Category Archives: Azure Stack HCI

The evolution of Azure Stack HCI with Premier Solutions

As businesses worldwide seek more efficient, scalable, and customizable solutions for their IT infrastructure needs, Microsoft unveils the “Premier Solutions for Azure Stack HCI.” This launch provides companies with a range of new opportunities, seamlessly integrating with existing solutions to achieve Azure Stack HCI systems and enhancing possibilities for businesses of all sizes. In this article, we will explore the features of this new offering, how it integrates with existing solutions, and how it might redefine the future of Azure Stack HCI.

Previous Context

To activate the Azure Stack HCI solution, on-premise hardware is required. Until now, companies could rely on:

Azure Stack HCI Integrated Systems: Some hardware providers offer systems specifically designed and optimized for Azure Stack HCI, providing an experience reminiscent of a dedicated appliance. These solutions also include unified support, provided in collaboration between the provider and Microsoft.
Azure Stack HCI Validated Nodes: This method relies on the use of hardware carefully verified and validated by a specific hardware provider. This strategy allows advanced hardware customization based on customer needs, offering the possibility to select specific details related to the processor, memory, storage, and network card features, always respecting the provider’s compatibility specifications. Several hardware manufacturers offer solutions compatible with Azure Stack HCI, and most Azure Stack HCI configurations are currently made following this approach.

What’s New: Premier Solutions for Azure Stack HCI

“Premier Solutions” represent a new category in the Azure Stack HCI product landscape, created to offer users a better operational experience. These solutions promise faster achievement of tangible results and unprecedented flexibility thanks to “as-a-service” provisioning options. This significant advancement is the result of collaboration with tech giants like Dell Technologies and Lenovo. The essence of this initiative is the fusion of the best available technologies into a deeply integrated, complete infrastructure solution, providing a seamless experience between hardware, software, and cloud services.

Key strengths of the Premier Solutions include:

Advanced Integration: An unparalleled combination of hardware, software, and cloud services, allowing companies to reduce time spent on infrastructure management and focus more on innovation.
Guaranteed Reliability: Microsoft and its partners are dedicated to continuous testing to ensure maximum reliability and minimal downtime.
Simplified Implementation: Comprehensive deployment workflows, making the implementation of Azure Stack HCI clusters a simple and repeatable process.
Facilitated Updates: Jointly tested and automated full-stack updates, allowing for continuous, easy updates.
Flexible Purchase Models: Various purchase options and additional services to facilitate the start of Azure Stack HCI solutions.
Global Availability: A consistent solution available everywhere, ensuring consistency worldwide.

Figure 1 – Azure Stack HCI Solution Categories

Visually, we can imagine the Azure Stack HCI solution categories as overlapping layers: at the top, we find the Premier Solutions, ready for immediate use after deployment; followed by the Integrated Systems, targeted configurations with pre-installed software for specific tasks; and finally, the Validated Nodes, boasting the broadest variety of hardware components.

For a detailed comparison between the different categories of Azure Stack HCI solutions, you can refer to this document.

A Case in Point: Dell APEX Cloud Platform for Microsoft Azure

A shining example of this collaboration is the new Dell APEX Cloud Platform for Microsoft Azure. This platform goes beyond the capabilities of the Validated Node and Integrated System categories, offering a turnkey Azure Stack HCI experience.

Born from close collaboration between Dell and Microsoft, its native integration with Azure aims to realize a shared goal: to simplify the customer experience and provide the flexibility needed for modern IT infrastructure.

Dell APEX Cloud Platform for Microsoft Azure is the result of meticulous engineering collaboration between Dell and Microsoft. It offers deep integration and automation between the technological layers of the two companies, accelerating the value achieved by customers and amplifying IT agility and productivity. With a wide range of configuration options and form factors, optimized for both main data center infrastructures and edge deployments, this platform can address a wide range of use scenarios, allowing organizations to drive innovation in every context.

A Look to the Future

In the coming months, Microsoft plans to expand the Premier Solutions portfolio with innovative edge platforms from Lenovo, consolidating its industry leadership and offering solutions increasingly suited to customer challenges. To learn more about the available Azure Stack HCI solutions, you can visit the relevant catalog.

