Hybrid Multi-Cloud Update Q1 2025 - Microsoft Azure Local

calendarMar 21, 2025 · 3 min read · General Available Public Preview Hybrid Cloud Multi Cloud Azure Arc Azure Local Azure Kubernetes Services Azure Virtual Machines  ·
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Microsoft Azure Local Hybrid Cloud capabilities

Within this blog, We want to give an overview of the most interesting updates in Q1 2025 that became generally available or in preview, which help to implement a Hybrid Cloud Strategy to simplify data sovereignty challenges. This first edition we will dive into Azure Local. Azure Local helps to deploy workloads to your own controlled data-center managed HCI infrastructure. If you aren't yet familiar with Azure Local, it's announced at Microsoft Ignite 2024. The announcement can be read at the Microsoft Tech Community and Azure Arc Blog. Azure Local streamlines with Azure Arc which helps you create your own data-center running Virtual Machines, Databases and AKS Clusters locally, while benefiting Microsoft Product Development capabilities.

Read more about Architecture best practices and learn how Azure Local helps to address data sovereignty, regulation and compliance challenges.

Azure Local release 2411 Highlights

This first blog we will dive into release 2411 and highlight your three most impactful features. If you want to read the complete release notes, you can read them at What's new in Azure Local?. Here is our list:

Features are now supported by Microsoft (GA):

  • [AKS on Azure Local (GA)] - This release has several new features and enhancements for AKS on Azure Local. For more information, see What's new in AKS on Azure Local. Of course next to azure arc virtual machines and databases.

Interested in what's already possible? Just take a look in the Azure Arc Portfolio.

Features are now supported by Microsoft as Public Preview:

  • [Azure Local for disconnected operations (Preview)] - Azure Local is now available for disconnected operations. Disconnected operations for Azure Local enable the deployment and management of Azure Local instances without a connection to the Azure public cloud.

This feature allows you to build, deploy, and manage virtual machines (VMs) and containerized applications using select Azure Arc-enabled services from a local control plane, providing a familiar Azure portal and CLI experience. If you want to learn more about this feature, just read Learn Documentation.

  • [Deploy Azure Local with Local Identity (Preview)] - Starting this release, you can deploy Azure Local using Local identity with Azure Key Vault. By integrating with Key Vault and using certificate-based authentication, security posture is enhanced and operations continuity is ensured. This approach offers minimal edge infrastructure, a secure secret store, and simplified management by consolidating secrets in a single vault. Additionally, it streamlines deployment by eliminating dependencies on Active Directory systems and simplifying firewall configurations.

For more information about this Preview feature, see Deploy Azure Local with Local Identity and Azure Key Vault (Preview).

This is just a glance what is possible with Azure Local. Enjoy reading!