@microsoftdocs/azure-architecture

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 SCVMM/vSphere integrations, and other Azure Arc related development tasks. Not for Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) (use azure-kubernetes-service), Azure Stack Edge (use azure-stack-edge), Azure Virtual Machines (use azure-virtual-machines), Azure Virtual Network (use azure-virtual-network).

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SKILL.md
nameazure-architecture
descriptionExpert guidance for designing Azure solutions using Azure Architecture. Covers reference architectures, solution ideas, design patterns, technology choices, architecture styles, best practices, anti-patterns, example workloads, and migration guides. Use when designing AKS, data/AI, SAP, hybrid/landing zones, or HA/DR multiregion Azure solutions, and other Azure Architecture related development tasks.
compatibilityRequires network access. Uses mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch or fetch_webpage to retrieve documentation.

Azure Architecture Skill

This skill provides expert guidance for designing Azure solutions using Azure Architecture. Covers reference architectures, solution ideas, design patterns, technology choices, architecture styles, best practices, anti-patterns, example workloads, and migration guides. 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
Reference Architectures L37-L92 End-to-end Azure solution blueprints for mission-critical apps, data/AI, networking, hybrid, and SAP—covering secure deployment, HA/DR, multiregion, and enterprise landing zone patterns.
Solution Ideas L93-L130 End-to-end solution patterns for AI, data, security, mainframe migration, IoT, and DevOps on Azure—covering reference architectures, design choices, and implementation guidance.
Design Patterns L131-L180 Patterns for resilient, scalable, event-driven cloud apps: messaging, CQRS/event sourcing, retries, rate limiting, security gateways, identity, caching, sharding, and migration strategies.
Technology Choices L181-L215 Guidance on choosing Azure/Fabric services and architectures for AI/ML, data, analytics, storage, compute, networking, containers, messaging, and vector/search workloads.
Architecture Styles L216-L227 Guidance on choosing and designing Azure app architectures (big compute, big data, event-driven, microservices, N-tier, web-queue-worker) with patterns, components, and best practices.
Best Practices L228-L284 Patterns and guidance for building secure, scalable, resilient Azure solutions: RAG/GenAI, APIs, AKS, Functions, networking, DR, monitoring, CI/CD, caching, and performance tuning.
Anti-patterns L285-L299 Diagnosing and fixing common Azure performance and scalability anti-patterns (busy DB/front end, chatty I/O, no caching, noisy neighbors, retry storms, sync I/O, monolithic persistence).
Example Workloads L300-L400 End-to-end reference architectures and patterns for real-world Azure workloads, covering data/AI platforms, AKS and networking, hybrid/mainframe migration, IoT/OPC UA, SAP/Oracle, security, and BCDR.
Migration Guides L401-L430 Guides for mapping AWS/Google/on-prem services to Azure, and migrating workloads (Kubernetes, Oracle, Kafka) including identity, networking, security, storage, and cost/ops comparisons.

