Disconnected Operations for Azure Local: More Local, Less Azure

• Disconnected operations for Azure Local allows customers to deploy Azure Local clusters without a connection to the Azure public cloud.
• It could be attractive for customers with specific security or regulatory requirements, or operations in isolated locations, but has burdensome requirements. 
• Customers must justify their business need with Microsoft and deal with support and hardware requirements, limited service availability, and licensing restrictions.
• Disconnected operations should only be considered by customers who are already invested in Azure Local and Azure management tooling.

Azure Local, formerly called Azure Stack HCI, is Microsoft’s subscription-based host OS for on-premises virtualization and software-defined storage. It focuses on delivering Azure services and management to on-premises and edge deployments and extending Azure-based operations to local sites without giving up on-premises control. Azure Local receives new features before or even in place of Windows Server, which is updated on a slower cadence. Disconnected operations for Azure Local promises deployments fully disconnected from the Azure cloud, but it comes with approval requirements, technical prerequisites, and additional costs that limit its attractiveness for customers.