Azure Stack HCI 23H2 Generally Available

• Azure Stack HCI is a subscription-based server host OS that is Microsoft’s main platform for on-premises virtualized datacenters.
• The latest version, Stack HCI 23H2, is generally available and supports Azure Virtual Desktop for Stack HCI (also generally available).
• Most customers should avoid the 23H2 version for now due to missing capabilities and limited regional availability compared to the 22H2 version.
• Support for the 22H2 version has been extended until the limitations of the 23H2 version are addressed by future updates.

Azure Stack HCI 23H2 became generally available on Feb. 1, 2024. Stack HCI is a host OS based on Windows Server for hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) on Microsoft-certified hardware, licensed via subscription as an Azure service. The 23H2 update includes support for Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) for Stack HCI, which allows organizations to deploy Windows session host VMs on Stack HCI on-premises and manage them using the hosted Azure AVD tools. Other enhancements focus on improved management and monitoring, simplified deployment and updates, and security capabilities. However, Stack HCI 23H2 is only available in limited regions, offers no upgrade path from 22H2, and is not yet supported by System Center. Customers who are using Stack HCI for any scenario other than virtual desktops or are considering new Stack HCI deployments should hold off deploying the 23H2 version other than for evaluation purposes until these and other limitations are addressed in updates.