Reference Architectures

Topic URL
Deploy a baseline enterprise Foundry chat reference architecture https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/ai-ml/architecture/baseline-microsoft-foundry-chat
Implement baseline Foundry chat in an Azure landing zone https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/ai-ml/architecture/baseline-microsoft-foundry-landing-zone
Deploy MLOps v2 CI/CD and retraining architectures https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/ai-ml/guide/machine-learning-operations-v2
Implement DR-ready Azure enterprise data platform architecture https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/data-guide/disaster-recovery/dr-for-azure-data-platform-architecture
Enterprise-hardened Azure Data Factory lakehouse architecture https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/databases/architecture/azure-data-factory-enterprise-hardened
Mission-critical Azure Data Factory analytics architecture https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/databases/architecture/azure-data-factory-mission-critical
Baseline medallion lakehouse with Azure Data Factory https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/databases/architecture/azure-data-factory-on-azure-landing-zones-baseline
Deploy MongoDB Atlas securely on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/databases/architecture/mongodb-atlas-baseline
Move archive data from mainframes to Azure storage https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/mainframe/move-archive-data-mainframes
Deploy a hub-spoke AKS cluster with Azure Firewall https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/aks/aks-firewall
Architect mission-critical global content delivery on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/networking/global-web-applications/mission-critical-content-delivery
Implement mission-critical global HTTP ingress on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/networking/global-web-applications/mission-critical-global-http-ingress
Design global routing redundancy for mission-critical web apps https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/networking/global-web-applications/overview
Implement multiregion load balancing with Traffic Manager and Application Gateway https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/high-availability/traffic-manager-application-gateway
Implement enterprise cloud file shares with Azure Files https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/hybrid/azure-files-private
Design Azure Local baseline infrastructure architecture https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/hybrid/azure-local-baseline
Implement Azure Local storage switchless architecture https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/hybrid/azure-local-switchless
Design Azure Virtual Desktop on Azure Local https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/hybrid/azure-local-workload-virtual-desktop
Implement a hub-spoke network topology in Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/networking/architecture/hub-spoke
Deploy a hub-spoke network using Azure Virtual WAN https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/networking/architecture/hub-spoke-virtual-wan-architecture
Implement TIC 3.0-compliant internet access on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/networking/architecture/trusted-internet-connections
Deploy Microsoft Entra security for AWS identities https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/aws/aws-azure-ad-security
Host GPU-based ML and HPC workloads on AKS https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/containers/aks-gpu/gpu-aks
Deploy microservices architecture on AKS with DevOps https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/containers/aks-microservices/aks-microservices
Deploy advanced AKS microservices with secure networking https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/containers/aks-microservices/aks-microservices-advanced
Apply application design patterns for mission-critical Azure apps https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/containers/aks-mission-critical/mission-critical-app-design
Choose application platform for mission-critical workloads https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/containers/aks-mission-critical/mission-critical-app-platform
Design data platforms for mission-critical Azure solutions https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/containers/aks-mission-critical/mission-critical-data-platform
Implement deployment and testing for mission-critical workloads https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/containers/aks-mission-critical/mission-critical-deploy-test
Implement health modeling for mission-critical Azure workloads https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/containers/aks-mission-critical/mission-critical-health-modeling
Design mission-critical architectures on Azure AKS https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/containers/aks-mission-critical/mission-critical-intro
Design networking for mission-critical AKS workloads https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/containers/aks-mission-critical/mission-critical-networking
Operate and maintain mission-critical workloads on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/containers/aks-mission-critical/mission-critical-operations
Apply security controls to mission-critical Azure workloads https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/containers/aks-mission-critical/mission-critical-security
Deploy a multiregion AKS baseline architecture https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/containers/aks-multi-region/aks-multi-cluster
Use baseline reference architecture for secure AKS clusters https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/containers/aks/baseline-aks
Build Azure Red Hat OpenShift landing zone for financial services https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/containers/aro/azure-redhat-openshift-financial-services-workloads
Deploy a Databricks-based stream processing pipeline https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/data/stream-processing-databricks
Implement stream processing with Azure Stream Analytics https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/data/stream-processing-stream-analytics
Implement secure hybrid DMZ network in Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/dmz/secure-vnet-dmz
Implement basic enterprise integration with Logic Apps and API Management https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/enterprise-integration/basic-enterprise-integration
Implement ExpressRoute private peering to Azure VNets https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/hybrid-networking/expressroute-private-peering-connectivity
Design ExpressRoute with VPN failover for resilience https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/hybrid-networking/expressroute-vpn-failover
Deploy site-to-site VPN Gateway for hybrid networks https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/hybrid-networking/hybrid-vpn-connectivity
Replicate and sync mainframe data to Azure during migration https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/migration/sync-mainframe-data-with-azure
Deploy and secure Linux VMs with full Azure stack https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/n-tier/linux-vm
Deploy and secure Windows VMs with full Azure stack https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/n-tier/windows-vm
Run SAP BW/4HANA on Azure Linux VMs https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/sap/run-sap-bw4hana-with-linux-virtual-machines
Deploy highly available SAP HANA on Azure Linux VMs https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/sap/run-sap-hana-for-linux-virtual-machines
Deploy high-availability App Service Environment across zones https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/web-apps/app-service-environment/architectures/app-service-environment-high-availability-deployment
Enterprise App Service Environment v3 deployment architecture https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/web-apps/app-service-environment/architectures/app-service-environment-standard-deployment
Baseline zone-redundant App Service web app architecture https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/web-apps/app-service/architectures/baseline-zone-redundant

