ODIN for Azure Local

Version 0.23.07 - Available here: https://aka.ms/ODIN

A browser-based planning toolkit for Azure Local (formerly Azure Stack HCI). ODIN combines architecture design, workload-based hardware sizing, storage planning, network and switch configuration, reference architectures, and deployment/report outputs. Configuration data is processed locally in the browser.

Disclaimer: This tool is provided as-is without Microsoft support. This is an experimental project to help customers accelerate their skills ramp up for Azure Local, while helping IT architects to validate desired configurations.

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Table of Contents

• Features
• What's New
• Quick Start
• Prerequisites Checklist
• Usage Guide
• Configuration Options
• Export Formats
• Browser Compatibility
• Troubleshooting
• Report an Issue and Contributing
• Best Practices
• Security Considerations
• Additional Resources
• License
• Version History

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Features

Core Functionality

• Azure Local Designer: Guided planning for connected, disconnected, multi-rack, and Microsoft 365 Local deployments, with hyperconverged and disaggregated architecture paths
• Workload-Based Hardware Sizer: Size Azure Local infrastructure for VMs, AKS Arc, AVD, Foundry Local, Agentic Retrieval, AI Video Indexer, and GitHub Enterprise Local workloads
• Discovered-Estate Import: Import VMware RVTools workbooks, Hyper-V HVTools exports, or Azure Migrate collector ZIP files to create grouped or per-machine Sizer workloads entirely in the browser
• Storage Spaces Direct Calculator: Model maximum volume size, storage-pool consumption, resiliency, provisioning, and single-tier or tiered disk configurations
• Network and Switch Planning: Design traffic intents, VLANs, IP ranges, RDMA, switched and switchless storage, external SAN connectivity, and Clos fabrics; generate and validate Cisco NX-OS and Dell OS10 configurations
• Architecture Knowledge Tools: Explore outbound-connectivity guidance, interactive AzLoFlows diagrams, and Microsoft Sovereign Private Clouds reference architectures
• Integrated Planning Workflow: Transfer deployment information between Sizer and Designer, persist work locally, and share supported configurations using JSON exports or generated URLs
• Reports and Deployment Outputs: Generate ARM parameter files, configuration reports, diagrams, Word-compatible documents, PDFs, Markdown, and editable PowerPoint presentations
• Privacy-Preserving Browser Experience: Configuration data remains in the browser, with bounded import validation and an opt-out for anonymous aggregate usage counters

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What's New

Version 0.23.07 - Latest Release

• Sizer JSON validation — the public v5 schema enforces required AI GPU worker SKU fields while preserving legacy and unversioned import compatibility.

Import Hyper-V estates with HVTools, follow the two-phase Azure Local ARM deployment workflow, and preserve switchless networking across design outputs and imports.

