Hardware Requirements

DOCUMENT CATEGORY: Runbook SCOPE: Hardware specifications for Azure Local PURPOSE: Define hardware requirements for cluster deployment MASTER REFERENCE: Microsoft Learn - Hardware Requirements

Status: Active

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Overview

This document defines hardware requirements and specifications for Azure Local cluster deployments. It covers:

• Supported Hardware Platforms - Dell integrated systems and validated nodes
• Minimum Requirements - CPU, memory, storage, and network specifications
• Firmware Baselines - Required BIOS, iDRAC, NIC, and controller versions
• Hardware Discovery - Automated inventory collection via iDRAC Redfish API
• Node Inventory Worksheets - Per-site hardware documentation

Azure Local Cloud Standard

Azure Local Cloud deploys Dell AX-series integrated systems for Azure Local. All hardware must meet Microsoft Azure Local certification requirements.

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Supported Hardware Platforms

Dell Integrated Systems (AX-Series)

Dell AX-series nodes are purpose-built for Azure Local with pre-validated configurations:

Model	CPU	Max RAM	Storage	Network	Use Case
Dell AX-760	Intel Xeon Scalable 5th Gen	4TB	NVMe + SSD	4x 100GbE	General purpose
Dell AX-770	Intel Xeon Scalable 5th Gen	4TB	NVMe + SSD	4x 100GbE	High-performance

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Minimum Hardware Requirements

Azure Local System Requirements

Component	Minimum	Recommended	Notes
Nodes per Cluster	1	2-16	Single-node supported for dev/test
CPU Cores (per node)	16 cores	32+ cores	Second-generation 64-bit or later
RAM (per node)	128 GB	256+ GB	Additional for Arc VM management
Boot Drive	200 GB	480+ GB SSD	BOSS card or M.2 recommended
Storage Drives	2 drives	4+ NVMe	For Storage Spaces Direct
Network Adapters	2 NICs	4+ NICs	RDMA-capable for storage

Storage Requirements

Storage Tier	Drive Type	Minimum Count	Purpose
Cache Tier	NVMe SSD	2 per node	High-speed caching
Capacity Tier	SSD or HDD	4 per node	Data storage
Boot Drive	SSD (BOSS/M.2)	1 per node	OS installation

Storage Configuration

• Minimum 2 capacity drives required for Storage Spaces Direct resiliency
• Cache-to-capacity ratio: 1:4 to 1:8 recommended
• Total raw capacity: Plan for 2-3x usable capacity (mirroring overhead)

Network Requirements

Interface	Speed	RDMA	Purpose
Management	1 GbE or 10 GbE	No	Cluster management, iDRAC
Storage	25 GbE or 100 GbE	Required	Storage Spaces Direct (S2D)
Compute/VM	25 GbE or 100 GbE	Optional	VM traffic, SDN

RDMA Technologies Supported:

• RoCEv2 (RDMA over Converged Ethernet v2) - Preferred
• iWARP - Alternative for environments without DCB

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Firmware Baseline Requirements

Azure Local Cloud Standard Firmware Versions

Component	Minimum Version	Target Version	Notes
Dell BIOS	2.0.0	Latest stable	Check Dell support matrix
iDRAC Firmware	7.0.0	Latest stable	iDRAC 9 required
NIC Firmware	Varies by model	Latest validated	Check Azure Local catalog
RAID Controller	Varies by model	Latest stable	PERC/HBA firmware
Dell SBE Package	4.2.2512	4.2.2512.1616+	Solution Builder Extension

Dell Gold Image

Azure Local Cloud standard Dell Gold Image specifications:

Component	Version	Notes
Windows Server Build	2510	Azure Local OS
SBE Version	4.2.2512.1616	Dell Solution Builder Extension
Dell Solution Version	12.2510.0.3165	Integrated solution package
Azure Local Build	2601	Running version after Arc registration

Firmware Validation

Validate firmware versions match across all cluster nodes:

# Check BIOS version consistency
$discovery = Get-Content discovery/idrac-inventory.json | ConvertFrom-Json

foreach ($server in $discovery.servers.PSObject.Properties.Value) {
 Write-Host "Server: $($server.service_tag)"
 Write-Host " BIOS: $($server.firmware.bios_version)"
 Write-Host " iDRAC: $($server.firmware.idrac_version)"
}

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Hardware Discovery Process

Overview

Hardware discovery automates collection of Dell server specifications via iDRAC Redfish API, enabling:

• Accurate hardware inventory for deployment planning
• Validation that hardware meets Azure Local requirements
• Documentation of firmware versions and configurations
• Change tracking for hardware lifecycle management

Primary Script: Get-DellServerInventory-FromiDRAC.ps1 Output: discovery/idrac-inventory.json

Prerequisites

iDRAC Access Requirements:

