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AKS-Arc/TOC.yml

@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@
         href: cluster-labels.md
       - name: Taints
         href: aks-arc-use-node-taints.md
-    - name: Use auto-scaler
+    - name: Use autoscaler
       href: auto-scale-aks-arc.md
     - name: Upgrade Kubernetes clusters
       href: cluster-upgrade.md

AKS-Arc/auto-scale-aks-arc.md

@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 ---
 title: Use auto-scaling in a Kubernetes cluster
-description: Learn how to use Az CLI for cluster autoscaling.
+description: Learn how to use Azure CLI for cluster autoscaling.
 ms.topic: how-to
 ms.custom: devx-track-azurecli
 author: sethmanheim
 ms.author: sethm
-ms.date: 05/02/2025
+ms.date: 06/09/2025
 ms.reviewer: abha
-ms.lastreviewed: 05/02/2025
+ms.lastreviewed: 06/09/2025
 
 # Intent: As a Kubernetes user, I want to use cluster autoscaling to grow my nodes to keep up with application demand.
 # Keyword: cluster autoscaling Kubernetes
@@ -147,6 +147,18 @@ az aksarc update \
   --cluster-autoscaler-profile ""
 ```
 
+## Make effective use of autoscaler
+
+Now that the cluster and node pool are configured to automatically scale, you can optionally configure a workload to also scale in a way that makes use of the horizontal autoscaler capabilities.
+
+> [!NOTE]
+> The following guidance is not officially supported by Microsoft. It's shared as a best-effort recommendation based on open-source practices.
+
+There are two methods available for workload scaling:
+
+- **Kubernetes Horizontal Pod Autoscaler**: Based on load characteristics, the Horizontal Pod Autoscaler (also known as the *horizontal autoscaler*) scales the pods of an application deployment to available nodes in the Kubernetes cluster. If no more nodes are available to be scheduled, the horizontal autoscaler instantiates a new node to which to schedule the pods. If the application load subsides, the nodes are scaled back again. For the Horizontal Pod Autoscaler to work, you must manually deploy the Metrics Server component in your AKS cluster. For more information about horizontal pod autoscaler rules, see [Kubernetes horizontal pod autoscaler](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/run-application/horizontal-pod-autoscale/).
+- **Kubernetes node anti-affinity rules**: Anti-affinity rules for a Kubernetes deployment can specify that a set of pods can't be scaled on the same node, and a different node is required to scale the workload. In combination with either load characteristics or the number of target pods for the application instances, the horizontal autoscaler instantiates new nodes in the node pool to satisfy requests. If application demand subsides, the horizontal autoscaler scales down the node pool again. For more information about Kubernetes pod affinity rules, see [Assigning Pods to Nodes](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/scheduling-eviction/assign-pod-node).
+
 ## Next steps
 
 This article showed you how to automatically scale the number of AKS Arc nodes. To scale node pools manually, see [manage node pools in AKS Arc clusters](manage-node-pools.md).

azure-local/includes/azure-local-install-harware-updates.md

@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+---
+author: sipastak
+ms.author: sipastak
+ms.service: azure-local
+ms.topic: include
+ms.date: 06/06/2025
+ms.reviewer: sipastak
+---
+
+There are several methods to install hardware updates for Azure Local depending on what your Azure Local instance supports.
+
+- Solution Builder Extension
+- Windows Admin Center
+- Hardware vendor recommendation
+
+### Solution Builder Extension
+
+For systems that support Solution Builder Extensions:
+
+- The appropriate Solution Builder Extension updates are automatically included when installing Azure Local Feature updates.
+- The Solution Builder Extension updates can be installed separately (hardware updates can be installed without a combined Azure Local update).
+
+### Windows Admin Center
