System requirements for large memory systems

Author: NeilBird

azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ ms.author: alkohli
 ms.topic: how-to
 ms.service: azure-stack-hci
 ms.custom: references_regions
-ms.date: 11/25/2024
+ms.date: 01/02/2025
 ---
 
 # System requirements for Azure Local, version 23H2
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ Before you begin, make sure that the physical machine and storage hardware used
 |Memory|A minimum of 32-GB RAM per machine with Error-Correcting Code (ECC). <br> If you can't meet the memory and the ECC requirements, opt for a [Virtual deployment](../deploy/deployment-virtual.md).|
 |Host network adapters|At least two network adapters listed in the Windows Server Catalog. Or dedicated network adapters per intent, which does require two separate adapters for storage intent. For more information, see [Windows Server Catalog](https://www.windowsservercatalog.com/).|
 |BIOS|Intel VT or AMD-V must be turned on.|
-|Boot drive|A minimum size of 200-GB size.|
+|Boot drive|A minimum size of 200 GB, hardware RAID 1 (mirror) recommended.<br>400 GB size recommended for large memory systems for [support and diagnosability](#support-and-diagnosability).|
 |Data drives|At least two disks with a minimum capacity of 500 GB (SSD or HDD).<br>Single machines must use only a single drive type: Nonvolatile Memory Express (NVMe) or Solid-State (SSD) drives.|
 |Trusted Platform Module (TPM)|TPM version 2.0 hardware must be present and turned on.|
 |Secure boot|Secure Boot must be present and turned on.|
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ For more feature-specific requirements for Hyper-V, see [System requirements for
 
 ## Networking requirements
 
-An Azure Local instance requires a reliable high-bandwidth, low-latency network connection between each machine.
+Azure Local requires connectivity to public endpoints in Azure, see [Firewall requirements](firewall-requirements.md) for details. For multi-machine deployments the Azure Local instances require a reliable high-bandwidth,  low-latency network connection between each machine.
 
 Verify that physical switches in your network are configured to allow traffic on any VLANs you use. For more information, see [Physical network requirements for Azure Local](../concepts/physical-network-requirements.md).
 
@@ -80,14 +80,18 @@ Azure Local deployments that exceed the following specifications are not support
 | Resource | Maximum |
 | --- | --- |
 | Physical machines per system |16 |
-| Storage per system |	4 PB |
+| Storage per system | 4 PB |
 | Storage per machine | 400 TB |
-| Volumes per system |	64 |
-| Volume size |	64 TB |
-| Logical processors per host |	512 |
-| RAM per host | 24 TB
+| Volumes per system | 64 |
+| Volume size | 64 TB |
+| Logical processors per host | 512 |
+| RAM per host | 24 TB |
 | Virtual processors per host | 2,048 |
 
+## Support and diagnosability
+
+To ensure adequate support and diagnosability for "large memory" Azure Local machines—defined as those with more than 768 GB of physical memory—it is recommended to install OS disks with a capacity of 400 GB or larger. This recommendation aims to provide additional free disk space on the OS volume, which may be necessary for troubleshooting hardware, driver, or software issues that require a kernel memory dump to be written to the OS volume.
+
 ## Hardware requirements
 
 In addition to Microsoft Azure Local updates, many OEMs also release regular updates for your Azure Local hardware, such as driver and firmware updates. To ensure that OEM package update notifications, reach your organization check with your OEM about their specific notification process.