Solution Ideas

Topic URL
Generate AI-assisted documents from enterprise data https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/ai-ml/idea/generate-documents-from-your-data
Design image classification apps using Azure services https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/ai-ml/idea/intelligent-apps-image-processing
Scale many-models machine learning on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/ai-ml/idea/many-models-machine-learning-azure-machine-learning
Process multimodal content with Azure AI services https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/ai-ml/idea/multi-modal-content-processing
Design multi-agent workflow automation on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/ai-ml/idea/multiple-agent-workflow-automation
Forecast customer orders with Azure AI https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/ai-ml/idea/next-order-forecasting
Orchestrate MLOps pipelines with Azure Databricks https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/ai-ml/idea/orchestrate-machine-learning-azure-databricks
Design a conversation analytics solution with Foundry tools https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/ai-ml/idea/unlock-insights-from-conversational-data
Design polyglot persistence with Cosmos DB and SQL https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/databases/idea/combine-relational-nosql
Use Cosmos DB change feed for minimal storage replication https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/databases/idea/minimal-storage-change-feed-replicate-data
Plan migration of IBM z/OS OLTP workloads to Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/mainframe/ibm-zos-online-transaction-processing-azure
Integrate IBM message queues with Azure data platform https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/mainframe/integrate-ibm-message-queues-azure
Simulate IoT device behavior with Azure Load Testing and custom plugins https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/testing/load-testing/load-testing-with-custom-plugins
Design portable adaptive applications across diverse environments https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/solution-ideas/articles/adaptive-apps
Design dynamic multi-agent AI systems on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/solution-ideas/articles/ai-agents-at-scale
Design AI Search skillsets for image and text enrichment https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/solution-ideas/articles/ai-search-skillsets
Build real-time analytics using Azure Service Bus and Microsoft Fabric https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/solution-ideas/articles/analytics-service-bus
Design a modern analytics architecture with Azure Databricks https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/solution-ideas/articles/azure-databricks-modern-analytics-architecture
Design first-layer defense with Azure security services https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/solution-ideas/articles/azure-security-build-first-layer-defense
Design AKS-based real-time data streaming architecture https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/solution-ideas/articles/data-streaming-scenario
Design a GitHub-based DevSecOps IaC pipeline on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/solution-ideas/articles/devsecops-infrastructure-as-code
Design a highly available SharePoint farm on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/solution-ideas/articles/highly-available-sharepoint-farm
Build batch and streaming ETL with Databricks and Delta Lake https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/solution-ideas/articles/ingest-etl-stream-with-adb
Design IoT analytics with Azure Data Explorer and IoT Hub https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/solution-ideas/articles/iot-azure-data-explorer
Replicate and sync mainframe files to Azure storage https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/solution-ideas/articles/mainframe-azure-file-replication
Map organizational threats using Azure security tools https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/solution-ideas/articles/map-threats-it-environment
Integrate Azure and Microsoft Defender XDR security services https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/solution-ideas/articles/microsoft-365-defender-security-integrate-azure
Implement a second defense layer with Microsoft Defender XDR https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/solution-ideas/articles/microsoft-defender-xdr-build-second-layer-defense
Automate incident response with Microsoft Sentinel playbooks https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/solution-ideas/articles/microsoft-sentinel-automated-response
Plan cross-tenant workload migrations between Entra tenants https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/solution-ideas/articles/migrate-cloud-workloads-across-security-tenants
Design multilayered security for Azure virtual machines https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/solution-ideas/articles/multilayered-protection-azure-vm
Automate SAP infrastructure on Azure with SUSE https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/solution-ideas/articles/sap-workload-automation-suse
Design cross-region TDE with Managed HSM for SQL MI https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/solution-ideas/articles/secure-sql-managed-instance-managed-hardware-security-module
Design a modern SMB data platform with Fabric and Databricks https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/solution-ideas/articles/small-medium-modern-data-platform