Conclusions

Hybrid solutions represent the future of IT infrastructure, offering flexibility, scalability, and unprecedented integration between on-premise and cloud. The recent introduction of “Premier Solutions for Azure Stack HCI” is clear evidence of this, demonstrating Microsoft’s commitment to the constant evolution of its ecosystem. Collaboration with giants like Dell and Lenovo highlights a strategic synergy aimed at providing companies with cutting-edge, efficient, and optimized solutions. In particular, the Dell APEX Cloud Platform for Microsoft Azure symbolizes the pinnacle of this collaboration, presenting a solution that perfectly meets the modern needs of IT infrastructure management and evolution. As the IT landscape continues to evolve, it’s clear that solutions like Azure Stack HCI will be at the heart of digital transformation, guiding organizations towards a more connected, integrated, and innovative future.

Embracing the future: why Azure Stack HCI is the optimal choice for modernizing On-Premises infrastructure

As the digital landscape evolves, businesses are constantly seeking ways to harness the power of technology to stay competitive and efficient. While cloud computing has emerged as a game-changer, offering unparalleled flexibility and scalability, many enterprises still grapple with the challenge of integrating their on-premises infrastructure with the cloud. Microsoft’s Azure Stack HCI presents a compelling solution to this dilemma, bridging the gap between traditional data centers and the innovative world of the cloud. In this article, we delve into the unique advantages of Azure Stack HCI and why it stands out as the preferred choice for businesses aiming to modernize their IT infrastructure.

Azure Stack HCI is Microsoft’s solution that allows you to create a hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) for running workloads in an on-premises environment, with a strategic connection to various Azure services. Azure Stack HCI has been specifically designed by Microsoft to help customers modernize their hybrid data center, offering a complete and familiar Azure experience on-premises. If you need more information about the Microsoft Azure Stack HCI solution, I invite you to watch this video.

Figure 1 – Overview of Azure Stack HCI

In my daily interactions with customers, I am often asked why they should choose Azure Stack HCI over other well-known solutions that have been on the market for a long time. In the following paragraphs, I will outline what I believe are the main reasons to opt for Azure Stack HCI.

Modernize your on-premises infrastructure by bringing innovation

Azure Stack HCI is not synonymous with a virtualization environment but allows you to achieve much more. It is ideal if you want to modernize your infrastructure by adopting a hyper-converged architecture that allows you to:

- Activate virtual machines based on consolidated technologies that make the environment stable and highly available, especially suitable for workloads that require high performance and scalability.
- Deploy and manage modern applications based on microservices, alongside virtual machines, in the same cluster environment, using Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). In addition to running Windows and Linux apps in containers, AKS provides the infrastructure to run selected Azure PaaS services on-premises, thanks to Azure Arc.
- Activate virtual machines with Windows Server 2022 Azure Datacenter edition, which offers specific features not available in the classic Standard and Datacenter editions. To learn more about the features available in this edition, you can consult this article.
- Create Azure Virtual Desktop session host pools using virtual machines running on-premises. This hybrid scenario becomes interesting in situations where applications are latency-sensitive, such as video editing, or scenarios where users need to use a legacy system on-premises that cannot be easily accessed.
- Extend the features of the on-premises solution by connecting to various Azure services such as Azure Site Recovery, Azure Backup, Azure Monitor, and Defender for Cloud. This aspect ensures constant innovation, given the continuous evolution of cloud services.

Optimize costs

The Azure Stack HCI cost model, detailed in this article, is straightforward. Specifically, for customers with a Software Assurance contract, adopting Azure Stack HCI results in a drastic reduction in the costs of modernizing the virtualization environment, making this solution even more cost-competitive compared to competitors in the market. Recently, when comparing the costs between Azure Stack HCI and VMware vSphere + vSAN over a 3-year projection, it emerged that Azure Stack HCI allows savings of up to 40%.

Increase the level of security

Azure Stack HCI offers cross-cutting security on hardware and firmware, integrated into the operating system’s features, capable of helping protect servers from advanced threats. Azure Stack HCI systems can adopt Secured-core security features, all through an easy configuration experience from Windows Admin Center. Additionally, Azure Stack HCI allows you to obtain important security patches for legacy Microsoft products that have passed the support deadline, through the Extended Security Update (ESU) program. Considering that October 10, 2023, marks the end of extended support for Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2, Azure Stack HCI allows more time to embark on an application modernization path without neglecting security aspects.