• iDRAC 9 or later with Redfish API enabled
• Network connectivity to iDRAC management interface (HTTPS/443)
• iDRAC administrator credentials

Verify iDRAC Accessibility:

# Test network connectivity
Test-NetConnection -ComputerName "10.10.10.11" -Port 443

# Verify Redfish API endpoint
Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "https://10.10.10.11/redfish/v1/" -SkipCertificateCheck

What Gets Discovered

Category	Details Captured
System	Model, service tag, asset tag, BIOS version
CPU	Model, core count, thread count, max speed
Memory	Total capacity, DIMM count, speed, type
Storage	NVMe/SSD/HDD count, capacity, controller firmware
Network	Adapter model, MAC addresses, firmware version
Firmware	BIOS, iDRAC, NIC, controller versions

Running Discovery

Single Server:

cd C:\git\azurelocal-toolkit

.\scripts\discovery\Get-DellServerInventory-FromiDRAC.ps1 `
 -iDRACIP "10.10.10.11"

Multiple Servers:

# Prompt for iDRAC credentials once
$cred = Get-Credential -Message "Enter iDRAC Administrator credentials"

# Discover multiple servers
.\scripts\discovery\Get-DellServerInventory-FromiDRAC.ps1 `
 -iDRACIP @("10.10.10.11", "10.10.10.12", "10.10.10.13", "10.10.10.14") `
 -Credential $cred `
 -Verbose

With Historical Tracking:

# Keep timestamped files for firmware change tracking
.\scripts\discovery\Get-DellServerInventory-FromiDRAC.ps1 `
 -iDRACIP @("10.10.10.11", "10.10.10.12") `
 -Credential $cred `
 -KeepTimestampedFiles

Validate Hardware Requirements

After discovery, validate hardware meets Azure Local requirements:

$discovery = Get-Content discovery/idrac-inventory.json | ConvertFrom-Json

foreach ($server in $discovery.servers.PSObject.Properties.Value) {
 Write-Host "`nValidating: $($server.service_tag)" -ForegroundColor Cyan
 
 # CPU validation (minimum 16 cores)
 if ($server.cpu.cores -lt 16) {
 Write-Host " ⚠️ CPU: $($server.cpu.cores) cores (minimum 16 required)" -ForegroundColor Yellow
 } else {
 Write-Host " ✅ CPU: $($server.cpu.cores) cores" -ForegroundColor Green
 }
 
 # RAM validation (minimum 128 GB)
 if ($server.memory.total_capacity_gb -lt 128) {
 Write-Host " ⚠️ RAM: $($server.memory.total_capacity_gb) GB (minimum 128 GB required)" -ForegroundColor Yellow
 } else {
 Write-Host " ✅ RAM: $($server.memory.total_capacity_gb) GB" -ForegroundColor Green
 }
 
 # Storage validation (minimum 2 NVMe for S2D cache)
 if ($server.storage.nvme_count -lt 2) {
 Write-Host " ⚠️ NVMe: $($server.storage.nvme_count) drives (minimum 2 required)" -ForegroundColor Yellow
 } else {
 Write-Host " ✅ NVMe: $($server.storage.nvme_count) drives ($($server.storage.nvme_total_gb) GB)" -ForegroundColor Green
 }
 
 # NIC validation (minimum 2 adapters)
 if ($server.network.adapters.Count -lt 2) {
 Write-Host " ⚠️ NICs: $($server.network.adapters.Count) adapters (minimum 2 required)" -ForegroundColor Yellow
 } else {
 Write-Host " ✅ NICs: $($server.network.adapters.Count) adapters" -ForegroundColor Green
 }
}

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Node Inventory Worksheet (Per-Site)

Site Hardware Summary

Field	Value
Site Name/ID	________________________
Number of Nodes	☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 8 ☐ 16
Node Model	________________________ (e.g., Dell AX-7525)
Cluster Configuration	☐ 2-node ☐ 3-node ☐ 4+ node

Node Details

Complete for each node in the cluster:

Node 1

Field	Value
Hostname	________________________ (e.g., CONAX01)
Service Tag	________________________
Asset Tag	________________________

Compute:

Component	Specification
CPU Model	________________________
CPU Cores	______
CPU Speed	______ GHz
RAM Total	______ GB
DIMM Configuration	________________________

Storage:

Drive Type	Model	Capacity	Count	Purpose
Boot (BOSS/M.2)	____________	____ GB	__	OS
NVMe (Cache)	____________	____ GB	__	S2D Cache
SSD (Capacity)	____________	____ GB	__	S2D Capacity
HDD (Capacity)	____________	____ GB	__	S2D Capacity

Network:

Adapter	Model	Ports	Speed	RDMA	Purpose
NIC 1	____________	__	____ GbE	☐ Yes ☐ No	________
NIC 2	____________	__	____ GbE	☐ Yes ☐ No	________
NIC 3	____________	__	____ GbE	☐ Yes ☐ No	________
NIC 4	____________	__	____ GbE	☐ Yes ☐ No	________