Design Patterns

Topic URL
Implement Transactional Outbox with Cosmos DB and Service Bus https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/databases/guide/transactional-out-box-cosmos
Virtual hub extension pattern for shared services in Virtual WAN https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/networking/guide/private-link-virtual-wan-dns-virtual-hub-extension-pattern
Implement the Ambassador pattern for helper services https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/ambassador
Apply the Anti-Corruption Layer integration pattern https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/anti-corruption-layer
Use the Asynchronous Request-Reply pattern for long tasks https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/asynchronous-request-reply
Design Backends for Frontends for tailored clients https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/backends-for-frontends
Apply the Bulkhead pattern to isolate failures https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/bulkhead
Use the Cache-Aside pattern for on-demand caching https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/cache-aside
Apply the choreography pattern for distributed workflows https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/choreography
Use the Circuit Breaker pattern for resilient calls https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/circuit-breaker
Apply the Claim-Check pattern for large messages https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/claim-check
Apply the Compensating Transaction pattern in Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/compensating-transaction
Use the Competing Consumers pattern for scaling https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/competing-consumers
Consolidate compute with the Resource Consolidation pattern https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/compute-resource-consolidation
Apply the CQRS pattern to separate reads and writes https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/cqrs
Implement the Deployment Stamps pattern for scale https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/deployment-stamp
Implement Event Sourcing with an append-only store https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/event-sourcing
Use the External Configuration Store pattern on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/external-configuration-store
Implement federated identity authentication in Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/federated-identity
Implement the Gatekeeper security pattern on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/gatekeeper
Apply the Gateway Aggregation pattern for backend calls https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/gateway-aggregation
Apply the Gateway Offloading pattern for shared services https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/gateway-offloading
Use the Gateway Routing pattern for single-endpoint APIs https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/gateway-routing
Implement the Geode pattern for global active-active https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/geodes
Apply the Health Endpoint Monitoring pattern https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/health-endpoint-monitoring
Implement the Idempotent Consumer messaging pattern https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/idempotent-consumer
Use the Index Table pattern to speed queries https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/index-table
Implement the Leader Election pattern for coordination https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/leader-election
Use the Materialized View pattern for fast queries https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/materialized-view
Apply the Messaging Bridge pattern to integrate systems https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/messaging-bridge
Implement the Pipes and Filters integration pattern https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/pipes-and-filters
Design and implement Priority Queue messaging pattern https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/priority-queue
Apply the Publisher-Subscriber pattern on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/publisher-subscriber
Implement the Quarantine pattern for software supply chain https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/quarantine
Apply the Queue-Based Load Leveling pattern on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/queue-based-load-leveling
Apply the Rate Limiting design pattern in Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/rate-limiting-pattern
Implement the Retry pattern for transient faults https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/retry
Implement the Saga pattern for distributed transactions https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/saga
Coordinate actions with Scheduler Agent Supervisor pattern https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/scheduler-agent-supervisor
Apply the Sequential Convoy messaging pattern in Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/sequential-convoy
Implement the Sharding data partitioning pattern on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/sharding
Use the Sidecar pattern for cross-cutting concerns https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/sidecar
Host static content using the Static Content Hosting pattern https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/static-content-hosting
Apply the Strangler Fig pattern for legacy migration https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/strangler-fig
Implement the Throttling pattern for resilient Azure apps https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/throttling
Secure direct access using the Valet Key pattern https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/valet-key