Maximize existing investments

Azure Stack HCI can integrate with the existing environment and the most popular third-party solutions. Therefore, adopting this solution does not require new investments to introduce or adapt management, identity, security, and protection solutions. Specifically, the administrative management of Azure Stack HCI does not require specific software, but existing management tools such as Admin Center, PowerShell, System Center Virtual Machine Manager, and even third-party tools can be used. Furthermore, by adopting Azure Stack HCI and Azure Arc, it is possible to apply cloud management models to the on-premises environment, greatly simplifying the user experience. Azure Stack HCI allows you to fully exploit not only the investments already made concerning tools but also the skills of IT staff.

Conclusions

In today’s fast-paced technological era, the choice of IT infrastructure can significantly influence a business’s agility, security, and overall growth. While there are numerous solutions available, Azure Stack HCI emerges as a frontrunner, seamlessly merging the reliability of on-premises systems with the innovation of the cloud. Its unique features, cost-effectiveness, and robust security measures make it an invaluable asset for companies aiming to stay ahead of the curve. By choosing Azure Stack HCI, businesses not only safeguard their current investments but also pave the way for a future-ready, integrated, and efficient IT environment.

Hotpatching in Windows Server: a revolution in virtual machine management

In the digital age, ensuring business continuity is essential, no longer just an added value. For many companies, frequent interruptions, even of short duration, are unacceptable for their critical workloads. However, ensuring that continuity can be complex, whereas the management of virtual machines (VM) with Windows Server operating system is in some respects complex, especially in relation to applying security patches and updates. With the advent of the hotpatching feature from Microsoft, a new chapter in VM management has opened: a more efficient approach that minimizes disruption, guaranteeing servers that are always up-to-date and protected. This article looks at the features and benefits of this innovative solution.

What is Hotpatching?

Hotpatching, introduced by Microsoft, is an advanced technique that allows you to update Windows Server operating systems without the need to restart. Imagine you can “change tires” of your moving car without having to stop it. This is the "magic" of hotpatching.

Where you can use Hotpatching

Hotpatch functionality is supported on “Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition”, that you can use it for VMs running in Azure and Azure Stack HCI environment.

The Azure images available for this feature are:

Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition Hotpatch (Desktop Experience)
Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition Core

Note that Hotpatch is enabled by default on Server Core images and that Microsoft recently extended hotpatching support to include Windows Server with Desktop Experience, further expanding the scope of this feature.

Updates supported

Hotpatch covers Windows security updates and maintains an alignment with the content of security updates issued in the regular Windows update channel (non hotpatch).

There are some important considerations for running a Windows Server Azure Edition VM with hotpatch enabled:

reboots are still required to install updates that are not included in the hotpatch program;
reboots are also required periodically after a new baseline has been installed;
reboots keep the VM in sync with non-security patches included in the latest cumulative update.

Patches not currently included in the hotpatch program include non-security updates released for Windows, .NET updates and non-Windows updates (as driver, firmware updates, etc.). These types of patches may require a reboot during the Hotpatch months.

Benefits of Hotpatching

The benefits of this technology are many:

Better security: with hotpatching, security patches are applied quickly and efficiently. This reduces the window of vulnerability between the release of a patch and its application, offering fast protection against threats.
Minimization of downtime: one of the main benefits of hotpatching is the ability to apply updates without the need to restart the server. This means fewer outages and higher availability for applications and services.
More flexible management: system administrators have the freedom to decide when to apply patches, without the worry of having to do careful planning to ensure that running processes are not interrupted while applying updates.

How hotpatching works

During a hotpatching process, the security patch is injected into the operating system's running code in memory, updating the system while it is still running.

Hotpatch works by first establishing a baseline with the current Cumulative Update for Windows Server. Periodically (on a quarterly basis), the baseline is updated with the latest Cumulative Update, after which they are released hotpatch for the next two months. For example,, if a Cumulative Update is released in January, February and March would see the release of hotpatch. For the hotpatch release schedule, you can consult the Release Notes for Hotpatch in Azure Automanage for Windows Server 2022.

The hotpatch contain updates that do not require a restart. Because Hotpatch fixes the in-memory code of running processes without the need to restart the process, applications hosted on the operating system are not affected by the patching process. This action is separate from any performance and functionality implications of the patch itself.

The following image shows an example of an annual update release schedule (including examples of unplanned baselines due to zero-day corrections).

