{"id":"92b5927f-427e-47c4-b39b-87ddee1612a4","shortId":"EVGdaL","kind":"skill","title":"azure-cloud-services","tagline":"Expert knowledge for Azure Cloud Services development including troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, limits & quotas, security, configuration, and integrations & coding patterns. Use when configuring Cloud Services (extended support), .csdef/.cscfg, Key Vault certs, ","description":"# Azure Cloud Services Skill\n\nThis skill provides expert guidance for Azure Cloud Services. Covers troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, limits & quotas, security, configuration, and integrations & coding patterns. It combines local quick-reference content with remote documentation fetching capabilities.\n\n## How to Use This Skill\n\n> **IMPORTANT for Agent**: Use the **Category Index** below to locate relevant sections. For categories with line ranges (e.g., `L35-L120`), use `read_file` with the specified lines. For categories with file links (e.g., `[security.md](security.md)`), use `read_file` on the linked reference file\n\n> **IMPORTANT for Agent**: If `metadata.generated_at` is more than 3 months old, suggest the user pull the latest version from the repository. If `mcp_microsoftdocs` tools are not available, suggest the user install it: [Installation Guide](https://github.com/MicrosoftDocs/mcp/blob/main/README.md)\n\nThis skill requires **network access** to fetch documentation content:\n- **Preferred**: Use `mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch` with query string `from=learn-agent-skill`. Returns Markdown.\n- **Fallback**: Use `fetch_webpage` with query string `from=learn-agent-skill&accept=text/markdown`. Returns Markdown.\n\n## Category Index\n\n| Category | Lines | Description |\n|----------|-------|-------------|\n| Troubleshooting | L35-L39 | Diagnosing and fixing common migration errors when moving classic Cloud Services to Cloud Services (extended support), including deployment, configuration, and compatibility issues. |\n| Best Practices | L40-L44 | Guidance on designing and configuring autoscale rules for Cloud Services, including metrics, thresholds, and patterns to optimize performance, reliability, and cost. |\n| Decision Making | L45-L54 | Guidance on when to use Cloud Services (extended support), planning OS upgrades, comparing with VM Scale Sets, and designing/migrating classic/non-VNet services to extended support in VNets. |\n| Limits & Quotas | L55-L61 | VM instance size limits/capacities and timelines, impacts, and constraints related to Guest OS family retirements for Azure Cloud Services. |\n| Security | L62-L67 | Using Key Vault for certificates in Cloud Services and understanding Azure Guest OS security updates, support lifecycle, and retirement policies |\n| Configuration | L68-L86 | Configuring Cloud Services roles and deployments: .csdef/.cscfg schemas, network/load balancer settings, diagnostics, RDP, Key Vault, extensions, alerts, and scaling/SKU overrides. |\n| Integrations & Coding Patterns | L87-L92 | Automating Azure Cloud Services (extended support) with PowerShell: creating deployments, retrieving service details, and resetting or redeploying cloud service instances. |\n\n### Troubleshooting\n| Topic | URL |\n|-------|-----|\n| Resolve common errors when migrating to Cloud Services extended support | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/in-place-migration-common-errors |\n\n### Best Practices\n| Topic | URL |\n|-------|-----|\n| Configure autoscaling rules for Cloud Services deployments | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/configure-scaling |\n\n### Decision Making\n| Topic | URL |\n|-------|-----|\n| Plan Azure Cloud Services Guest OS upgrade path | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/cloud-services-guestos-update-matrix |\n| Decide when and how to use Azure Cloud Services (extended support) | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/faq |\n| Compare Cloud Services and Virtual Machine Scale Sets features | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/feature-support-analysis |\n| Plan migration from Cloud Services classic to extended support | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/in-place-migration-overview |\n| Understand technical requirements for Cloud Services migration | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/in-place-migration-technical-details |\n| Plan migration of non-VNet Cloud Services into VNets | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/non-vnet-migration |\n\n### Limits & Quotas\n| Topic | URL |\n|-------|-----|\n| VM size options and capacities for Cloud Services instances | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/available-sizes |\n| Guest OS Family 1 retirement dates and deployment impact | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/cloud-services-guestos-family-1-retirement |\n| Guest OS Families 2–4 retirement timelines and impact | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/cloud-services-guestos-family-2-3-4-retirement |\n\n### Security\n| Topic | URL |\n|-------|-----|\n| Securely store and use certificates with Key Vault in Cloud Services | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/certificates-and-key-vault |\n| Understand support and retirement policy for Azure Guest OS | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/cloud-services-guestos-retirement-policy |\n\n### Configuration\n| Topic | URL |\n|-------|-----|\n| Understand Cloud Services model, config, and package files | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/cloud-services-model-and-package |\n| Configure monitoring alerts for Cloud Services instances | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/enable-alerts |\n| Enable Key Vault VM extension for Cloud Services roles | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/enable-key-vault-virtual-machine |\n| Configure Remote Desktop extension for Cloud Services | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/enable-rdp |\n| Configure Azure diagnostics extension for Cloud Services | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/enable-wad |\n| Configure and manage extensions for Cloud Services roles | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/extensions |\n| Override Cloud Services SKU and instance count via allowModelOverride | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/override-sku |\n| Reference schema for Cloud Services configuration (.cscfg) | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/schema-cscfg-file |\n| Configure NetworkConfiguration for Cloud Services deployments | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/schema-cscfg-networkconfiguration |\n| Configure role settings in Cloud Services .cscfg | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/schema-cscfg-role |\n| Reference schema for Cloud Services definition (.csdef) | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/schema-csdef-file |\n| Configure LoadBalancerProbe in Cloud Services definitions | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/schema-csdef-loadbalancerprobe |\n| Configure NetworkTrafficRules in Cloud Services definitions | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/schema-csdef-networktrafficrules |\n| Define and configure WebRole schema for Cloud Services | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/schema-csdef-webrole |\n| Define and configure WorkerRole schema for Cloud Services | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/schema-csdef-workerrole |\n\n### Integrations & Coding Patterns\n| Topic | URL |\n|-------|-----|\n| Use PowerShell to create Cloud Services (extended support) | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/sample-create-cloud-service |\n| Use PowerShell to retrieve Cloud Service details | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/sample-get-cloud-service |\n| Use 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