Sync release-hotfixes with main

Sync release-hotfixes with main

Author: sethmanheim

azure-local/concepts/compare-windows-server.md

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ ms.topic: conceptual
 author: alkohli
 ms.author: alkohli
 ms.service: azure-local
-ms.date: 03/28/2025
+ms.date: 04/08/2025
 ---
 
 # Compare Azure Local to Windows Server
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ When replacing a datacenter primarily running VMware, Azure Local is typically n
 
 ## When to use Azure Local
 
-Azure Local is Microsoft's premier hyperconverged infrastructure platform for running VMs or virtual desktops on-premises with connections to Azure hybrid services. Azure Local can help to modernize and secure your datacenters and branch offices, and achieve industry-best performance with low latency and data sovereignty.
+Azure Local is Microsoft's premier hyperconverged infrastructure platform for running virtual machines (VMs) or virtual desktops on-premises with connections to Azure hybrid services. Azure Local can help to modernize and secure your datacenters and branch offices, and achieve industry-best performance with low latency and data sovereignty.
 
 :::image type="content" source="media/compare-windows-server/hci-scenarios.png" alt-text="When to use Azure Local over Windows Server 2019" border="false" lightbox="media/compare-windows-server/hci-scenarios.png":::
 
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ Windows Server is a highly versatile, multi-purpose operating system with dozens
 
 Use Windows Server for:
 
-- A guest operating system inside of virtual machines (VMs) or containers
+- A guest operating system inside of VMs or containers
 - As the runtime server for a Windows application
 - To use one or more of the built-in server roles such as Active Directory, file services, DNS, DHCP, or Internet Information Services (IIS)
 - As a traditional server, such as a bare-metal domain controller or SQL Server installation
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ The following table compares the management options for Azure Local and Windows
 | Azure portal > Windows Admin Center integration (preview) | Yes | Azure VMs only <sup>1</sup>|
 | Azure portal > Multi-cluster monitoring for Azure Local | Yes | No |
 | Azure portal > Azure Resource Manager integration for clusters | Yes | No |
-| Azure portal > Arc VM management | Yes | No |
+| Azure portal > Management of Azure Local VMs enabled by Arc | Yes | No |
 | Desktop experience | No | Yes |
 
 <sup>1</sup> Requires manually installing the Arc-git statusConnected Machine agent on every machine.

azure-local/concepts/observability.md

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ title: Azure Local observability
 description: Learn about observability in Azure Local.
 author: alkohli
 ms.author: alkohli
-ms.date: 10/18/2024
+ms.date: 04/25/2025
 ms.topic: conceptual
 ms.service: azure-local
 ---
@@ -109,6 +109,36 @@ The following table describes the types of data, their storage location, default
 | Metrics | Metrics are numerical values collected at regular intervals, describing aspects of a system. | Metrics data is sent to the respective region in which resource is deployed. | Enabled by default and can be disabled anytime. | Platform metrics are stored for 93 days, however, you can only query (in the Metrics tile) for a maximum of 30 days' worth of data on any single chart. | You can use metrics explorer to interactively analyze the data in your metric database. |
 | Billing and census | Billing data includes the system ID and the number of physical cores and hours used. Census data is required to enable basic management from Azure and includes system information (system name and ID, system connection status, storage pool ID, trial days remaining and billing model), machine information (number of machines, machine name, OS version, machine manufacturer, model and serial number, number of physical cores and memory size), and basic configuration such as, enablement of Azure verification for VMs, Azure managed identity and diagnostics level setting. | Billing and census data is sent to the respective resource region where the customer registered the device. | Billing is always enabled as it is required to charge for Azure Local usage. Census data is also always enabled, as it includes the minimal information required to manage Azure Local from Azure. | Data is deleted when the resource is deleted, except for billing data, which is retained. | To view billing data, navigate to the Azure Local system resource page in Azure portal, select **Overview** in the left pane, in the Essentials section select the **Billing status** link, followed by **View Cost Management**. To view census data, select **JSON View** located in the top right corner of the Essentials section. |
 
+## Crash dump collection
+
+Crash dump collection is a feature in Azure Local that allows for the automatic collection, analysis, and debugging of crashes. The data collected from a crash, referred to as the crash dump, is used for analysis and debugging.
+
+### Key features
+
+Here are the key features of crash dump collection for Azure Local:
+
+- **Automatic collection and analysis.** Automatically gathers data from Azure Local crashes and analyzes it to pinpoint the root causes of failures, aiding in quick diagnosis and resolution. This minimizes downtime and enhances service reliability.
+- **Compliance and security.** Ensures crash data is handled securely and in compliance with data protection regulations across all Azure regions and national clouds.
+- **Customizable settings.** Enabled by default for optimal performance and reliability, but can be disabled using specific commands if necessary. However, we recommend to keep it enabled to benefit from its diagnostic capabilities.
+
+### Prerequisites
+
+To use the crash dump collection feature, install the `AzureEdgeTelemetryAndDiagnostics` extension, version 2.0.18 or later. For information about the extension, see [Azure Local telemetry and diagnostics extension overview](./telemetry-and-diagnostics-overview.md).
+
+### Disable crash dump collection
+
+To disable the crash dump collection capability, use the following command:
+
+```powershell
+Set-EdgeCrashDumpCollection -SetState Disable
+```
+
+To re-enable it, use the following command:
+
+```powershell
+Set-EdgeCrashDumpCollection -SetState Enable
+```
+
 ## Next steps
 
 - [Azure Local telemetry and diagnostics extension](./telemetry-and-diagnostics-overview.md)

azure-local/deploy/single-server.md

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ Currently you can't use Windows Admin Center to deploy Azure Stack HCI on a sing
 
 ## Prerequisites
 
-- A server from the [Azure Stack HCI Catalog](https://hcicatalog.azurewebsites.net/#/catalog) certified for use as a single-node cluster and configured with all NVMe or all SSD drives.
+- A server from the [Azure Stack HCI Catalog](https://azurelocalsolutions.azure.microsoft.com/#/catalog) certified for use as a single-node cluster and configured with all NVMe or all SSD drives.
 - For network, hardware and other requirements, see [Azure Stack HCI network and domain requirements](../deploy/operating-system.md#determine-hardware-and-network-requirements).
 - Optionally, [install Windows Admin Center](/windows-server/manage/windows-admin-center/deploy/install) to register and manage the server after it's deployed.
 

azure-local/faq.yml

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ metadata:
   author: cosmosdarwin
   ms.author: cosdar
   ms.service: azure-local
-  ms.date: 02/03/2025
+  ms.date: 04/08/2025
 title: Azure Local FAQ
 summary: The Azure Local FAQ provides information about Azure Local connectivity with the cloud, and how Azure Local relates to Windows Server.
 
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ sections:
         answer: |
           While your connection is down, all host infrastructure and VMs continue to run normally, and you can use edge-local tools for management. However, you wouldn't be able to use features that directly rely on cloud services. Information in the Azure portal may also become out-of-date until Azure Local is able to sync again.
           
-          Configuration changes made to Arc VMs using edge-local tools won't automatically sync with Azure.
+          Configuration changes made to Azure Local VMs enabled by Arc using edge-local tools won't automatically sync with Azure.
 
       - question: How long can Azure Local run with the connection down?
         answer: |