Figure 1 – Outline of a sample yearly schedule for releasing Hotpatch updates

There are two types of baselines:

Planned Baselines: are released on a regular basis, with hotpatch releases in between. Planned Baselines include all updates in a newer Cumulative Update and require a restart.
Unplanned Baselines: they are released when a major update is released (like a zero-day correction) and that particular update cannot be released as a hotpatch. When unscheduled baselines are released, a hotpatch release is replaced with an unplanned baseline in that month. Unplanned Baselines also include all updates in a newer Cumulative Update and require a restart.

The programming shown in the example image illustrates:

four baseline releases planned in a calendar year (five total in the diagram) and eight hotpatch releases;
two unplanned baselines that would replace the hotpatch releases for those months.

Patch orchestration process

Hotpatch is to be considered as an extension of Windows Update and patch orchestration tools vary depending on the platform in use.

Hotpatch orchestration on Azure

Virtual machines created in Azure are enabled by default for automatic patching when using a supported image of "Windows Server Datacenter: Azure Edition”:

patches classified as Critical or Security are automatically downloaded and applied to the VM;
patches are applied during off-peak hours considering the time zone of the VM;
Azure handles patch orchestration and patches are applied following the availability principles;
the health status of the virtual machine, determined through Azure platform health signals, is monitored for patching failures.

Hotpatch orchestration on Azure Stack HCI

Hotpatch updates for active VMs in Azure Stack HCI environment can be orchestrated using:

Group Policy to configure Windows Update client settings;
Windows Update client settings or SCONFIG per Server Core;
a third-party patch management solution.

Considerations and Limitations

However, like any technology, even hotpatching has its nuances. Not all patches are suitable for hotpatching; some may still require a traditional restart. Furthermore, before applying any patches, it remains crucial to test it in a controlled environment to avoid potential problems.

Installing Hotpatch updates does not support automatic rollback. In fact,, if a VM experiences a problem during or after an upgrade, you need to uninstall the update and install the latest known good baseline update. After the rollback you will need to restart the VM.

Conclusion

The introduction of hotpatching by Microsoft represents a significant step forward in the management of VMs running Windows Server operating system. With the ability to apply security patches and updates non-disruptively, administrators can ensure that their servers are protected and updated in a faster and more effective way. In a world where safety is paramount and where every second counts, hotpatching is positioned as a valuable solution for any company that uses Windows Server in an Azure environment or in an Azure Stack HCI environment.

Azure Stack HCI: IT infrastructure innovation that reduces environmental impact

The era of technological innovation has a duty to merge with environmental sustainability, and Microsoft Azure Stack HCI represents a significant step forward in this direction. In the fast-paced world of enterprise IT, organizations are constantly looking for solutions that not only offer excellent performance and innovation, but which also contribute to reducing the environmental impact of their IT infrastructures. Azure Stack HCI stands as a cutting-edge solution that combines technological excellence with a commitment to environmental sustainability. In this article, we will explore the positive environmental implications of adopting Azure Stack HCI.

Reduction of energy consumption

In a hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI), several hardware components are replaced by software, which combines the processing layers, storage and networking in a single solution. Azure Stack HCI is the Microsoft solution that allows you to create a hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI), where computing resources, storage and networking are consolidated into a single platform. This eliminates the need for separate devices, such as appliance, storage fabric and SAN, leading to an overall reduction in energy consumption. Furthermore, Azure Stack HCI systems are purpose-built to operate efficiently, making the most of available resources. This elimination of separate devices and optimization of resources help reduce the amount of energy required to maintain and cool the infrastructure, thus contributing to the reduction of carbon emissions.

Figure 1 – "Three Tier" Infrastructure vs Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI)

Intelligent use of resources

Azure Stack HCI allows you to flexibly scale resources based on workload needs and allows you to extend its functionality with Microsoft Azure cloud services, including:

Azure Site Recovery to implement disaster recovery scenarios;
Azure Backup for offsite protection of your infrastructure;
Update Management which allows you to make an assessment of the missing updates and proceed with the corresponding deployment, for both Windows machines and Linux systems, regardless of their geographical location;
Azure Monitor which offers a centralized way to monitor and control what is happening at the application level, network and hyper-converged infrastructure, using advanced analytics based on artificial intelligence;
Defender for Cloud which guarantees monitoring and detection of security threats on workloads running in the Azure Stack HCI environment;
Cloud Witness to use Azure storage account as cluster quorum.