Firmware:

Component	Current Version	Target Version	Status
BIOS	____________	____________	☐ Current ☐ Update needed
iDRAC	____________	____________	☐ Current ☐ Update needed
NIC Firmware	____________	____________	☐ Current ☐ Update needed
RAID Controller	____________	____________	☐ Current ☐ Update needed

Node 2

(Repeat the Node 1 table structure)

Field	Value
Hostname	________________________
Service Tag	________________________
Asset Tag	________________________

(Continue for additional nodes)

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iDRAC Access and Credentials

Node	iDRAC IP	Username	Password Location	Access Verified
Node 1	____________	________	Key Vault: ________	☐ Yes ☐ No
Node 2	____________	________	Key Vault: ________	☐ Yes ☐ No
Node 3	____________	________	Key Vault: ________	☐ Yes ☐ No
Node 4	____________	________	Key Vault: ________	☐ Yes ☐ No

iDRAC Verification:

• iDRAC firmware version matches baseline: ☐ Yes ☐ No
• iDRAC web interface accessible: ☐ Yes ☐ No
• Redfish API enabled and accessible: ☐ Yes ☐ No
• Virtual console (KVM) functional: ☐ Yes ☐ No
• Virtual media mount tested: ☐ Yes ☐ No

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NIC Mapping and Labeling

Document the physical NIC identification for each node:

Slot	Port	MAC Address	PCI Address	Purpose	VLAN(s)
Embedded	1	__:__:__:__:__:__	____	Management	____
Embedded	2	__:__:__:__:__:__	____	Management	____
Slot 1	1	__:__:__:__:__:__	____	Storage 1	____
Slot 1	2	__:__:__:__:__:__	____	Storage 2	____
Slot 2	1	__:__:__:__:__:__	____	Compute	Trunk
Slot 2	2	__:__:__:__:__:__	____	Compute	Trunk

RDMA Configuration:

Setting	Value
RDMA Technology	☐ RoCEv2 ☐ iWARP ☐ N/A
RDMA NICs per Node	☐ 2 ☐ 4 ☐ Other: ____
RDMA Network Isolation	☐ Dedicated VLANs ☐ Separate physical NICs
DCB/PFC Configured	☐ Yes ☐ No

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Hardware Assessment Checklist

Pre-Deployment Validation

• All nodes are same model or validated compatible
• All nodes have identical hardware configuration
• Firmware versions match across all nodes
• Firmware meets minimum baseline requirements
• CPU cores meet minimum requirements (16+)
• RAM meets minimum requirements (128 GB+)
• Storage drives meet minimum requirements (2+ NVMe)
• Network adapters are RDMA-capable (for storage)
• iDRAC accessible from deployment workstation
• Service tags documented
• Hardware warranty verified and documented

Discovery Outputs

• discovery/idrac-inventory.json generated
• Hardware validation script run with all checks passing
• Firmware update plan created (if updates needed)
• NIC mapping documented for all nodes
• RDMA configuration plan documented

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Fibre Channel HBA Requirements (SAN Deployments)

This section applies only to disaggregated SAN deployments. Skip if using Storage Spaces Direct.

Disaggregated Azure Local clusters require Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) in each node to connect to the external SAN array. HBAs must be validated for the Azure Local node model in use.

HBA Specifications

Requirement	Details
Ports per node	Minimum 2 (one per fabric for redundancy)
Dual-fabric	Two independent FC switches strongly recommended
Driver support	Windows Server driver available from vendor
Certification	Validated against Microsoft Azure Local hardware catalog

Consult your hardware vendor

Azure Local nodes are validated with specific HBA models. Consult your server vendor's Azure Local configuration guide for the supported HBA list. The HBA driver must be installed before Arc registration — see Phase 03 Task 12.

FC Switch Port Planning

Each node contributes HBA ports to both fabrics. Use the following formula to determine the number of switch ports required:

Ports per fabric = (Number of nodes × HBA ports per node per fabric) + SAN array target ports

Example: 4-node cluster, 1 HBA port per node per fabric, 2 SAN target ports per fabric:

• Ports per fabric = (4 × 1) + 2 = 6 FC switch ports per fabric

Pre-Installation Checklist

• HBA model validated for the Azure Local node model
• FC switch ports allocated per formula above
• Vendor driver package downloaded
• SAN array FC target port WWPNs documented
• Dual-fabric FC switch inventory confirmed

References:

• Storage Architecture Planning
• Microsoft Learn — FC planning pattern without backup
• Microsoft Learn — FC planning pattern with backup

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Next Steps

After completing hardware requirements documentation:

1. For multi-site deployments, see Multi-Site Planning
2. Proceed to Stage 11 - Hardware Provisioning
3. Review Site Assessment - Ensure Site Assessment is complete