What's new

• Foundry Local sizing help — a centered first-use guide provides practical sizing steps and a how-to link on every card, including token counting, concurrency, GPU placement, and performance validation. Reopen it using Help sizing Foundry Local at the top of the dialog or beside GPU Requirements, without changing workload inputs.
• Release validation — automated localhost integration checks now complement offline tests, with explicit completion, failure evidence, and stronger release-readiness checklists.
• Report Help and scope — a first-visit guide explains report contents and exports. A permanent statement in the report and exports identifies it as a starting point, not a complete business/technical requirements document or a replacement for reviewed low-level design (LLD) documentation. The ARM page title now reads "Azure Local Instance | ARM Deployment Automation".
• ARM first-visit help — a skippable three-step guide explains fields, placeholders, Validate/Deploy, and using the generated files. Reopen it with Help; disconnected designs get local deployment guidance.
• HVTools (Hyper-V) import — the Sizer's RVTools / HVTools import auto-detects HVTools export-all .xlsx workbooks and VM Overview .json exports. Memory sizing uses the larger of startup and assigned memory; shared virtual disks are counted once after filtering. JSON exports provide in-use storage only.
• Browser-local import processing — nothing from the imported estate is transmitted. Host/cluster names and disk identifiers are used only in memory; per-VM mode saves VM names as workload names in browser local storage. Licensing data and export user names are ignored.
• Two-phase ARM deployment — an Azure Context dropdown selects Validate first, then Deploy for a second ARM deployment, updating JSON and copy actions immediately. Separate phase downloads and generated PowerShell, Azure CLI, Azure DevOps, and GitHub workflows distinguish Azure Local validation from ARM preflight/What-If and check the Validate-created cluster before Deploy.
• Switchless NIC mappings preserved — confirmed adapter assignments and custom NIC names stay consistent across diagrams, reports, SVG/draw.io downloads, and ARM networks and intents.
• CIDR-aware storage networking — subnet autofill and generated outputs respect CIDR block sizes, including /30 and octet rollover. ARM imports retain link subnets and manual addressing order; invalid, overlapping, or undersized custom subnets block readiness.
• Development dependency security — development-only overrides enforce js-yaml >=4.3.2 <5.0.0 and fast-uri >=4.2.1, including the mailto header-injection fix; no runtime dependency is added.
• What's New layout and keyboard access — release history and its help link stay inside one scrollable panel, keeping the notes readable on phones. The named dialog keeps keyboard focus inside and returns it to the trigger when closed.
• Designer infrastructure readiness — deployment transitions clear stale infrastructure inputs, and missing or invalid IP pools block Report and ARM output until corrected.
• Validated Designer examples — corrected example DNS addresses and automated full-page checks for every template; blank DNS entries and DNS conflicts block completion and Report/ARM output. AD-less DNS zone edits immediately update progress and readiness.
• AD-less ARM inputs — current and legacy local-identity outputs hide the irrelevant Active Directory OU path.
• Consistent DNS completion — invalid DNS clears the Identity/DNS step checkmark as well as blocking progress and outputs.
• Whole-worker GPU packing — AUTO inventory accounts for all indivisible workers fitting across N-1 machines, including mixed worker sizes. Insufficient manual inventory warns and blocks Designer handoff without changing the selection.
• Clean Designer reset and role guidance — Start Over removes the obsolete Sizer import confirmation; workload clusters no longer show the previous management role's fixed-three-machine explanation.
• Azure DevOps pipeline setup — generated YAML declares its required service-connection placeholder and authorization guidance.
• Disaggregated validation — invalid node addresses also block reports, HCI witness details no longer leak into disaggregated summaries, and reports omit inactive dedicated iSCSI and backup subnets.
• Disconnected management transitions — cloud and architecture changes keep the fixed three-machine controls, summary and readiness synchronized.
• Designer machine naming — generated names follow later first-machine prefix changes while manual overrides are preserved, including after resume or import.
• Clearer Sizer hardware requirements — expand "Hardware sizing - view detailed information" to compare overhead-inclusive requirements with sized cores and memory in aligned Required / Sized tables per machine and per instance, with cores-per-socket multiplication. Sized means the hardware selected in Hardware Configuration. The breakdown is collapsed by default to keep capacity bars and warnings prominent, but always included in exports. Auto-scaling policy is unchanged.
• Safer warnings and deployment automation — prevent HTML injection in Sizer placement warnings and exported Word notes; choose a Designer-aligned Azure region or Custom code for generated automation and create missing resource groups before Validate preflight. ARM Help uses the familiar ODIN splash-screen layout.
• Keyboard and print improvements — accessible Designer machine counts and Sizer rack toggles, visible info-tip focus, clean browser printing, and corrected ratio guidance.
• OEM/BMC proxy guidance — reports and exports flag the manual addition of OEM-required host-to-BMC proxy exclusions, distinguishing USB passthrough addresses from external OOB management IPs. All report content links remain readable in both themes and Print Friendly mode, with visible keyboard focus and consistent Word-export styling.
• PowerPoint readability — dedicated OEM/BMC guidance and continued infrastructure notes keep text clear of diagrams and footers.
• Supported AI GPU worker sizes — size Foundry Local and Video Indexer GPU workers from supported AKS Arc VM SKUs, with separate Agentic embedding and local-LLM selections. CPU, RAM, GPU count and VRAM now follow the chosen sizes; compatible older GPU workloads migrate with an explicit notice. Capacity sizing is not an inference-performance guarantee.
• Per-machine GPU worker placement — AUTO GPU inventory respects the largest selected worker's GPU requirement. Selected AI worker pools must also fit one machine's usable CPU and RAM after host reservations. Insufficient capacity produces a placement warning and blocks Designer handoff rather than treating resources on different machines as interchangeable.

See version history for previous release summaries and CHANGELOG.md for the full change record.

