Task 03: Provision Machines from Azure

DOCUMENT CATEGORY: Runbook SCOPE: Azure portal machine provisioning PURPOSE: Claim machines using ownership vouchers and configure site-level settings from Azure MASTER REFERENCE: Microsoft Learn — Simplified Machine Provisioning

Status: Active

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Overview

With ownership vouchers collected in Task 02, you now provision the machines from the Azure portal. This includes creating a site, configuring site-level settings (time zone, time server, credentials), and claiming machine ownership by uploading the vouchers.

Once provisioning starts, Azure automatically:

• Downloads and installs the Azure Stack HCI operating system
• Configures the OS and network settings
• Connects the machine to Azure Arc
• Installs mandatory Azure Arc extensions

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Prerequisites

Requirement	Details
Ownership vouchers	.pem files from Task 02
Feature registration	Microsoft.DeviceOnboarding/AzureLocalZTP registered
Resource providers	All required RPs registered (see prerequisites)
Permissions	Resource group Owner, or Contributor + RBAC Administrator
Machines powered on	Connected to network and accessible

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Step-by-Step

Step 1: Register the Provisioning Feature

If not already done, register the machine provisioning feature:

az feature register \
  --subscription <subscription-id> \
  --namespace Microsoft.DeviceOnboarding \
  --name AzureLocalZTP

Verify registration status:

az feature show \
  --subscription <subscription-id> \
  --namespace Microsoft.DeviceOnboarding \
  --name AzureLocalZTP \
  --query "properties.state" -o tsv

Step 2: Navigate to Machine Provisioning

1. In the Azure portal, go to Azure Arc → Azure Local → Get started
2. On the banner, select Try provisioning (preview)
3. On the Machine provisioning (preview) page, select Provision

Step 3: Create a Site

1. Create a new site — note the resource group name
2. Configure site-level settings:

Setting	Description
Time zone	Common time zone for all machines under this site
Time server	Time server for synchronized system time

Arc Gateway

Azure Arc gateway is not supported with simplified machine provisioning in this preview release.

Step 4: Add Machines and Vouchers

1. Select the site you created
2. Add the ownership vouchers collected in Task 02
3. Select the software version for the Azure Stack HCI OS
4. Enter local administrator credentials:
   • Password must be at least 12 characters
   • Must include lowercase, uppercase, digit, and special character
5. For each machine, select the pencil (edit) button to provide the machine name as the Arc resource name

Step 5: Review and Create

1. On Review + create, review all details
2. Select Create to start provisioning

The machines will automatically connect to Azure, download the OS, configure the network, and register with Azure Arc. This process is fully automated after this step.

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Validation

• Feature Microsoft.DeviceOnboarding/AzureLocalZTP registered
• Site created with correct time zone and time server
• All vouchers uploaded and associated with machines
• Provisioning started — machines shown in provisioning status page

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Troubleshooting

Issue	Resolution
Feature registration pending	Wait a few minutes and re-check with az feature show. Registration can take up to 15 minutes.
Voucher upload fails	Ensure the .pem file is valid and was generated during maintenance environment setup. Re-collect from the USB or Configurator app.
Machine not connecting to Azure	Verify the machine is powered on, connected to the network, and has outbound internet access. Check DNS resolution.
Permission denied in portal	Ensure you have Owner or Contributor + RBAC Administrator on the resource group.
Wrong region error	This preview only supports East US. Create your provisioning resources in East US.

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Navigation

← Task 02: Prepare Machines	↑ Simplified Provisioning	Task 04: Monitor Progress →

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Version	Date	Author	Changes
1.0	2026-05-01	Azure Local Cloud	Initial release