+
+If your hardware doesn't support the Solution Builder Extension update experience, the process for updating your hardware remains similar to the process used with Azure Local, version 22H2. This means that your hardware updates may be available using Windows Admin Center. For more information, see [Update Azure Local, version 22H2](/previous-versions/azure/azure-local/manage/update-cluster#install-operating-system-and-hardware-updates-using-windows-admin-center).
+
+### Hardware vendor recommendation
+
+Your firmware and driver updates may need to be performed separately, if your hardware doesn't support hardware updates using Solution Builder Extension packages or Windows Admin Center. Follow the recommendations of your hardware vendor.
+
+To determine if your system supports solution builder extension and for details on installing hardware updates, see [About Solution Builder Extension software updates](../update/solution-builder-extension.md).

azure-local/manage/azure-arc-vms-faq.yml

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ metadata:
   author: alkohli
   ms.author: alkohli
   ms.service: azure-local
-  ms.date: 05/02/2025
+  ms.date: 06/09/2025
   sections: []
 title: FAQ for Azure Local VMs enabled by Azure Arc
 summary:
@@ -90,11 +90,19 @@ sections:
         Deleting a gallery image removes the image name from VM details. It doesn't affect the VMs that you created by using the image.
 
     - question: | 
-        If I delete Azure Arc resource bridge, are the VMs also deleted?
+          If I delete Azure Arc resource bridge, are the VMs also deleted?
       answer: |
         If you inadvertently remove Azure Arc resource bridge via the Azure portal, it results in the deletion of the Azure projection of the on-premises appliance VM. Importantly, this action doesn't affect your existing workloads.
-        
+      
         To restore the Azure projection of the Azure Arc resource bridge, run `az arcappliance create`. For more information, see [`az arcappliance create hci`](https://learn.microsoft.com/cli/azure/arcappliance/create?view=azure-cli-latest#az-arcappliance-create-hci).
         
         If the on-premises appliance VM is accidentally deleted, you lose the ability to manage your VMs through the Azure portal. However, your workloads remain accessible through local on-premises tools like Windows Admin Center, Hyper-V, and PowerShell. To reinstate Azure Arc resource bridge, you need to redeploy it. For assistance with this process, contact Microsoft support.
 
+    - question: | 
+        How can I delete the empty DVD drives created during VM provisioning?
+      answer: |
+        Two DVD drives are created and used in Azure Local VMs during VM provisioning. The ISO files used during provisioning are removed after successfully creating the VM. However, you might see the empty drives visible for the VM. 
+        
+        To  delete these drives in a Windows VM, use Device Manager to uninstall the drives. Depending on the flavor of Linux you are using, you can also delete them for Linux VMs.
+         
+

azure-local/manage/configure-proxy-settings-23h2.md

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ description: Learn how to configure proxy settings for Azure Local, version 23H2
 author: alkohli
 ms.author: alkohli
 ms.topic: how-to
-ms.date: 03/20/2025
+ms.date: 06/09/2025
 ---
 
 # Configure proxy settings for Azure Local
@@ -20,13 +20,14 @@ For information about firewall requirements for outbound endpoints and internal
 Before you begin to configure proxy settings, make sure that:
 
 - You have access to an Azure Local for which you want to configure the proxy settings. You also have the local administrator credentials to access the machines in your Azure Local.
-- You know the proxy server name or IP address and port (optional). If you don’t have this information, contact your network administrator.
+- You know the proxy server name or IP address and port (optional). If you don't have this information, contact your network administrator.
 