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Quick Start

1. Open ODIN online:

   • In a current web browser, go to https://aka.ms/ODIN

2. Unsure about hardware? Start with the Sizer:

   • Open the ODIN Sizer from the main page or navigate to sizer/index.html
   • Add workloads directly, import a VMware RVTools workbook or Hyper-V HVTools export, or import an Azure Migrate collector ZIP
   • Configure deployment type, resiliency, hardware assumptions, and growth headroom
   • Review the recommended hardware (CPU, memory, storage, GPUs, power, and rack space)
   • Click Configure in Designer to transfer the sizing results into the Designer wizard automatically

3. Follow the wizard:

   • Answer questions about your deployment scenario
   • Configure network settings, storage, and identity options
   • Review the configuration summary in real-time

4. Export your configuration:

   • Generate ARM parameters JSON
   • Export full configuration for sharing or backup
   • Download configuration reports

Disconnected or Offline Access

ODIN can run from a downloaded copy of this repository when the hosted site is unavailable or the planning workstation is disconnected from the internet. This is an end-user access option; no development environment or npm installation is required.

1. Download and extract the repository files to the offline workstation.

2. Open Windows PowerShell in the extracted repository root.

3. Start the included local web server:

   PowerShell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\tests\serve.ps1

4. Open http://localhost:5500 in a current browser.

5. Press Ctrl+C in PowerShell when finished.

The Designer, Sizer, S2D Calculator, switch tools, bundled diagrams, imports, and exports run locally. External Microsoft Learn links and anonymous aggregate usage counters require connectivity and are unavailable while fully offline.

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Prerequisites Checklist

If you want to deploy Azure Local on physical hardware, before starting, ensure you have:

Hardware

• ✅ Azure Local certified hardware (check Microsoft Hardware Catalog)
• ✅ Minimum 1 node (up to 16 for single-site clusters)
• ✅ RDMA-capable network adapters for storage, for multi-node clusters.
• ✅ Compatible Top of Rack (ToR) switches with latest firmware installed.

Network

• ✅ Outbound internet connectivity or configured proxy
• ✅ Available IP address ranges for infrastructure and management
• ✅ DNS servers configured and reachable
• ✅ VLAN support (if using tagged VLANs)
• ✅ Network Time Protocol (NTP) configured

Azure

• ✅ Active Azure subscription with appropriate permissions
• ✅ Azure Arc resource provider registered
• ✅ Sufficient quota for Azure Local resources
• ✅ Resource group created in target region

Identity & Access

• ✅ Active Directory domain and appropriate permissions when using domain-based identity
• ✅ Local Identity prerequisites when using the AD-less connected deployment path

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Usage Guide

Navigation

The Designer experience provides guided workflow of valid cluster design choices and decisions, rather than one fixed sequence. Start by selecting Connected, Disconnected, Multi-Rack, or Microsoft 365 Local. Connected and Disconnected deployments then select a Hyperconverged or Disaggregated architecture where applicable.

Based on those choices, ODIN presents the relevant steps for cloud and region, scale and physical machines, network adapters and traffic intents, storage connectivity, outbound connectivity, IP planning, identity, security, optional services, and deployment outputs. Disconnected and disaggregated designs use dedicated branches for their additional topology and connectivity decisions.

Key Actions

Auto-Save & Resume

• Progress is automatically saved to browser localStorage
• Return anytime and see a "Resume Session" prompt
• Choose to continue or start fresh

Export Configuration

• Click Export button in the summary panel (right side)
• Saves complete state as timestamped JSON file
• Share with team members or backup for later

Import Configuration

• Click Import button in the summary panel (right side)
• Select previously exported JSON file
• Review changes and confirm import

CIDR Calculator

• Click Subnet Calculator button next to the Infrastructure Network CIDR input
• Enter IP/CIDR notation (e.g., 192.168.1.0/24)
• See network details, usable host range, and subnet info

Templates

• Click Load Example Configuration Template in the summary panel (right side)
• Browse pre-built deployment configurations for common scenarios
• Load a template to pre-populate the wizard with recommended settings

Onboarding Walkthrough

• Automatically shown on first visit (can be reset by clearing browser localStorage)
• Step-by-step overlay highlighting key wizard features
• Helps new users understand the workflow quickly