Furthermore, there is the possibility of modernizing and making the file server more efficient as well, which remains a strategic and widely used component in data centers, by adopting the solution Azure File Sync. This solution allows you to centralize the network folders of the infrastructure in Azure Files, while ensuring flexibility, the performance and compatibility of a traditional Windows file server. Although it is possible to maintain a complete copy of the data in an on-premises environment, Azure File Sync turns Windows Server into a “cache” which allows quick access to the contents present in a specific Azure file share: then, all files reside in the cloud, while only the latest files are also kept in the on-premises file server. This approach allows you to significantly reduce the storage space required in your datacenter.

Figure 2 – Platform integration with cloud solutions

Thanks to virtualization, the dynamic allocation of resources and the adoption of solutions in the cloud environment, you can use only the resources you need on-premises, avoiding waste of energy. This approach to infrastructure reduces the environmental impact of manufacturing, management and disposal of obsolete hardware components.

Optimization of physical space

Consolidating resources into a single Azure Stack HCI platform reduces the need for physical space for server installation, storage devices and network devices. This results in a significant reduction in the surface area occupied in server rooms, allowing for more efficient space management and higher computational density. In turn, the reduction of the occupied space means lower cooling and lighting needs, thus contributing to overall energy savings.

Conclusions

The adoption of Microsoft Azure Stack HCI offers significant benefits in terms of environmental sustainability. The reduction of energy consumption, resource optimisation, the intelligent use of physical space and the wide flexibility help to reduce the environmental impact of data centers and IT infrastructures. Azure Stack HCI represents a step forward towards the adoption of more sustainable IT solutions, enabling organizations to optimize resources, reduce carbon emissions and promote more efficient and environmentally conscious management of IT resources.

Maximize the performance of Azure Stack HCI: discover the best configurations for networking

Hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) are increasingly popular as they allow you to simplify the management of the IT environment, reduce costs and scale easily when needed. Azure Stack HCI is the Microsoft solution that allows you to create a hyper-converged infrastructure for the execution of workloads in an on-premises environment and which provides a strategic connection to various Azure services to modernize your IT infrastructure. Properly configuring Azure Stack HCI networking is critical to ensuring security, application reliability and performance. In this article, the fundamentals of configuring Azure Stack HCI networking are explored, learning more about available networking options and best practices for networking design and configuration.

There are different network models that you can take as a reference to design, deploy and configure Azure Stack HCI. The following paragraphs show the main aspects to consider in order to direct the possible implementation choices at the network level.

Number of nodes that make up the Azure Stack HCI cluster

A single Azure Stack HCI cluster can consist of a single node and can scale up to 16 nodes.

If the cluster consists of a single server at the physical level it is recommended to provide the following network components, also shown in the image:

single TOR switch (L2 or L3) for north-south traffic;
two-four teamed network ports to handle management and computational traffic connected to the switch;

Furthermore, optionally it is possible to provide the following components:

two RDMA NIC, useful if you plan to add a second server to the cluster to scale your setup;
a BMC card for remote management of the environment.

Figure 1 – Network architecture for an Azure Stack HCI cluster consisting of a single server

If your Azure Stack HCI cluster consists of two or more nodes you need to investigate the following parameters.

Need for Top-Of-Rack switches (TOR) and its level of redundancy

For Azure Stack HCI clusters consisting of two or more nodes, in production environment, the presence of two TOR switches is strongly recommended, so that we can tolerate communication disruptions regarding north-south traffic, in case of failure or maintenance of the single physical switch.

If the Azure Stack HCI cluster is made up of two nodes, you can avoid providing a switch connectivity for storage traffic.

Two-node configuration without TOR switch for storage communication

In an Azure Stack HCI cluster that consists of only two nodes, to reduce switch costs, perhaps going to use switches already in possession, storage RDMA NICs can be connected in full-mesh mode.

In certain scenarios, which include for example branch office, or laboratories, the following network model can be adopted which provides for a single TOR switch. By applying this pattern, you get cluster-wide fault tolerance, and is suitable if interruptions in north-south connectivity can be tolerated when the single physical switch fails or requires maintenance.

