Phase 02: OS Installation
DOCUMENT CATEGORY: Runbook
SCOPE: Azure Local cluster OS installation
PURPOSE: Install Azure Stack HCI OS on all cluster nodes
MASTER REFERENCE: Microsoft Learn - Deploy Azure Local
Status: Active
Overview
Azure Local supports two methods for installing the Azure Stack HCI OS on cluster nodes:
- ISO-Based Manual Installation (GA) — Download the ISO, mount via iDRAC/BMC virtual media, and manually run Windows Setup on each node
- Simplified Machine Provisioning (Preview) — Use a USB-based maintenance environment with FIDO Device Onboarding (FDO) to provision machines from Azure automatically
Choose the method that best fits your environment using the comparison below.
Installation Method Comparison
| Aspect | ISO (Manual) | Simplified Provisioning (Preview) |
|---|---|---|
| Status | ✅ GA — production supported | ⚠️ Preview — East US only |
| OS Installation | Manual via iDRAC/BMC console | Automated from Azure |
| Physical Access | Required for iDRAC virtual media | Required for initial USB boot |
| Network Configuration | Manual (SConfig or PowerShell) | Automated from Azure portal |
| Azure Arc Registration | Separate step (Phase 04) | Included in provisioning flow |
| Arc Gateway Support | ✅ Supported | ❌ Not supported (preview) |
| Supported Hardware | All Azure Local Catalog hardware | Dell AX-650/750, Lenovo MX650 V3/V4, HPE DL360 Gen11 |
| Best For | Production deployments, all hardware | Automated provisioning of supported SKUs |
Use ISO-based installation for production deployments until Simplified Provisioning reaches GA. Use Simplified Provisioning for evaluation and supported hardware in East US.
Method 1: ISO-Based Manual Installation
The traditional approach: prepare Dell BOSS cards, mount the ISO via iDRAC virtual media, and manually install the OS on each node.
- BOSS deletion triggers reboot — Deleting and recreating BOSS virtual disks creates a configuration job that requires a reboot to apply
- Automatic boot to ISO — After the BOSS recreation reboot, the server boots from the ISO automatically (BOSS has no OS yet)
- No automated OS deployment — Installation is performed manually through iDRAC Virtual Console
- Do NOT domain join nodes — Nodes must remain in workgroup until after Azure Local cluster deployment
ISO Tasks
| Task | Description | Duration | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delete and Recreate Virtual Disk on Dell BOSS Card | 15 min | Task 1 |
| 2 | Mount and Verify Dell Gold Image ISO | 15 min | Task 2 |
| 3 | Manual OS Installation | 30–45 min | Task 3 |
| 4 | Verify OS Deployment | 15 min | Task 4 |
Method 2: Simplified Machine Provisioning (Preview)
An automated approach that uses a USB-based maintenance environment with FIDO Device Onboarding to provision machines directly from Azure.
Simplified machine provisioning is in preview. Only East US region is supported. Arc Gateway is not supported. Review the Microsoft preview terms before use.
Simplified Provisioning Tasks
| Task | Description | Duration | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Create USB Installation Media | 15 min | Task 1 |
| 2 | Prepare Machines | 30 min/machine | Task 2 |
| 3 | Provision Machines from Azure | 15 min + wait | Task 3 |
| 4 | Monitor Machine Setup | 30–60 min | Task 4 |
| 5 | Verify Azure Arc Connectivity | 10 min | Task 5 |
For full details, see the Simplified Provisioning Guide.