 Here are some important considerations to keep in mind before you configure proxy settings:
 
 - Understand that proxy settings are separate for different components and features of Azure Local (`WinInet`,`WinHTTP`, and `Environment Variables`). You must configure the proxy settings for all the required components and any other features that you plan on using.
 - Although each component has specific command parameters and proxy bypass list string requirements, we recommend keeping the same proxy configuration across the different component and features.
 - Authenticated proxies using username and password aren't supported due to security constraints.
+- Proxy server endpoints with a `.local` domain aren't supported; for example, `http://proxy.contosos.local`.
 - If you're using SSL inspection in your proxy, you need to bypass the required Azure Local and its components (Arc Resource Bridge, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), etc.) outbound URLs.
 - Each of the three proxy components on the operating system has specific proxy bypass list string requirements. Don't use the same string for all three components.
 - Proxy Auto-Configuration (PAC) files aren't supported.
@@ -54,7 +55,7 @@ To configure the proxy settings for the Azure Stack HCI operating system, run th
     |---|---|
     | ProxySettingsPerUser | Specifies if the proxy settings are per machine or per user: <br><br>- 0 - Proxy settings are per machine.<br>- 1 (default) - Proxy settings are per user.<br>- If no value is provided, the `ProxySettingsPerUser` environment variable is used instead, if present.|
     | ProxyServer | Specifies the proxy server endpoint in the format `http://[Proxy_Server_Address]:[Proxy_Port]`. For example, `http://proxy.contoso.com:8080`.|
-    | ProxyBypass | Specifies the list of host URLs that bypass proxy server set by the `-ProxyServer` parameter. For example, you can set `-ProxyBypass “localhost”` to bypass local intranet URLs. On your Azure Local the list must include:<br><br>- At least the IP address of each machine.<br>- At least the IP address of system.<br>- At least the IPs you defined for your infrastructure network. Arc Resource Bridge, AKS, and future infrastructure services using these IPs require outbound connectivity.<br>- Or you can bypass the entire infrastructure subnet.<br>- NetBIOS name of each machine.<br>- NetBIOS name of the system.<br>- Domain name or domain name with asterisk `*` wildcard for any host or subdomain. |
+    | ProxyBypass | Specifies the list of host URLs that bypass proxy server set by the `-ProxyServer` parameter. For example, you can set `-ProxyBypass "localhost"` to bypass local intranet URLs. On your Azure Local the list must include:<br><br>- At least the IP address of each machine.<br>- At least the IP address of system.<br>- At least the IPs you defined for your infrastructure network. Arc Resource Bridge, AKS, and future infrastructure services using these IPs require outbound connectivity.<br>- Or you can bypass the entire infrastructure subnet.<br>- NetBIOS name of each machine.<br>- NetBIOS name of the system.<br>- Domain name or domain name with asterisk `*` wildcard for any host or subdomain. |
 
 Here's an example of the command usage:
 
@@ -165,7 +166,7 @@ When configuring the `WinHTTP` proxy bypass list string, keep the following poin
 
 ## Configure proxy settings for Environment Variables
 
-You must configure the proxy for Azure Resource Bridge and AKS before you [Register the machines with Azure Arc](../deploy/deployment-arc-register-server-permissions.md).
+You must configure the proxy for Azure Resource Bridge, AKS, and Arc enabled Kubernetes agents before you [Register the machines with Azure Arc](../deploy/deployment-arc-register-server-permissions.md).
 
 To set the proxy server Environment Variable, run the following commands as administrator on each machine in the system:
 
@@ -186,7 +187,7 @@ The parameters are described in the following table:
 |---|---|