Technology Choices

Topic URL
Choose the right Azure AI and ML platform https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/ai-ml/guide/data-science-and-machine-learning
Choose Azure AI services for image and video processing https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/data-guide/ai-services/image-video-processing
Select Azure speech recognition and generation services https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/data-guide/ai-services/speech-recognition-generation
Choose Azure targeted language processing services https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/data-guide/ai-services/targeted-language-processing
Select Azure data transfer tools and services https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/data-guide/scenarios/data-transfer
Select appropriate Azure AI services for applications https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/data-guide/technology-choices/ai-services
Choose Azure technologies for analytics and reporting https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/data-guide/technology-choices/analysis-visualizations-reporting
Select the right analytical data store in Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/data-guide/technology-choices/analytical-data-stores
Select Azure batch processing technologies for big data https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/data-guide/technology-choices/batch-processing
Select big data storage technologies in Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/data-guide/technology-choices/data-storage
Choose the right analytical data store in Fabric https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/data-guide/technology-choices/fabric-analytical-data-stores
Select the right Microsoft Fabric deployment pattern https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/data-guide/technology-choices/fabric-deployment-patterns
Select Azure services for NLP workloads https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/data-guide/technology-choices/natural-language-processing
Choose Azure data pipeline orchestration services https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/data-guide/technology-choices/pipeline-orchestration-data-movement
Choose an Azure search data store technology https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/data-guide/technology-choices/search-options
Compare Azure real-time stream processing services https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/data-guide/technology-choices/stream-processing
Compare Azure data store models for workloads https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/data-guide/technology-choices/understand-data-store-models
Select the right Azure container hosting service https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/choose-azure-container-service
Apply architectural considerations for Azure containers https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/container-service-general-considerations
Select the right Azure compute hosting model https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/technology-choices/compute-decision-tree
Prepare to choose Azure data stores https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/technology-choices/data-stores-getting-started
Choose Azure hybrid hosting and connectivity options https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/technology-choices/hybrid-considerations
Select Azure load balancing services for applications https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/technology-choices/load-balancing-overview
Choose Azure messaging services for async workloads https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/technology-choices/messaging
Choose the right Azure storage service for workloads https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/technology-choices/storage-options
Use Azure technology choice comparison resources https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/technology-choices/technology-choices-overview
Select the right Azure service for vector search workloads https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/technology-choices/vector-search
Choose Azure compute platform for microservices workloads https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/microservices/design/compute-options
Choose Kubernetes edge compute options on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/operator-guides/aks/choose-kubernetes-edge-compute-option
Choose hybrid connectivity options for Azure VNets https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/hybrid-networking/hybrid-connectivity-options
Choose between VNet peering and VPN gateways for spoke connectivity https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/hybrid-networking/virtual-network-peering

Architecture Styles

Topic URL
Understand and compare Azure architecture styles https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/architecture-styles/
Apply Big Compute architecture style on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/architecture-styles/big-compute
Design Big Data architecture style on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/architecture-styles/big-data
Apply event-driven architecture style on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/architecture-styles/event-driven
Adopt microservices architecture style on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/architecture-styles/microservices
Implement N-tier architecture style on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/architecture-styles/n-tier
Use Web-Queue-Worker architecture style on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/architecture-styles/web-queue-worker
Design and implement microservices architecture on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/microservices/design/