Figure 2 – Network architecture for an Azure Stack HCI cluster consisting of two servers, without storage switches and with a single TOR switch

Although the SDN services L3 are fully supported for this scheme, routing services such as BGP will need to be configured on the firewall device that sits on top of the TOR switch, if this does not support L3 services.

If you want to obtain greater fault tolerance for all network components, the following architecture can be provided, which provides two redundant TOR switches:

Figure 3 – Network architecture for an Azure Stack HCI cluster consisting of two servers, without storage switches and redundant TOR switches

The SDN services L3 are fully supported by this scheme. Routing services such as BGP can be configured directly on TOR switches if they support L3 services. Features related to network security do not require additional configuration for the firewall device, since they are implemented at the virtual network adapter level.

At the physical level, it is recommended to provide the following network components for each server:

two-four teamed network ports, to handle management and computational traffic, connected to the TOR switches;
two RDMA NICs in a full-mesh configuration for east-west traffic for storage. Each cluster node must have a redundant connection to the other cluster node;
as optional, a BMC card for remote management of the environment.

In both cases the following connectivities are required:

Networks	Management and computational	Storage	BMC
Network speed	At least 1 GBps, 10 GBps recommended	At least 10 GBps	Tbd
Type of interface	RJ45, SFP+ or SFP28	SFP+ or SFP28	RJ45
Ports and aggregation	Twofour ports in teaming	Two standalone ports	One port

Two or more node configuration using TOR switches also for storage communication

When you expect an Azure Stack HCI cluster composed of more than two nodes or if you don't want to preclude the possibility of being able to easily add more nodes to the cluster, it is also necessary to merge the traffic concerning the storage from the TOR switches. In these scenarios, a configuration can be envisaged where dedicated network cards are maintained for storage traffic (non-converged), as shown in the following picture:

Figure 4 – Network architecture for an Azure Stack HCI cluster consisting of two or more servers, redundant TOR switches also used for storage traffic and non-converged configuration

At the physical level, it is recommended to provide the following network components for each server:

two teamed NICs to handle management and computational traffic. Each NIC is connected to a different TOR switch;
two RDMA NICs in standalone configuration. Each NIC is connected to a different TOR switch. SMB multi-channel functionality ensures path aggregation and fault tolerance;
as optional, a BMC card for remote management of the environment.

These are the connections provided:

Networks	Management and computational	Storage	BMC
Network speed	At least 1 GBps, 10 GBps recommended	At least 10 GBps	Tbd
Type of interface	RJ45, SFP+ or SFP28	SFP+ or SFP28	RJ45
Ports and aggregation	Two ports in teaming	Two standalone ports	One port

Another possibility to consider is a "fully-converged" configuration of the network cards, as shown in the following image:

Figure 5 – Network architecture for an Azure Stack HCI cluster consisting of two or more servers, redundant TOR switches also used for storage traffic and fully-converged configuration

The latter solution is preferable when:

bandwidth requirements for north-south traffic do not require dedicated cards;
the physical ports of the switches are a small number;
you want to keep the costs of the solution low.

At the physical level, it is recommended to provide the following network components for each server:

two teamed RDMA NICs for traffic management, computational and storage. Each NIC is connected to a different TOR switch. SMB multi-channel functionality ensures path aggregation and fault tolerance;
as optional, a BMC card for remote management of the environment.

These are the connections provided:

Networks	Management, computational and storage	BMC
Network speed	At least 10 GBps	Tbd
Type of interface	SFP+ or SFP28	RJ45
Ports and aggregation	Two ports in teaming	One port

SDN L3 services are fully supported by both of the above models. Routing services such as BGP can be configured directly on TOR switches if they support L3 services. Features related to network security do not require additional configuration for the firewall device, since they are implemented at the virtual network adapter level.

Type of traffic that must pass through the TOR switches

To choose the most suitable TOR switches it is necessary to evaluate the network traffic that will flow from these network devices, which can be divided into:

management traffic;
computational traffic (generated by the workloads hosted by the cluster), which can be divided into two categories:
- standard traffic;
- SDN traffic;
storage traffic.

Microsoft has recently changed its approach to this. In fact,, TOR switches are no longer required to meet every network requirement regarding various features, regardless of the type of traffic for which the switch is used. This allows you to have physical switches supported according to the type of traffic they carry and allows you to choose from a greater number of network devices at a lower cost, but always of quality.