 | HTTPS_PROXY variable | Specifies the proxy server endpoint in the format `http://[Proxy_Server_Address]:[Proxy_Port]`. For example, `http://proxy.contoso.com:8080`. |
 | HTTP_PROXY variable | Specifies the proxy server endpoint in the format `http://[Proxy_Server_Address]:[Proxy_Port]`. For example, `http://proxy.contoso.com:8080`. |
-| NO_PROXY variable | String to bypass local intranet URLs, domains, and subnets. On your Azure Local the list must include:<br><br>- At least the IP address of each machine.<br>- At least the IP address of system.<br>- At least the IPs you defined for your infrastructure network. Arc Resource Bridge, AKS, and future infrastructure services using these IPs require outbound connectivity.<br>- Or you can bypass the entire infrastructure subnet.<br>- NetBIOS name of each machine.<br>- NetBIOS name of the system.<br>- Domain name or domain name with dot `.` wildcard for any host or subdomain.<br>- `.svc` for internal Kubernetes service traffic.|
+| NO_PROXY variable | String to bypass local intranet URLs, domains, and subnets. On Azure Local, the list must include: <br><br>- At least the IP address of each machine. <br>- At least the IP address of the system. <br>- NetBIOS name of each machine. <br>- NetBIOS name of the system. <br>- Domain name or domain name with dot `.` wildcard for any host or subdomain. <br>- At least the IPs you defined for your infrastructure network. Arc Resource Bridge, and future infrastructure services using these IPs require outbound connectivity. <br>- Or, you can bypass the entire infrastructure subnet. <br>- The subnets on which you plan on deploying your AKS clusters. <br>- `.svc`, `kubernetes.default.svc` and `.svc.cluster.local` for internal Kubernetes service traffic. <br>- `10.0.0.0/8`, `172.16.0.0/12` and `192.168.0.0/16`. These subnets are required for creating AKS clusters and Azure Arc agents. |
 
 Here's an example of the command usage:
 
@@ -195,7 +196,7 @@ Here's an example of the command usage:
 $env:HTTPS_PROXY = [System.Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("HTTPS_PROXY", "Machine")
 [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("HTTP_PROXY", "http://192.168.1.250:8080", "Machine")
 $env:HTTP_PROXY = [System.Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("HTTP_PROXY", "Machine")
-$no_proxy = "localhost,127.0.0.1,.svc,192.168.1.0/24,.contoso.com,node1,node2,s-cluster"
+$no_proxy = "localhost,127.0.0.1,.svc,kubernetes.default.svc,.svc.cluster.local,192.168.1.0/24,10.0.0.0/8,172.16.0.0/12,192.168.0.0/16,.contoso.com,node1,node2,s-cluster"
 [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("NO_PROXY", $no_proxy, "Machine")
 $env:NO_PROXY = [System.Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("NO_PROXY", "Machine")
 ```
@@ -209,9 +210,8 @@ When configuring the Environment Variables proxy bypass list string, keep the fo
 - Asterisk `*` as wildcards to bypass subnets or domain names isn't supported.
 - Dots `.` Should be used as wildcards to bypass domain names or local services. For example `.contoso.com` or `.svc`.
 - Proxy name must be specified with `http://` and the port for both HTTP_PROXY and HTTPS_PROXY variables. For example, `http://192.168.1.250:8080`.
-- `.svc` bypass is for AKS internal services communication in Linux notation. This is required for Arc Resource Bridge and AKS.
-- AKS requires to bypass the following subnets. 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12 and 192.168.0.0/16. These subnets will be added to the Environment Variables bypass list automatically if they aren't defined.
-- The use of `<local>` strings isn't supported in the proxy bypass list.
+- `.svc`, `kubernetes.default.svc`, and `.svc.cluster.local` bypass are for AKS internal services communication in Linux notation. These values are required for Arc Resource Bridge and AKS.
+- AKS requires the following subnets to be bypassed: `10.0.0.0/8`, `172.16.0.0/12`, and `192.168.0.0/16`. These subnets are added to the environment variables bypass list automatically if they aren't defined.
 
