`, running regional quota checks through a separate subagent. Quota verification applies to compute tiers without exception, including free tiers like F1 and Consumption. If non-Azure `.tf` files exist, the user chooses between Bicep and Terraform; otherwise, it defaults to Bicep.

The skill cannot run independently because it requires existing `prereq-output.json` and `context.json` files in `.copilot-azure/sessions/{id}/`.

## Requirements
- Works with: Azure

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add microsoft/skills --skill prepare -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/prepare/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/prepare/

### Codex

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/prepare/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/prepare/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install microsoft/skills prepare
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/prepare/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

**Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/microsoft/skills --path .github/plugins/azure-skills/skills/azure-app-onboard/prepare
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/prepare/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/microsoft/skills/tree/HEAD/.github/plugins/azure-skills/skills/azure-app-onboard/prepare/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- map application components to Azure services
- estimate monthly Azure infrastructure costs
- validate regional quota limits and subscription policies
- prepare resource specifications for Bicep or Terraform

## Example prompts
- Run the prepare phase for the Azure onboarding session
- Estimate Azure monthly costs and map services using prereq-output.json
- Validate subscription quotas and select SKUs for project components

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: 93f934552e5ce9fd.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 93f934552e5ce9fd
```text
# Prepare — Architecture Planning & Cost Estimation

## Quick Reference

| Property | Value |
|----------|-------|
| Best for | Mapping app components to Azure services with cost estimation and quota validation |
| Inputs | `prereq-output.json` + `context.json` from `.copilot-azure/sessions/{id}/` |
| Outputs | `prepare-plan.json` written to session directory |
| Parent | [azure-app-onboard](../SKILL.md) |

## When to Use This Skill

Invoked by the `azure-app-onboard` orchestrator at Phase 2 when `prereq-output.json` exists. Not directly user-routable.

> **Return to orchestrator:** When complete, return control to `azure-app-onboard`. Do NOT directly invoke scaffold or deploy.

## When NOT to Use

| Scenario | Use Instead |
|----------|-------------|
| Code readiness or prereq scanning | `azure-app-onboard` Step 3 (prereq) |
| IaC generation from a completed plan | `azure-app-onboard` Step 7 (scaffold) |
| Deploying resources to Azure | `azure-app-onboard` Step 9 (deploy) |
| Optimizing existing Azure spend | `cost-optimization` from the optional `azure-cost` plugin |
| Estimating VM-specific costs | `azure-compute` |
| Enterprise landing zone architecture | `azure-enterprise-infra-planner` |

If `cost-optimization` is unavailable, explain that it is provided by the
optional `azure-cost` plugin and direct the user to their client's supported
plugin installation flow; do not imply the handoff completed.

## MCP Tools

| Tool | Purpose |
|------|----------|
| `mcp_azure_mcp_pricing` / `azure-pricing` (router → `command: pricing_get`) | Cost estimation (inline — see Step 6). Fallback: dispatch [`subagent-pricing.md`](references/subagent-pricing.md) |
| `mcp_azure_mcp_policy` | Subscription policy constraints |
| `az rest` | Quota validation (via sub-agent — see Step 5) |
| `mcp_azure_mcp_cloudarchitect` → `cloudarchitect_design` | WAF-aligned architecture design |
| `mcp_azure_mcp_wellarchitectedframework` | Per-service WAF guidance |
| `mcp_azure_mcp_advisor` → `advisor_recommendation_list` | Optimization recommendations |

## Workflow

| # | Step | Action | Reference |
|---|------|--------|-----------|
| 1 | **Read session state** | Load `prereq-output.json` + `context.json`. Resolve subscription | Cross-ref [subscription-resolution.md](../references/subscription-resolution.md) if needed |
| 2 | **Query policy constraints** | Inline MCP: fetch policy + advisor recommendations | `mcp_azure_mcp_policy` + `mcp_azure_mcp_advisor` |
| 3 | **Map components to services** | Per-component Azure service selection, Dockerfile routing, deploy-as-is | ⛔ **You MUST read [service-mapping.md](references/service-mapping.md) and [deploy-strategy.md](references/deploy-strategy.md)** |
| 4 | **Select SKUs + WAF analysis** | Budget-aware SKU selection, inline WAF service guidance | ⛔ **You MUST read [sku-matrix.md](references/sku-matrix.md)** |
```
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 93f934552e5ce9fd

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the 93f934552e5ce9fd tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

First 2891 of 6595 bytes. © microsoft · MIT · https://github.com/microsoft/skills/tree/HEAD/.github/plugins/azure-skills/skills/azure-app-onboard/prepare/SKILL.md

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