Purpose and Scope
DOCUMENT CATEGORY: Runbook SCOPE: Azure Local automation guidance PURPOSE: Define how the automation guide is organized and where each automation approach fits MASTER REFERENCE: Microsoft Learn - Azure Local
Status: Active
This guide provides the automation-focused documentation for Azure Local deployments. It is intended for teams building repeatable delivery workflows with Infrastructure as Code, pipeline orchestration, and script-driven configuration.
What This Guide Covers
- CI/CD infrastructure required to run automation safely
- Pipeline patterns for GitLab, GitHub Actions, and Azure DevOps
- Tool-specific implementation guidance for Terraform, Ansible, Bicep, and PowerShell
- Variable-driven automation using a shared
variables.ymlsource of truth - Mapping between automation tooling and the implementation phases they support
What This Guide Does Not Cover
This guide does not replace the end-to-end deployment runbook. Use the Implementation Guide for the full delivery sequence, prerequisites, operational checkpoints, and validation flow.
Deployment Paths
| Path | Azure Resources | On-Premises / Guest Configuration | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terraform + PowerShell | Terraform | PowerShell scripts | Teams with existing PowerShell operational workflows |
| Terraform + Ansible | Terraform | Ansible playbooks | Teams preferring declarative configuration management |
| Ansible Only | azure.azcollection | Ansible playbooks | Teams standardizing on Ansible across cloud and on-premises |
Reader Outcomes
After working through this guide, the reader should be able to:
- Stand up CI/CD infrastructure for Azure Local automation
- Select a supported pipeline platform and understand its operating model
- Choose the right automation tool for each phase of the deployment
- Generate tool-specific inputs from the shared variable system
- Align automation assets with the implementation runbook
Automation Scope by Section
| Section | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Purpose and Scope | Explain how the guide is organized and who it is for |
| How to Use This Guide | Show how to move between implementation and automation guidance |
| Part 1: CI/CD Infrastructure | Build the runners, repositories, environments, and variables required to automate deployments |
| Part 2: CI/CD Pipelines | Select and configure a delivery pipeline platform |
| Part 3: Automation Guides | Deep-dive into Terraform, Ansible, Bicep, and PowerShell usage |
Relationship to the Implementation Guide
The implementation guide answers what order to deploy things in. This automation guide answers which automation assets to use, how they fit together, and how to operate them repeatably.
Use both together:
- Use the Implementation Guide to understand deployment sequence
- Use this Automation Guide to choose tooling and delivery patterns for each phase
Navigation
| Previous | Up | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Automation Guide | Automation Guide | How to Use This Guide |