azure-batch

# Azure Batch Skill

This skill provides expert guidance for Azure Batch. 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-L43 | Diagnosing and fixing Azure Batch job, task, pool, and node errors, including failure patterns, error codes, and best practices for handling and recovering from failures. |
| Best Practices | L44-L54 | Guidance on tuning Batch performance, scaling large jobs, running concurrent/rendering tasks, securing pools, and using list queries plus job prep/release tasks efficiently. |
| Decision Making | L55-L67 | Guidance on choosing Batch VM sizes, images, Spot/ephemeral disks, capacity and quotas, cost planning, and migration decisions for pools, images, and communication models. |
| Architecture & Design Patterns | L68-L73 | Architectural guidance for burst rendering with Azure Batch, including choosing batch/topology patterns and designing storage, caching, and data movement for large render workloads. |
| Limits & Quotas | L74-L79 | Managing Batch account quotas via .NET and understanding core Azure Batch limits (pools, cores, jobs, tasks) and how to monitor, plan for, and request quota increases. |
| Security | L80-L96 | Securing Batch accounts and pools: auth with Entra ID/managed identities, keys and disk encryption, RBAC, private endpoints/network perimeters, public access, and Azure Policy governance. |
| Configuration | L97-L128 | Configuring Batch pools, tasks, networking, scaling, diagnostics, and security: autoscale, OS/cert rotation, VNet/IP, containers, disks, metrics/logs, events, and task runtime settings. |
| Integrations & Coding Patterns | L129-L144 | Client SDK patterns, task/node APIs, containers, MPI, output persistence, Key Vault, monitoring, and mounting storage/virtual file systems for Azure Batch workloads |
| Deployment | L145-L149 | Guides for moving Azure Batch accounts across regions with ARM templates and setting up CI/CD pipelines for Batch HPC workloads using Azure Pipelines. |

### Troubleshooting
| Topic | URL |
|-------|-----|
| Diagnose and handle Azure Batch job and task errors | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-job-task-error-checking |
| Troubleshoot Azure Batch pool and node errors | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-pool-node-error-checking |
| Diagnose and handle Azure Batch task errors | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/error-handling |

### Best Practices
| Topic | URL |
|-------|-----|
| Design efficient Azure Batch list queries | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-efficient-list-queries |
| Use job preparation and release tasks in Azure Batch | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-job-prep-release |
| Run concurrent tasks on Azure Batch nodes | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-parallel-node-tasks |
| Use Azure Batch capabilities for rendering workloads | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-rendering-functionality |
| Apply performance best practices for Azure Batch | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/best-practices |
| Optimize Azure Batch jobs with large task counts | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/large-number-tasks |
| Apply security best practices to Azure Batch | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/security-best-practices |

### Decision Making
| Topic | URL |
|-------|-----|
| Plan Azure Batch capacity and quota strategy | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-capacity-planning |
| Migrate Batch custom image pools to Compute Gallery | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-custom-image-pools-to-azure-compute-gallery-migration-guide |
| Choose and migrate custom images for Azure Batch pools | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-custom-images |
| Choose compute-intensive VM sizes for Azure Batch workloads | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-pool-compute-intensive-sizes |
| Choose Azure Batch VM sizes and images | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-pool-vm-sizes |
| Plan and migrate Azure Batch pools to new node communication model | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-pools-to-simplified-compute-node-communication-model-migration-guide |
| Decide when to run Azure Batch workloads on Spot VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-spot-vms |
| Decide when to use ephemeral OS disks in Azure Batch | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/create-pool-ephemeral-os-disk |
| Plan and manage Azure Batch workload costs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/plan-to-manage-costs |

### Architecture & Design Patterns
| Topic | URL |
|-------|-----|
| Choose Azure architectures for cloud rendering burst | h