Inconsistent result while executing `az vm list-skus`

[lukaszkucharski-tomtom]

Describe the bug

We use terraform to provision our infrastructure in Azure.
Because of limits related with available VM types in different zones we check before deployment VM availability.
To check actual list of zones where VM is available we use command az vm list-skus. Then we pass returned list of zones as input variable to the terraform.
Unfortunately sometimes even if we get a response like:

[
  {
    "name": "Standard_E32as_v4",
    "zones": [
      "3",
      "1",
      "2"
    ]
  },
  {
    "name": "Standard_E32as_v5",
    "zones": [
      "3",
      "1",
      "2"
    ]
  },
  {
    "name": "Standard_E32as_v6",
    "zones": [
      "2"
    ]
  }
]

our deployment fails because error like: "The VM size of Standard_E32as_v5 is only allowed in zones [2] in your subscription in location 'westeurope'. "

Looks like terraform takes list of zones for v6 instead of v5 or az cli command returns incorrect values in a list!

Related command

az vm list-skus --subscription "xxxxxxxx-xxxx-yyyy-zzzz-aabbccddeedd" --location "westeurope" --resource-type virtualMachines --zone --size Standard_E32as_v --query '[].{name: name, zones: locationInfo[0].zones}'

Errors

 Error: creating Agent Pool (Subscription: "xxxxxxxx-xxxx-yyyy-zzzz-aabbccddeedd"
 Resource Group Name: "rg-xxxx-westeurope-prod-12345"
 Managed Cluster Name: "aks-xxx-weu-prod-12345"
 Agent Pool Name: "ee1234s05ac7"): performing CreateOrUpdate: unexpected status 400 (400 Bad Request) with response: {
   "code": "BadRequest",
   "details": null,
   "message": "The VM size of Standard_E32as_v5 is only allowed  in zones [2] in your subscription in location 'westeurope'. ",
   "subcode": ""
  }

Issue script & Debug output

none

Expected behavior

I'd like to get a real list of zones where VM is available!

Environment Summary

azure-cli                         2.67.0

core                              2.67.0
telemetry                          1.1.0

Extensions:
account                            0.2.5

Dependencies:
msal                              1.31.0
azure-mgmt-resource               23.1.1

Python location '/opt/homebrew/Cellar/azure-cli/2.67.0/libexec/bin/python'
Extensions directory '/Users/username/.azure/cliextensions'

Python (Darwin) 3.12.7 (main, Oct  1 2024, 02:05:46) [Clang 16.0.0 (clang-1600.0.26.3)]

Legal docs and information: aka.ms/AzureCliLegal


Your CLI is up-to-date.

Additional context

No response

[yonzhan]

Thank you for opening this issue, we will look into it.

[lukaszkucharski-tomtom]

Hi!
Additionally I've checked what az cli will do while creating node-pool with Standard_E32as_v5 vm type and 1,2,3 zones:

az aks nodepool add --subscription xxxxxxxx-xxxx-yyyy-zzzz-aabbccddeedd \
--cluster-name aks-xxx-weu-prod-12345 \
--name ee1234s05ac7 \
--resource-group rg-xxxx-westeurope-prod-12345 \
--node-count 0 \
--node-vm-size Standard_E32as_v5 \
--os-sku Ubuntu \
--zones 1 2 3

The result it the same as from terraform:

(BadRequest) The VM size of Standard_E32as_v5 is only allowed  in zones [2] in your subscription in location 'westeurope'.
Code: BadRequest
Message: The VM size of Standard_E32as_v5 is only allowed  in zones [2] in your subscription in location 'westeurope'.

[yanzhudd]

Please try again after the Azure CLI 2.78.0 release on 14/10/2025, and let us know if you encounter any issues.