azure-virtual-machines
Expert knowledge for Azure Virtual Machines development including troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, architecture & design patterns, limits & quotas, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. Use when designing VM fleets, scale sets, HPC/GPU or Oracle workloads, disk encryption, or cross-region migrations, and other Azure Virtual Machines related development tasks. Not for Azure Cloud Services (use azure-cloud-services), Azure Virtual Machine Scale Sets (use azure-vm-scalesets), SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines (use azure-sql-virtual-machines),
npx skills add MicrosoftDocs/Agent-Skills --skill azure-virtual-machines --agent claude-code
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for codex, cursor, copilot.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
What it does
Guides an AI agent to provide expert guidance on Azure Virtual Machines, including troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, architecture and design patterns, limits and quotas, security, configuration, integrations and coding patterns, and deployment. It directs usage for tasks like designing VM fleets, scale sets, HPC/GPU or Oracle workloads, disk encryption, or cross-region migrations, and related Azure VM development tasks.
How it works
The skill instructs the agent to use a Category Index to locate relevant sections. For categories with line ranges, the agent should read the specified lines using a read_file command with the given lines. For categories with file links, the agent should read the referenced file. It requires network access to fetch documentation via mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch (preferred) or fetch_webpage (fallback). It also notes that if metadata.generated_at is more than 3 months old, the agent should suggest pulling the latest version.
When to use it
Use when working on Azure Virtual Machines development tasks, including designing VM fleets, scale sets, HPC/GPU or Oracle workloads, disk encryption, or cross-region migrations, and related deployment and configuration activities.
What it can touch
Requires network access and uses documentation fetch tools: mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch or fetch_webpage to retrieve content. It references various files like configuration.md, integrations.md, deployment.md for reading content.
Caveats
License is CC-BY-4.0. Declares dependency on network access and external documentation fetching tools. Limits and exact content access depend on the availability of the cited documentation sources.
# Azure Virtual Machines Skill This skill provides expert guidance for Azure Virtual Machines. Covers troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, architecture & design patterns, limits & quotas, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. It combines local quick-reference content with remote documentation fetching capabilities. ## How to Use This Skill > **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 > **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) This skill requires **network access** to fetch documentation content: - **Preferred**: Use `mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch` with query string `from=learn-agent-skill`. Returns Markdown. - **Fallback**: Use
- How to Use This Skill
- Category Index
- Troubleshooting
- Best Practices
- Decision Making
- Architecture & Design Patterns
- Limits & Quotas
- Security
What does the azure-virtual-machines skill do?
Expert knowledge for Azure Virtual Machines development including troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, architecture & design patterns, limits & quotas, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. Use when designing VM fleets, scale sets, HPC/GPU or Oracle workloads, disk encryption, or cross-region migrations, and other Azure Virtual Machines related development tasks. Not for Azure Cloud Services (use azure-cloud-services), Azure Virtual Machine Scale Sets (use azure-vm-scalesets), SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines (use azure-sql-virtual-machines),
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add MicrosoftDocs/Agent-Skills --skill azure-virtual-machines --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From MicrosoftDocs/Agent-Skills, a repository with 682 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.