 ### Confirm and remove the Environment Variables proxy configuration
 
@@ -269,4 +269,4 @@ If you're using or plan to use any of the following Azure services, refer to the
 
 For more information, see:
 
-- [Firewall requirements for Azure Local](../concepts/firewall-requirements.md).
+- [Firewall requirements for Azure Local](../concepts/firewall-requirements.md).

azure-local/manage/create-arc-virtual-machines.md

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ ms.reviewer: alkohli
 ms.topic: how-to
 ms.service: azure-local
 ms.custom: devx-track-azurecli
-ms.date: 04/23/2025
+ms.date: 06/09/2025
 ---
 
 # Create Azure Local virtual machines enabled by Azure Arc
@@ -690,6 +690,10 @@ You can use the Azure Verified Module (AVM) that contains the Terraform template
 
 ---
 
+> [!NOTE]
+> - Two DVD drives are created and used in Azure Local VMs during VM provisioning. The ISO files used during provisioning are removed after successfully creating the VM. However, you might see the empty drives visible for the VM. 
+> - To delete these drives in a Windows VM, use Device Manager to uninstall the drives. Depending on the flavor of Linux you are using, you can also delete them for Linux VMs.
+
 ## Use managed identity to authenticate Azure Local VMs
 
 When the VMs are created on your Azure Local via Azure CLI or Azure portal, a system-assigned managed identity is also created that lasts for the lifetime of the VMs.

azure-local/manage/manage-arc-virtual-machines.md

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ author: alkohli
 ms.author: alkohli
 ms.topic: how-to
 ms.service: azure-local
-ms.date: 03/27/2025
+ms.date: 06/09/2025
 ---
 
 # Manage Azure Local VMs enabled by Azure Arc

azure-local/update/azure-update-manager-23h2.md

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ author: ronmiab
 ms.author: robess
 ms.topic: how-to
 ms.reviewer: mindydiep
-ms.date: 05/28/2025
+ms.date: 06/06/2025
 #customer intent: As a Senior Content Developer, I want provide customers with information and guidance on using Azure Update Manager to manage and keep their Azure Local instances up to date.
 ---
 
@@ -159,21 +159,12 @@ To view the progress of your update installation, and completion results, follow
 
 ## Install hardware updates
 
-Hardware updates for Azure Local might be available through Azure Update Manager if your Azure Local instance has a solution builder extension.
-
-For systems that support solution builder extensions:
-- Azure Update Manager automatically includes the appropriate solution builder extension updates when installing Azure Local Feature updates.
-- Azure Update Manager allows the installation of solution builder extension updates separately (hardware updates can be installed without a combined Azure Local update).
-
-Azure Update Manager only supports the installation of hardware updates via solution builder extensions. If your hardware doesn't support the solution builder extension update experience, the process for updating your hardware remains similar to the process used with Azure Local, version 22H2. This means that your hardware updates might be available using Windows Admin Center.
-
-To determine if your system supports solution builder extension and for details on installing hardware updates, see [About Solution Builder Extension software updates](./solution-builder-extension.md).
+[!INCLUDE [azure-local-install-harware-updates](../includes/azure-local-install-harware-updates.md)]
 
 ## Get solution version
 
 Follow these steps to find the solution version of your Azure Local instance:
 
-
 1. In the Azure portal, go to your Azure Local resource page and then go to **Overview**.
 1. In the right pane, go to the **Properties** tab and then to **Updates**.
 1. Identify the solution version for your Azure Local instance.

azure-local/update/update-via-powershell-23h2.md

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ description: Learn how to use PowerShell to apply operating system, service, and
 author: alkohli
 ms.author: alkohli
 ms.topic: how-to
-ms.date: 04/24/2025
+ms.date: 06/06/2025
 ---
 
 # Update Azure Local via PowerShell
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ When you apply a solution update, here are the high-level steps that you take:
 1. (Recommended) Predownload the updates and assess the update readiness of your system.
 1. Install the updates and track the progress of the updates. Monitor the detailed progress as needed.
 1. Verify the version of the updates installed.
+1. Install hardware updates.
 
 The time taken to install the updates varies based on the following factors:
 
@@ -579,6 +580,10 @@ After the updates are installed, verify the solution version of the environment
 
     </details>
 
+## Step 9: Install hardware updates
+
+[!INCLUDE [azure-local-install-harware-updates](../includes/azure-local-install-harware-updates.md)]
+
 ## Next step
 
 - If you run into issues during the update process, see [Troubleshoot updates](./update-troubleshooting-23h2.md).