Microsoft brought a slew of networking updates to its Azure Local hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) platform, including SDN features and network adapter additions.

The biggest networking update coming to the on-premises platform, formerly the Azure Stack HCI, sees SDN support via Azure Arc, which lets users configure network security rules.

Users can create network security groups, configure network security rules, and assign them to logical networks and network interfaces, providing a consistent networking experience across cloud and edge environments.

Beyond the SDN capabilities, Microsoft has implemented consistent device naming for compatible network adapters. This provides Azure Local users with predictable network interface identification during installation and management, and hits at a common pain point for network administrators dealing with inconsistent adapter naming across deployments.

The release also strengthens network security through an expanded security baseline featuring enhanced network inspection capabilities. Azure Local now features an increased number of validated security rules to 407, up from 324.

The hyperscaler claims its latest release also puts the platform at more than 90-percent alignment with industry benchmarks, including CIS Azure Compute Windows Baseline and DISA STIG standards.

The security improvements also extend to Microsoft Defender Antivirus settings, incorporating network inspection features and attack surface reduction rules that are specifically tailored for Azure Local deployments.

The updates position Azure Local as a more robust hybrid-infrastructure offering, with the new networking capabilities helping to bridge the gap between on-premises management and cloud-native security policies through unified Azure Arc control.

For existing Azure Local deployments, the platform continues running OS version 25398.1665, while new deployments will use OS version 26100.4349.

Microsoft’s release encourages network administrators to ensure driver compatibility with the new OS version or Windows Server 2025 before deployment.

The 2506 release of Azure Local can be downloaded from the Azure portal, though the solution update isn't supported for Azure Local instances deployed in the Azure Government cloud.

Azure Local was unveiled back in November 2024 during Microsoft’s Ignite event, with the hyperscaler touting the offering as a way for cloud-connected infrastructure to be deployed both at physical and virtual locations.

At the time of unveiling, Microsoft touted Azure Local as a way for customers to “treat physical machines like cloud resources,” using the Azure portal and APIs to perform lifecycle operations and removing the need for separate local management tools.