Best Practices

Topic URL
Use a gateway to securely expose Foundry models https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/ai-ml/guide/azure-openai-gateway-guide
Extend existing MLOps to generative AI operations https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/ai-ml/guide/genaiops-for-mlops
Manage foundation model versions and life cycles https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/ai-ml/guide/manage-foundation-models-lifecycle
Implement agentic RAG architectures with Azure AI https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/ai-ml/guide/rag/rag-agentic
Configure and optimize RAG information retrieval on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/ai-ml/guide/rag/rag-information-retrieval
Engineer effective prompts for Azure RAG solutions https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/ai-ml/guide/rag/rag-prompt-engineering
Design and evaluate Azure RAG solutions rigorously https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/ai-ml/guide/rag/rag-solution-design-and-evaluation-guide
Securely design multitenant RAG inferencing solutions https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/ai-ml/guide/secure-multitenant-rag
Design RESTful web APIs using Azure best practices https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/best-practices/api-design
Implement and publish RESTful web APIs effectively https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/best-practices/api-implementation
Implement autoscaling best practices on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/best-practices/auto-scaling
Implement reliable, scalable background jobs on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/best-practices/background-jobs
Apply caching best practices for Azure architectures https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/best-practices/caching
Implement CDN best practices for Azure workloads https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/best-practices/cdn
Design data partitioning strategies for Azure solutions https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/best-practices/data-partitioning
Apply Azure data partitioning strategies by service https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/best-practices/data-partitioning-strategies
Preserve HTTP host headers behind Azure reverse proxies https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/best-practices/host-name-preservation
Apply Azure cloud application best practices https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/best-practices/index-best-practices
Choose message encoding formats for cloud messaging https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/best-practices/message-encode
Implement monitoring and diagnostics best practices in Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/best-practices/monitoring
Handle transient faults in cloud-based applications https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/best-practices/transient-faults
Design disaster recovery strategy for Azure data platforms https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/data-guide/disaster-recovery/dr-for-azure-data-platform-overview
Apply DR recommendations and recovery objectives for Azure data https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/data-guide/disaster-recovery/dr-for-azure-data-platform-recommendations
Plan DR activities for Azure data platform components https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/data-guide/disaster-recovery/dr-for-azure-data-platform-scenario-details
Optimize Apache Cassandra performance on Azure VMs https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/databases/guide/cassandra
Build AKS CI/CD pipelines using Azure Pipelines https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/aks/aks-cicd-azure-pipelines
Implement high availability for multitier AKS applications https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/aks/aks-high-availability
Implement blue-green deployment strategy for AKS clusters https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/aks/blue-green-deployment-for-aks
Apply coordination-minimizing practices for scalable services https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/design-principles/minimize-coordination
Scale Azure IoT Hub solutions to millions of devices https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/iot/scale-iot-solution-azure
Secure inbound and outbound internet for SAP on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/sap/sap-internet-inbound-outbound
Apply Azure network best practices for SAP landscapes https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/sap/sap-whole-landscape
Apply best practices for workloads on Azure Spot VMs https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/spot/spot-eviction
Run continuous validation with Load Testing and Chaos Studio https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/testing/mission-critical-deployment-testing
Design hybrid DNS for Azure and on-premises https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/hybrid/hybrid-dns-infra
Implement CI/CD for AKS microservices with Azure DevOps and Helm https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/microservices/ci-cd-kubernetes
Prevent IPv4 address exhaustion in large Azure networks https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/networking/guide/internet-protocol-version-4-exhaustion
Use Azure Private Link in hub-spoke networks https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/networking/guide/private-link-hub-spoke-network
Configure DNS for Private Link in Azure Virtual WAN https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/networking/guide/private-link-virtual-wan-dns-guide
Check and troubleshoot AKS cluster health https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/operator-guides/aks/aks-triage-cluster-health
Validate AKS admission controller health and impact https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/operator-guides/aks/aks-triage-controllers
Monitor and triage AKS workload deployments https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/operator-guides/aks/aks-triage-deployment
Use top-down triage practices for AKS operations https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/operator-guides/aks/aks-triage-practices
Apply day-2 operations practices for AKS clusters https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/operator-guides/aks/day-2-operations-guide
Troubleshoot networking issues in AKS clusters https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/operator-guides/aks/troubleshoot-network-aks
Optimize Azure Functions with Event Hubs integration https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/serverless/event-hubs-functions/event-hubs-functions
Monitor Azure Functions and Event Hubs topologies https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/serverless/event-hubs-functions/observability
Optimize Event Hubs-triggered Azure Functions performance https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/serverless/event-hubs-functions/performance-scale
Design resilient Event Hubs-triggered Azure Functions https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/serverless/event-hubs-functions/resilient-design
Secure Azure Functions integrated with Event Hubs https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/serverless/event-hubs-functions/security
Implement scalable Windows VM patch management on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/virtual-machines/patch-management
Protect APIs with Application Gateway and API Management https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/web-apps/api-management/architectures/protect-apis
Secure SPA authorization using Azure API Management https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/web-apps/guides/security/secure-single-page-application-authorization

Anti-patterns

Topic URL
Identify and remediate common Azure performance antipatterns https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/antipatterns/
Identify and remediate the Busy Database antipattern https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/antipatterns/busy-database/
Detect and fix the Busy Front End antipattern https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/antipatterns/busy-front-end/
Detect and remediate Chatty I/O antipattern https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/antipatterns/chatty-io/
Mitigate the Extraneous Fetching antipattern in Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/antipatterns/extraneous-fetching/
Avoid Improper Instantiation performance antipattern https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/antipatterns/improper-instantiation/
Address Monolithic Persistence data store antipattern https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/antipatterns/monolithic-persistence/
Identify and remediate the No-Caching antipattern https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/antipatterns/no-caching/
Mitigate Noisy Neighbor issues in multitenant systems https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/antipatterns/noisy-neighbor/noisy-neighbor
Prevent Retry Storm antipattern in cloud services https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/antipatterns/retry-storm/
Avoid synchronous I/O to improve scalability in Azure apps https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/antipatterns/synchronous-io/

