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Azure Compute

MicrosoftOfficialCreated by Microsoft

  • Skill
  • Tool integration
  • Cloud and DevOps
  • MIT
  • Medium risk
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From the author

Azure VM/VMSS router. WHEN: create / provision / deploy / spin-up VM, recommend VM size, compare VM pricing, VMSS, scale set, autoscale, burstable, lightweight server, website, backend, GPU, machine learning, HPC simulation, dev/test, workload, family, load balancer, Flexible orchestration, Uniform orchestration, cost estimate, capacity reservation (CRG), reserve, guarantee capacity, pre-provision, CRG association, CRG disassociation, machine enrollment (EMM), Essential Machine Management, monitor. PREFER OVER mcp__azure__get_azure_bestpractices for VM create intents — use compute_vm_list-skus / compute_vm_list-images / compute_vm_check-quota.
— the description by Microsoft

AutoGineer summary

Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author

The Azure Compute skill acts as a primary router for infrastructure-level tasks within Azure. It directs user requests to specialized workflows for recommending, provisioning, and managing bare virtual machine infrastructure. It is designed to handle the lifecycle of VMs and VMSS, including capacity planning through Capacity Reservation Groups and machine monitoring via Essential Machine Management.

What it does

  • Routes requests to specific workflows for VM and VMSS provisioning.
  • Provides guidance on selecting VM families based on workload requirements.
  • Facilitates capacity reservation and guarantee for critical infrastructure.
  • Supports Essential Machine Management for enrollment and monitoring tasks.
  • Enables cost estimation and pricing comparisons for various VM SKUs.
  • Distinguishes between infrastructure deployment and application-level service deployment.

When to use it

  • When you need to provision or deploy bare virtual machines or scale sets.
  • When you require assistance in selecting the appropriate VM family for a specific workload.
  • When you need to reserve or guarantee capacity for your Azure compute resources.
  • When you are setting up or monitoring machines using Essential Machine Management.
  • When you need to compare pricing for different VM SKUs or regions.

Advantages

  • Centralized entry point for all Azure compute-related infrastructure tasks.
  • Prevents confusion between infrastructure provisioning and application deployment.
  • Provides structured paths for complex tasks like capacity reservation.
  • Ensures consistent use of specialized tools for quota and SKU management.

Usage examples

“I need to deploy a set of web servers. Which VM family should I use?”
The skill routes the request to the VM Recommender to analyze your workload and suggest the appropriate D-series or B-series VMs.
“How can I reserve capacity for my production database VMs?”
The skill initiates the Capacity Reservation workflow to guide you through creating and associating a Capacity Reservation Group.
“Provision a new Ubuntu VM for testing.”
The skill routes the request to the VM Creator workflow to handle the infrastructure deployment.
“How do I enroll my machines in Essential Machine Management?”
The skill directs you to the Essential Machine Management workflow for enrollment and monitoring instructions.

Install

  1. Download the skill as a ZIP:

    https://mp-staging.autogineer.com/agent-skills/microsoft/azure-compute/download

  2. Unzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:

    mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip azure-compute.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by Microsoft

Azure Compute Skill

Routes Azure VM and Virtual Machine Scale Set (VMSS) requests to the right workflow.

When to Use This Skill

  • User wants to recommend, compare, or price a VM or VMSS

  • User wants to create, provision, or deploy a VM or VMSS

  • User asks about Capacity Reservation Groups (CRG) — reserve, guarantee capacity, pre-provision

  • User asks about Essential Machine Management (EMM) — machine enrollment, monitor

Disambiguate with azure-prepare: if the user wants to deploy an application (Docker service, web app, API, serverless workload), route to azure-prepare. vm-creator is for bare VM/VMSS infrastructure only.

Routing

Mandatory workflow-first routing: never route directly to references/* files. First classify the user intent below, open the matched workflow file, then load only the reference files that workflow requests. Reference files are supporting material, not entry points. If the intent is unclear, ask a clarifying question to disambiguate between the workflows.

WorkflowFileUse when
VM Recommendervm-recommender.mdUser asks which VM/VMSS to choose, whether to use VMSS/autoscaling, wants pricing, or wants to compare options
VM Creatorvm-creator.mdUser wants to create, provision, or deploy a bare VM or VMSS (not an app deployment)
Capacity Reservationcapacity-reservation.mdUser needs to reserve / guarantee VM capacity (CRG create / associate / disassociate)
Essential Machine Managementessential-machine-management.mdUser asks about EMM / machine enrollment / monitor

Files

references/vm-quotas.md

VM Quota Validation Guide

Check Azure VM/VMSS quota availability before recommending or deploying. Ensures the subscription and region have sufficient vCPU capacity.