Prerequisites
| Requirement | Description | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 01 Complete | BIOS and iDRAC settings validated and compliant (Tasks 04/05) | Phase 01 |
| Dell BOSS Cards | Boot Optimized Storage Solution cards installed in all nodes (ISO method) | Hardware |
| iDRAC Access | Virtual Console and Virtual Media control available (ISO method) | variables.yml: nodes.<name>.idrac_ip |
| Gold Image ISO | Dell Azure Local Gold Image ISO available (ISO method) | Build team |
| USB Flash Drive | At least 8 GB (Simplified Provisioning method) | Operator |
| Windows 11 PC | For USB prep tool and Configurator app (Simplified Provisioning method) | Operator |
Dell BOSS Card Overview
The Dell Boot Optimized Storage Solution (BOSS) card provides dedicated boot storage for Azure Local nodes:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Configuration | Two M.2 SATA SSDs configured as RAID-1 mirror |
| Purpose | OS boot resilience — OS failure does not affect data drives |
| Controller | Dell BOSS controller (separate from the storage RAID controller) |
| Presentation | Appears as a single virtual disk to the OS |
| Requirement | Requires a full delete → create → initialize cycle before a fresh OS install |
Azure Local Cloud maintains a Dell Gold Image with pre-configured drivers optimized for Azure Local deployments. The image includes:
- Pre-installed Dell OpenManage and hardware drivers
- Optimized Windows Server Core settings for Azure Local
Validation Checklist
ISO Method
- BOSS virtual disks deleted and recreated on all nodes
- Dell Gold Image ISO mounted and verified on all nodes (
Inserted: true) - Nodes rebooted and booted from ISO after BOSS recreation
- Azure Stack HCI OS installed successfully on all nodes
- OS installed to Dell BOSS card M.2 RAID-1 volume
- Administrator passwords set and stored securely
- All nodes boot to Server Core command prompt
- OS verified per Task 4 checklist
Simplified Provisioning Method
- USB installation media created successfully
- All machines booted from USB and maintenance environment completed
- Ownership vouchers collected for all machines
- Machines provisioned from Azure portal
- All machines show "Ready to cluster" in Azure Arc
Outcome
Upon completion of this phase (either method):
- Azure Stack HCI OS installed on all cluster nodes
- Administrator passwords documented securely in Azure Key Vault
- All nodes boot to Server Core command prompt
- Nodes ready for Phase 03: OS Configuration
Workflow Diagram
graph TD
A[Phase 01 Complete] --> B{Installation Method?}
B -->|ISO Manual| C[Task 1: Delete/Recreate BOSS VD]
C --> D[Task 2: Mount ISO via iDRAC]
D --> E[Task 3: Manual OS Installation]
E --> F[Task 4: Verify Installation]
F --> G{All Nodes Complete?}
G -->|No| C
G -->|Yes| H[Phase 03: OS Configuration]
B -->|Simplified Provisioning| I[Task 1: Create USB Media]
I --> J[Task 2: Prepare Machines]
J --> K[Task 3: Provision from Azure]
K --> L[Task 4: Monitor Progress]
L --> M[Task 5: Verify Arc]
M --> H
Quick Start
Verify iDRAC Virtual Console and Virtual Media access for all nodes before starting. iDRAC IPs are defined in variables.yml under nodes.<name>.idrac_ip.
# Test iDRAC connectivity for all nodes
Import-Module powershell-yaml
$config = Get-Content ".\config\variables.yml" -Raw | ConvertFrom-Yaml
$config.nodes.Values | ForEach-Object {
$result = Test-NetConnection -ComputerName $_.idrac_ip -Port 443 -WarningAction SilentlyContinue
$status = if ($result.TcpTestSucceeded) { "Reachable" } else { "Unreachable" }
Write-Host "$($_.hostname) iDRAC ($($_.idrac_ip)): $status"
}
Navigation
| ← Phase 01: Hardware Provisioning | ↑ Cluster Deployment | Phase 03: OS Configuration → |
Version Control
| Version | Date | Author | Changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 2026-01-31 | Azure Local Cloud | Initial document |
| 1.1 | 2026-03-04 | Azure Local Cloud | Fix frontmatter, badges, stage references, standards alignment |
| 1.2 | 2026-05-01 | Azure Local Cloud | Add Simplified Machine Provisioning (Preview) section, update to decision page format |