1---2name: azure-cloud-services3description: Expert knowledge for Azure Cloud Services development including troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, limits & quotas, security, configuration, and integrations & coding patterns. Use when managing Cloud Services (extended support) OS upgrades, Key Vault certs, .csdef/.cscfg, autoscale rules, or PowerShell automation, and other Azure Cloud Services related development tasks. Not for Azure Networking (use azure-networking), Azure Virtual Machines (use azure-virtual-machines), Azure Resource Manager (use azure-resource-manager), Azure Portal (use azure-portal).4---5# Azure Cloud Services Skill67This skill provides expert guidance for Azure Cloud Services. Covers troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, limits & quotas, security, configuration, and integrations & coding patterns. It combines local quick-reference content with remote documentation fetching capabilities.89## How to Use This Skill1011> **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 file1213This skill requires **network access** to fetch documentation content:14- **Preferred**: Use `mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch`. Returns Markdown.15- **Fallback**: Use `WebFetch`. Returns Markdown.1617## Category Index1819| Category | Lines | Description |20|----------|-------|-------------|21| Troubleshooting | L31-L35 | Diagnosing and fixing common migration errors when moving classic Cloud Services to Cloud Services (extended support), including deployment, configuration, and compatibility issues. |22| Best Practices | L36-L40 | Guidance on designing and configuring autoscale rules for Cloud Services, including metrics, thresholds, and patterns to optimize performance, reliability, and cost. |23| Decision Making | L41-L49 | Planning Cloud Services (extended support) upgrades and migrations: OS upgrade paths, classic-to-extended migration steps/requirements, VNet migration, and comparison with VM Scale Sets. |24| Limits & Quotas | L50-L56 | VM instance size limits/capacities and timelines, impacts, and constraints related to Guest OS family retirements for Azure Cloud Services. |25| Security | L57-L62 | Using Key Vault for certificates in Cloud Services and understanding Azure Guest OS security updates, support lifecycle, and retirement policies |26| Configuration | L63-L81 | Configuring Cloud Services roles and deployments: .csdef/.cscfg schemas, network/load balancer settings, diagnostics, RDP, Key Vault, extensions, alerts, and scaling/SKU overrides. |27| Integrations & Coding Patterns | L82-L87 | Automating Azure Cloud Services (extended support) with PowerShell: creating deployments, retrieving service details, and resetting or redeploying cloud service instances. |2829### Troubleshooting30| Topic | URL |31|-------|-----|32| Resolve common errors when migrating to Cloud Services extended support | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/in-place-migration-common-errors |3334### Best Practices35| Topic | URL |36|-------|-----|37| Configure autoscaling rules for Cloud Services deployments | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/configure-scaling |3839### Decision Making40| Topic | URL |41|-------|-----|42| Plan Azure Cloud Services Guest OS upgrade path | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/cloud-services-guestos-update-matrix |43| Compare Cloud Services and Virtual Machine Scale Sets features | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/feature-support-analysis |44| Plan migration from Cloud Services classic to extended support | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/in-place-migration-overview |45| Understand technical requirements for Cloud Services migration | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/in-place-migration-technical-details |46| Plan migration of non-VNet Cloud Services into VNets | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/non-vnet-migration |4748### Limits & Quotas49| Topic | URL |50|-------|-----|51| VM size options and capacities for Cloud Services instances | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/available-sizes |52| Guest OS Family 1 retirement dates and deployment impact | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/cloud-services-guestos-family-1-retirement |53| Guest OS Families 2–4 retirement timelines and impact | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/cloud-services-guestos-family-2-3-4-retirement |5455### Security56| Topic | URL |57|-------|-----|58| Securely store and use certificates with Key Vault in Cloud Services | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/certificates-and-key-vault |59| Understand support and retirement policy for Azure Guest OS | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/cloud-services-guestos-retirement-policy |6061### Configuration62| Topic | URL |63|-------|-----|64| Understand Cloud Services model, config, and package files | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/cloud-services-model-and-package |65| Configure monitoring alerts for Cloud Services instances | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/enable-alerts |66| Enable Key Vault VM extension for Cloud Services roles | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/enable-key-vault-virtual-machine |67| Configure Remote Desktop extension for Cloud Services | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/enable-rdp |68| Configure Azure diagnostics extension for Cloud Services | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/enable-wad |69| Configure and manage extensions for Cloud Services roles | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/extensions |70| Override Cloud Services SKU and instance count via allowModelOverride | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/override-sku |71| Reference schema for Cloud Services configuration (.cscfg) | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/schema-cscfg-file |72| Configure NetworkConfiguration for Cloud Services deployments | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/schema-cscfg-networkconfiguration |73| Configure role settings in Cloud Services .cscfg | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/schema-cscfg-role |74| Reference schema for Cloud Services definition (.csdef) | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/schema-csdef-file |75| Configure LoadBalancerProbe in Cloud Services definitions | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/schema-csdef-loadbalancerprobe |76| Configure NetworkTrafficRules in Cloud Services definitions | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/schema-csdef-networktrafficrules |77| Define and configure WebRole schema for Cloud Services | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/schema-csdef-webrole |78| Define and configure WorkerRole schema for Cloud Services | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/schema-csdef-workerrole |7980### Integrations & Coding Patterns81| Topic | URL |82|-------|-----|83| Use PowerShell to create Cloud Services (extended support) | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/sample-create-cloud-service |84| Use PowerShell to retrieve Cloud Service details | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/sample-get-cloud-service |85| Use PowerShell to reset Cloud Services deployments | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/sample-reset-cloud-service |
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