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Configuration Options

Deployment Scenarios

Deployment Type	Description	Architecture Choices
Connected	Azure-connected Azure Local deployment	Hyperconverged or Disaggregated
Disconnected	Azure Local disconnected operations for air-gapped or limited-connectivity environments	Hyperconverged or Disaggregated, with dedicated management/workload cluster paths
Multi-Rack	Rack-aware architecture for larger-scale and failure-domain planning	Guided rack-aware configuration
Microsoft 365 Local	Purpose-built planning path for Microsoft 365 Local workloads	Guided Microsoft 365 Local configuration

Hyperconverged combines compute and Storage Spaces Direct capacity in the Azure Local machines. Disaggregated uses external Fibre Channel or iSCSI SAN storage with a Clos leaf-spine fabric and supports up to 64 compute machines across multiple racks.

Network Intents (Hyperconverged)

Intent	Description	Adapters
All Traffic	Single intent for management, compute, and storage	2 adapters
Compute + Management	Shared network for VMs and management, dedicated storage	4+ adapters
Compute + Storage	Combined compute and storage traffic, dedicated management	4+ adapters
Custom	User-defined adapter-to-intent mapping	Flexible (2–8 adapters)

Disaggregated deployments use a separate intent model with external SAN storage (Fibre Channel or iSCSI) and a Clos leaf-spine fabric — see the Disaggregated Architecture Wizard for details.

Storage Connectivity

Type	Description	Requirements
Switched	Traditional ToR switch-based storage networking	ToR switches, any supported scale
Switchless	Direct node-to-node storage connections	2–4 nodes, no storage switches

Companion Tools

Tool	Purpose
ODIN Sizer	Workload-driven sizing for VMs, AKS Arc, AVD, Foundry Local, Agentic Retrieval, AI Video Indexer, and GitHub Enterprise Local. Supports RVTools, HVTools, and Azure Migrate imports, growth modelling, hardware recommendations, and 3D rack visualization.
S2D Calculator	Plans maximum supported volume size and storage-pool consumption for Azure Local and Windows Server single-tier or tiered configurations.
Switch Config Generator	Generates example ToR / BMC / border switch configurations for Cisco NX-OS and Dell OS10, with rack-aware support and infrastructure token replacement.
QoS Validator	Validates a pasted show running-config (Cisco) or show running-configuration (Dell OS10) against Azure Local QoS requirements (PFC, ETS, ECN, MTU 9216, system QoS policy, interface-level PFC/trunking).
Knowledge Tab	Provides outbound-connectivity guidance, the AzLoFlows interactive flow-diagram builder, and Microsoft Sovereign Private Clouds reference architectures with editable PowerPoint export.

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Export Formats

ARM Parameters JSON

• Azure Resource Manager template parameters
• Ready for deployment with Azure CLI or Portal
• Includes placeholders for values not collected by wizard
• Copy to Clipboard: Available on ARM parameters page

Configuration JSON

• Complete wizard state export
• Version-tagged for compatibility tracking
• Includes timestamp and metadata
• Can be re-imported to restore session

JSON Schemas (validate exports before import)

• Machine-readable JSON Schema (draft-07) definitions for both export surfaces, so you can generate and validate ODIN JSON outside the UI (CI/CD, Terraform, scripts) before importing it
• Designer: docs/json-schema/odin-design.schema.json — published at https://azure.github.io/odinforazurelocal/docs/json-schema/odin-design.schema.json
• Sizer: docs/json-schema/odin-sizer.schema.json — published at https://azure.github.io/odinforazurelocal/docs/json-schema/odin-sizer.schema.json
• See the JSON Schema reference & examples for both envelopes side by side, required vs optional fields, and how to validate from any language (ajv, python-jsonschema, or VS Code $schema)

Configuration Report

• Comprehensive configuration report covering deployment scenario, network, intents, IP plan, identity, security, and SDN options
• Download as a Word-compatible HTML .doc, Markdown with embedded diagrams, or an editable .pptx deck generated directly in the browser
• Includes decision rationale, network diagrams (SVG / Mermaid / draw.io), and a 2D rack diagram
• Print-friendly formatting (browser "Save as PDF" supported)

Sizer Report

• Save as PDF and Download Word for sized hardware results
• Includes per-workload breakdown, hardware configuration, capacity bars, and power / heat / rack-space estimates

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Browser Compatibility

Supported Browsers

• Use a current version of Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari
• Chromium-based browsers are used for the automated browser test suite