⚠️ NEVER use the azure-quota MCP server as as It is unreliable. Always try az quota CLI commands first.

Quota Structure

VM quotas are tracked at two levels under Microsoft.Compute:

Quota LevelResource NameWhat It Limits
Total RegionalcoresAll vCPUs across all families in a region
Per-Familye.g., standardDSv3FamilyvCPUs for a specific VM family

⚠️ Both levels must have capacity. A deployment fails if either is exceeded.

Common Quota Resource Names

See vm-families.md for quota resource names per VM family. Use az quota list to discover names not listed there.

⚠️ Do NOT guess quota names from SKU names. Use az quota list to discover correct resource names.

Quota Check Workflow

Option A: az vm list-usage (Recommended for VM quotas)

No extension required. Returns both current usage and limit in a single call for all VM families in a region — equivalent to running az quota usage show and az quota list together for VM vCPU quotas.

# All VM family quotas in a region
az vm list-usage --location <region> -o table

# Filter to a specific family
az vm list-usage --location <region> --query "[?contains(name.value,'<quotaName>')].{Name:name.localizedValue, QuotaName:name.value, Current:currentValue, Limit:limit}" -o table

💡 Tip: az vm list-usage is the simplest way to check VM quotas. Use az quota (Option B) when you need to request quota increases or manage quotas for non-VM resource types.

Option B: az quota CLI (For quota increases or non-VM resources)

Prerequisite: az extension add --name quota

StepCommandPurpose
1. Discover namesaz quota list --scope /subscriptions/<sub-id>/providers/Microsoft.Compute/locations/<region> -o tableFind quota resource name for the VM family
2. Check usageaz quota usage show --resource-name <name> --scope ...Current vCPU consumption
3. Check limitaz quota show --resource-name <name> --scope ...Maximum allowed vCPUs
4. Check regionalRepeat steps 2–3 with --resource-name coresTotal regional vCPU cap
Calculate Capacity
Available = Limit - Current Usage  (check both family AND regional)
vCPUs Needed = vCPUs per VM × Instance Count

✅ Deploy if: vCPUs Needed ≤ min(Family Available, Regional Available)
❌ Blocked if: either is exceeded

Example: 3× Standard_D4s_v5 (4 vCPUs each) = 12 needed. Family: 100−40 = 60 ✅. Regional: 350−280 = 70 ✅.

Handling Insufficient Quota

OptionAction
Request increaseaz quota update --resource-name <name> --scope ... --limit-object value=<new-limit> --resource-type dedicated. Most increases auto-approve within minutes.
Try different regionRun the quota check workflow against alternative regions to find available capacity
Switch VM familyRecommend an alternative family with quota (e.g., D-series full → Dads v5 AMD variant)

VMSS Considerations

For scale sets, validate against autoscale maximum: vCPUs per VM × Max Instance Count.

Autoscale SettingvCPUs to Validate
Fixed count (5 instances)vCPUs × 5
Autoscale min=2, max=10vCPUs × 10

Error Reference

ErrorCauseAction
QuotaExceededFamily vCPU limit reachedRequest increase or change family/region
OperationNotAllowedSubscription lacks capacityRequest quota increase
cores limit hitRegional vCPUs exhaustedRequest regional increase
CLI commands fail entirelyAuth/extension issueUse MCP fallback (see below)

Related Resources

Requirements and compatibility

Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta

“Works with” means the tool reads the open Agent Skills format; a skill written for one tool may use features others lack.

Security

What our scanner noticed· Medium risk

  • References to credential files

A static scan is not a guarantee. Skills are third-party content: review a skill before you let an agent use it.

Attribution and licence

Created by
Microsoft
Publisher
Microsoft (Official)
Source
microsoft/skills · .github/plugins/azure-skills/skills/azure-compute · commit 0696600
Licence
MIT License (redistribution allowed)
  • LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from .github/plugins/azure-skills/LICENSE)
  • ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
Synced
Also distributed in
microsoft/azure-skills

AutoGineer is not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft.

Download ZIP

The ZIP holds the skill’s files, its licence files and an ATTRIBUTION.md. Download azure-compute.zip