/azure-aks-edge-essentials

name: azure-aks-edge-essentials
description: Expert knowledge for Azure Kubernetes Service Edge Essentials development including troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, architecture & design patterns, limits & quotas, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. Use when managing AKS Edge/Hybrid/Arc clusters, Azure Local, MetalLB/BGP networking, GitOps/Arc, or IoT/OPC workloads, and other Azure Kubernetes Service Edge Essentials related development tasks. Not for Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) (use azure-kubernetes-service), Azure Container Apps (use azure-container-apps), Azure IoT Edge (use azure-iot-edge), Azure Stack Edge (use azure-stack-edge).
compatibility: Requires network access. Uses mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch or fetch_webpage to retrieve documentation.
metadata:
  generated_at: "2026-09-13"
  generator: "docs2skills/1.0.0"

Azure Kubernetes Service Edge Essentials Skill

This skill provides expert guidance for Azure Kubernetes Service Edge Essentials. 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 `fetch_webpage` with query string `from=learn-agent-skill&accept=text/markdown`. Returns Markdown.

Category Index

| Category | Lines | Description | |----------|-------|-------------| | Troubleshooting | L37-L71 | Diagnosing and fixing AKS Edge/Hybrid/Arc issues: cluster creation/upgrade failures, networking, storage, auth, encryption, logs, node health, and Azure Local/MetalLB/BGP problems. | | Best Practices | L72-L80 | Guidance on resilient AKS Edge Essentials setups: availability sets, Azure Policy on Windows Server, restoring AKS Arc after VM failure, and upgrading AKS Arc clusters/Kubernetes versions. | | Decision Making | L81-L89 | Guidance on AKS Edge/Hybrid deployment choices, pricing/licensing, trials, monitoring/logging options, and planning/operating disconnected or on-premises AKS environments. | | Architecture & Design Patterns | L90-L96 | Designing AKS on Windows Server for Azure Local: high availability on two-node setups, SDN VNet architectures, and deployment patterns for AKS Arc target clusters. | | Limits & Quotas | L97-L112 | System requirements, scale and IP limits, supported versions, and support policies for AKS Edge/Hybrid, AKS on Azure Local, bare metal, and Windows Server deployments | | Security | L113-L141 | Securing AKS Edge/Hybrid/Arc clusters: auth (Entra, AD, gMSA, SSO), RBAC, SSH hardening, cert and key management, etcd/encryption, and container image security/validation. | | Configuration | L142-L198 | Configuring AKS Edge/Hybrid/Arc clusters: networking, load balancers, storage (CSI/NFS), GPUs, proxies, autoscaling, GitOps, Arc connectivity, updates, and install/uninstall setup. | | Integrations & Coding Patterns | L199-L214 | Integrations, APIs, and PowerShell for connecting AKS Edge/Hybrid to Arc, IoT/OPC/ONVIF, TPM, storage/backup, metrics, AI models, CSI plugins, and Key Vault secrets. | | Deployment | L215-L228 | Deploying, upgrading, and managing AKS Arc/AKS on Azure Local clusters on Windows/Windows Server, including Terraform/ARM deployments, node pools, OS/Kubernetes upgrades, and safe migration/uninstall steps. |

Troubleshooting

| Topic | URL | |-------|-----| | Run AKS Arc diagnostic checker for cluster failures | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/aksarc/aks-arc-diagnostic-checker | | Resolve AKS Arc Kubernetes image not ready issues | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/aksarc/aks-arc-image-not-ready | | Resolve known AKS Arc hybrid and edge issues | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/aksarc/aks-arc-known-issues | | Validate and troubleshoot AKS Edge secret encryption | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/aksarc/aks-edge-howto-secret-encryption | | Collect and use AKS Edge Essentials logs for troubleshooting | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/aksarc/aks-edge-resources-logs | | Diagnose and resolve common AKS Edge Essentials issues | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/aksarc/aks-edge-troubleshoot-overview | | Collect and analyze kubelet logs on AKS Hybrid nodes | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/aksarc/aks-get-kubelet-logs | | Troubleshoot common issues in AKS Hybrid and Edge | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/aksarc/aks-troubleshoot | | Fix AKS cluster creation failures after Azure Local upgrade | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/aksarc/cluster-create-fails-after-azure-local-upgrade | | Resolve K8sVersionValidation errors for AKS on Azure Local | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/aksarc/cluster-k8s-version | | Recover AKS Hybrid cluster unhealthy after upgrade | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/aksarc/cluster-unhealthy-after-kubernetes-upgrade | | Unstick AKS Hybrid cluster upgrades stuck in Upgrading state | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/aksarc/cluster-upgrade-status | | Troubleshoot BGP with FRR and Meta