Required Features

• ES6+ JavaScript support
• CSS Custom Properties
• Flexbox and Grid
• localStorage API
• File API (for import/export)

Known Limitations

• Internet Explorer is not supported
• Local persistence depends on the browser allowing localStorage; private-browsing behavior varies by browser and policy
• File downloads, clipboard access, and very large imports may be constrained by browser or device settings

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Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"Previous Session Found" doesn't appear

• localStorage may be disabled in browser settings
• Private/Incognito browsing or enterprise policy may restrict or clear localStorage
• Clear browser cache and try again

Export/Import not working

• Check browser console for errors
• Ensure pop-up blocker isn't preventing downloads
• Verify file is valid JSON (use JSON validator)

Validation errors on import

• Confirm the file was exported by the correct ODIN tool (Designer and Sizer use different formats)
• Review the displayed validation message for unsupported values, malformed JSON, or import-size limits
• Legacy exports are migrated where supported; exporting a fresh configuration is useful when diagnosing an unsupported format

Debugging

Enable detailed logging in browser console:

1. Open Developer Tools (F12)
2. Go to Console tab
3. Look for errors or warnings
4. Check localStorage: localStorage.getItem('azureLocalWizardState')

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Report an Issue and Contributing

• Report bugs or request new features via GitHub Issues
• Include browser version, OS, screenshot if possible, and steps to reproduce the issue
• Provide exported config (sanitized) if required to recreate the problem

For detailed contribution guidelines, see CONTRIBUTING.md.

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Best Practices

Using the Wizard

1. Review Prerequisites - Click "Prerequisites" before starting
2. Try Templates - Load a pre-built template for common scenarios
3. Save Progress - Export configuration at major milestones
4. Validate Early - Use real-time validation to catch errors
5. Use Calculator - CIDR calculator helps avoid subnet conflicts

Network Planning

1. Document IP Ranges - Keep track of all CIDRs and ranges
2. Avoid Overlaps - Use CIDR calculator to verify no conflicts
3. Plan for Growth - Size infrastructure pool with headroom
4. Test DNS - Verify DNS resolution before deployment
5. Review Gateway - Ensure default gateway is outside IP pools

Configuration Management

1. Export Regularly - Save configuration at each major decision
2. Version Control - Keep exports with version tags
3. Share with Team - Use export/import to collaborate
4. Document Changes - Note modifications in separate doc
5. Backup Configs - Store exports in version control system

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Security Considerations

Input Sanitization

• Imported files, shared URLs, restored state, and generated documents are treated as untrusted input at their rendering and parsing boundaries
• CIDR, IP, numeric, enum, and identifier fields use context-specific validation
• File imports are structure- and size-validated before application; Azure Migrate ZIP imports also validate archive paths, encryption, duplicates, and extracted content

Data Storage

• Configuration inputs, imported inventories, and generated outputs stay in the browser and may be persisted in localStorage
• Anonymous integer-only page-view and feature-use counters are sent to Firebase; no configuration values, machine names, IP addresses, or user identifiers are included
• Usage counters can be disabled from the navigation toggle and are also disabled when the browser sends Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control
• Clear localStorage on shared computers

Best Practices

• Don't include sensitive credentials in configurations
• Don't share exports containing private IP ranges publicly
• Review imported configs before applying
• Use prerequisites checklist to verify security requirements

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Additional Resources

Official Documentation

• Azure Local Documentation
• Network Reference Patterns
• Azure Arc Documentation
• Azure Local Pricing

Community

• Azure Arc - TechCommunity
• Azure Local - GitHub Supportability Forum

For Developers & Automation

• JSON Schema reference & examples — validate ODIN exports outside the UI (CI/CD, Terraform, scripts)
• odin-design.schema.json — Designer export schema (draft-07)
• odin-sizer.schema.json — Sizer export schema (draft-07)

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License

Published under MIT License. This project is provided as-is, without warranty or support, it is intended for planning and automation example purposes. See official Azure documentation for deployment guidance and support.

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Acknowledgments

Built for the Azure Local community to simplify network architecture planning and deployment configuration.

Version: 0.23.06
Last Updated: September 2026
Compatibility: Azure Local 2506+

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For questions, feedback, or support, please visit the GitHub repository or consult the official Azure Local documentation.

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Version History

Historical release summaries have moved to the ODIN Version History. For the complete change record, see CHANGELOG.md.