1---2name: azure-cloud-services3description: Expert knowledge for Azure Cloud Services development including troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, limits & quotas, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. Use when managing Cloud Services Guest OS upgrades, Key Vault certs, autoscale rules, .csdef/.cscfg configs, or PowerShell automation, and other Azure Cloud Services related development tasks. Not for Azure App Service (use azure-app-service), Azure Virtual Machines (use azure-virtual-machines), Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) (use azure-kubernetes-service), Azure Functions (use azure-functions).4---5# Azure Cloud Services Skill
6
7This skill provides expert guidance for Azure Cloud Services. Covers troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, limits & quotas, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. It combines local quick-reference content with remote documentation fetching capabilities.
8
9## How to Use This Skill
10
11> **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
12
13> **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)
14
15This skill requires **network access** to fetch documentation content:
16- **Preferred**: Use `mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch` with query string `from=learn-agent-skill`. Returns Markdown.
17- **Fallback**: Use `fetch_webpage` with query string `from=learn-agent-skill&accept=text/markdown`. Returns Markdown.
18
19## Category Index
20
21| Category | Lines | Description |
22|----------|-------|-------------|
23| Troubleshooting | L36-L40 | Diagnosing and fixing common migration errors when moving classic Cloud Services to Cloud Services (extended support), including deployment, configuration, and compatibility issues. |
24| Best Practices | L41-L45 | Guidance on designing and configuring autoscale rules for Cloud Services, including metrics, thresholds, and patterns to optimize performance, reliability, and cost. |
25| Decision Making | L46-L53 | Guidance on planning Cloud Services guest OS upgrades, comparing Cloud Services vs VM Scale Sets, and migrating classic/non-VNet Cloud Services to extended support and VNets. |
26| Limits & Quotas | L54-L60 | VM instance size limits/capacities and timelines, impacts, and constraints related to Guest OS family retirements for Azure Cloud Services. |
27| Security | L61-L66 | Using Key Vault for certificates in Cloud Services and understanding Azure Guest OS security updates, support lifecycle, and retirement policies |
28| Configuration | L67-L85 | Configuring Cloud Services roles and deployments: .csdef/.cscfg schemas, networking, load balancers, diagnostics, RDP, Key Vault, extensions, alerts, and SKU/instance overrides |
29| Integrations & Coding Patterns | L86-L92 | Automating Azure Cloud Services (extended support) with PowerShell: creating deployments, retrieving service details, and resetting or redeploying cloud service instances. |
30| Deployment | L93-L96 | Planning and managing Guest OS version upgrades for Azure Cloud Services, including upgrade paths, scheduling, and minimizing downtime during OS updates. |
31
32### Troubleshooting
33| Topic | URL |
34|-------|-----|
35| 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 |
36
37### Best Practices
38| Topic | URL |
39|-------|-----|
40| Configure autoscaling rules for Cloud Services deployments | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/configure-scaling |
41
42### Decision Making
43| Topic | URL |
44|-------|-----|
45| Compare Cloud Services and Virtual Machine Scale Sets features | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/feature-support-analysis |
46| Plan migration from Cloud Services classic to extended support | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/in-place-migration-overview |
47| Understand technical requirements for Cloud Services migration | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/in-place-migration-technical-details |
48| Plan migration of non-VNet Cloud Services into VNets | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/non-vnet-migration |
49
50### Limits & Quotas
51| Topic | URL |
52|-------|-----|
53| VM size options and capacities for Cloud Services instances | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/available-sizes |
54| 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 |
55| 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 |
56
57### Security
58| Topic | URL |
59|-------|-----|
60| 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 |
61| 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 |
62
63### Configuration
64| Topic | URL |
65|-------|-----|
66| Understand Cloud Services model, config, and package files | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/cloud-services-model-and-package |
67| Configure monitoring alerts for Cloud Services instances | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/enable-alerts |
68| 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 |
69| Configure Remote Desktop extension for Cloud Services | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/enable-rdp |
70| Configure Azure diagnostics extension for Cloud Services | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/enable-wad |
71| Configure extensions for Azure Cloud Services (extended support) | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/extensions |
72| Override Cloud Services SKU and instance count via allowModelOverride | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/override-sku |
73| Reference schema for Cloud Services configuration (.cscfg) | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/schema-cscfg-file |
74| Configure NetworkConfiguration for Cloud Services deployments | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/schema-cscfg-networkconfiguration |
75| Configure role settings in Cloud Services .cscfg | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/schema-cscfg-role |
76| Reference schema for Cloud Services definition (.csdef) | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/schema-csdef-file |
77| Configure LoadBalancerProbe in Cloud Services definitions | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/schema-csdef-loadbalancerprobe |
78| Configure NetworkTrafficRules in Cloud Services definitions | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/schema-csdef-networktrafficrules |
79| Define and configure WebRole schema for Cloud Services | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/schema-csdef-webrole |
80| Define and configure WorkerRole schema for Cloud Services | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/schema-csdef-workerrole |
81
82### Integrations & Coding Patterns
83| Topic | URL |
84|-------|-----|
85| Use PowerShell to create Cloud Services (extended support) | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/sample-create-cloud-service |
86| Use PowerShell to retrieve Cloud Service details | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/sample-get-cloud-service |
87| Use PowerShell to reset Cloud Services deployments | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/sample-reset-cloud-service |
88
89### Deployment
90| Topic | URL |
91|-------|-----|
92| Plan Azure Cloud Services Guest OS upgrade paths | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-services-extended-support/cloud-services-guestos-update-matrix |
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