Example Workloads

Topic URL
Automate video analysis with Azure ML and Vision https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/ai-ml/architecture/analyze-video-computer-vision-machine-learning
Automate document classification with Azure Durable Functions https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/ai-ml/architecture/automate-document-classification-durable-functions
Implement automated PDF forms processing on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/ai-ml/architecture/automate-pdf-forms-processing
Index blob content and metadata with Azure AI Search https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/ai-ml/architecture/search-blob-metadata
Implement a secure Azure research environment for regulated data https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/ai-ml/architecture/secure-compute-for-research
Implement batch analytics for call center conversations with Azure OpenAI https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/ai-ml/openai/architecture/call-center-openai-analytics
Design a medallion lakehouse with Azure Data Factory https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/databases/architecture/azure-data-factory-on-azure-landing-zones-index
Implement DataOps for a modern Azure data warehouse https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/databases/architecture/dataops-mdw
Implement write-through caching with Azure SQL and Redis https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/databases/architecture/write-through-caching-azure-sql-managed-redis
Implement Power Automate and AI Builder to extract text from images https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/ai/extract-object-text
Implement multitenant AKS ingress with Application Gateway for Containers https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/aks-agic/aks-agc
Secure AKS workloads with Azure Front Door and Private Link https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/aks-front-door/aks-front-door
Design an enterprise BI solution using Microsoft Fabric https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/analytics/enterprise-bi-microsoft-fabric
Implement real-time MongoDB Atlas to Fabric sync https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/analytics/sync-mongodb-atlas-fabric-analytics
Migrate legacy web apps using Azure API Management https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/apps/apim-api-scenario
Deploy IBM Maximo Application Suite on Azure OpenShift https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/apps/deploy-ibm-maximo-application-suite
Implement securely managed web apps with App Service Environment https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/apps/fully-managed-secure-apps
Implement SCI-based sustainability scoring for Azure apps https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/apps/measure-azure-app-sustainability-sci-score
Deploy SAP NetWeaver with Oracle DB on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/apps/sap-production
Apply SRE principles to scalable Azure API platforms https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/apps/scalable-apps-performance-modeling-site-reliability
Implement multiregion BCDR for Azure Virtual Desktop https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/azure-virtual-desktop/azure-virtual-desktop-multi-region-bcdr
Implement automated certificate lifecycle management on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/certificate-lifecycle/
Implement a scalable Azure data warehouse and analytics pipeline https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/data/data-warehouse
Deploy Esri ArcGIS Pro on Azure Virtual Desktop https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/data/esri-arcgis-azure-virtual-desktop
Implement a greenfield Microsoft Fabric lakehouse platform https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/data/greenfield-lakehouse-fabric
Implement near real-time lakehouse processing with Synapse https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/data/real-time-lakehouse-data-processing
Modernize SMB data warehouses with Fabric and Azure SQL https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/data/small-medium-data-warehouse
Build an end-to-end analytics platform with Fabric https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/dataplate2e/data-platform-end-to-end
Implement APIOps for automated Azure API deployments https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/devops/automated-api-deployments-apiops
Automate Microsoft 365 tenant configuration with Azure DevOps https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/devops/manage-microsoft-365-tenant-configuration-microsoft365dsc-devops
Implement resilient enterprise file shares with Azure NetApp Files https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/file-storage/enterprise-file-shares-disaster-recovery
Deploy scalable Moodle on Azure with NetApp Files https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/file-storage/moodle-azure-netapp-files
Run Oracle Database on Azure with NetApp Files https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/file-storage/oracle-azure-netapp-files
Run SQL Server on Azure VMs with Azure NetApp Files https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/file-storage/sql-server-azure-netapp-files
Implement computer forensics chain of custody on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/forensics/
Implement Zero Trust web apps with Azure Firewall and Application Gateway https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/gateway/application-gateway-before-azure-firewall
Secure virtual networks with Azure Firewall and Application Gateway https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/gateway/firewall-application-gateway
Operate AKS clusters using GitOps with Flux and Argo CD https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/gitops-aks/gitops-blueprint-aks
Implement a baseline AKS architecture on Azure Local https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/hybrid/aks-baseline
Build GitOps pipelines for AKS on Azure Local with Arc https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/hybrid/aks-hybrid-azure-local

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