In this document lists the required industry standards for specific network switch roles used in Azure Stack HCI implementations. These standards help ensure reliable communication between nodes in Azure Stack HCI clusters. In this section instead, the switch models supported by the various vendors are shown, based on the type of traffic expected.

Conclusions

Properly configuring Azure Stack HCI networking is critical to ensuring that hyper-converged infrastructure runs smoothly, ensuring security, optimum performance and reliability. This article covered the basics of configuring Azure Stack HCI networking, analyzing the available network options. The advice is to always carefully plan the networking aspects of Azure Stack HCI, choosing the most appropriate network option for your business needs and following implementation best practices.

The cost model for Azure Stack HCI (12/2022)

Technologies from different vendors are available on the market that allow you to build hyper-converged infrastructures (HCI). Microsoft in this sector offers an innovative solution called Azure Stack HCI, deployed as an Azure service, that allows you to achieve high performance, with advanced security features and native integration with various Azure services. This article describes how much you need to invest to get the Azure Stack HCI solution and what aspects you can consider to structure the cost model as you like..

Premise: OPEX vs CAPEX

The term CAPEX (contraction from CAPital EXpenditure, ie capital expenditures) indicates the cost of developing or providing durable assets for a product or system.

Its counterpart, operational expenditure or OPEX (from the English term OPerational EXpenditure) is the cost of managing a product, a solution or a system. These are also called costs O&M (Operation and Maintenance) or operating and management costs.

CAPEX costs usually require a budget and a spending plan. Also for these reasons, companies generally prefer to incur OPEX costs, as they are easier to plan and manage.

Clarify these concepts, now let's see the Azure Stack HCI cost model and how to get a totally OPEX model.

Hardware costs

In order to activate the Azure Stack HCI solution, it is necessary to have on-premise hardware to run the dedicated operating system of the solution and to run the various workloads. There are two possibilities:

Azure Stack HCI Integrated Systems: determined by the vendor, offer specially structured and integrated systems for this solution, that provide an appliance-like experience. These solutions also include integrated support, jointly between the vendor and Microsoft.
Azure Stack HCI validated nodes: implementation takes place using hardware specifically tested and validated by a vendor. In this way you can customize the hardware solution according to your needs, going to configure the processor, memory, storage and features of network adapters, but respecting the supplier's compatibility matrices. There are several hardware vendors that offer suitable solutions to runAzure Stack HCI and can be consulted by accessingthis link. Most implementations are done in this way.

Figure 1 - Hardware deployment scenarios

Also for the hardware it is possible to make some evaluations to adopt a cost model based on rental. In fact,, major vendors such as HPE, Dell and Lenovo, are able to offer the necessary hardware in "infrastructure as-a-service" mode, through a payment model based on use.

Azure costs

Despite being running on premise, Azure Stack HCI provides for billing based on Azure subscription, just like any other service in Microsoft's public cloud.

Azure Stack HCI offers a free trial period that allows you to evaluate the solution in detail. The duration of this period is equal to 60 days and starts from when you complete the registration of the cluster environment in Azure.

At the end of the trial period, the model is simple and costs “10 € / physical core / month"*. The cost is therefore given by the total of physical cores present in the processors of the Azure Stack HCI cluster. This model does not provide for a minimum or a maximum on the number of physical cores licensed, much less limits on the activation duration.

Financial benefits for customers with a Software Assurance agreement

Customers who have Windows Server Datacenter licenses with active Software Assurance, can activate’Azure Hybrid Benefit also for Azure Stack HCI cluster. To activate this benefit, at no additional cost, you will need to exchange a Windows Server Datacenter core license with Software Assurance for an Azure Stack HCI physical core. This aspect allows to zero the Azure costs for the Azure Stack HCI host fee and provides the right to run an unlimited number of Windows Server guest virtual machines on the Azure Stack HCI cluster.

Furthermore, Azure Hybrid Benefits can also be activated for Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). In this case, Windows Server StandardDatacenter licenses with active Software Assurance are required, or the presence of a Cloud Solution Provider subscription (CSP). Each Windows Server core license entitles you to use an AKS virtual core.

In the following image it is summarized as, customers with Software Assurance, can use Azure Hybrid Benefit to further reduce costs in the cloud, in on-premises datacenters and peripheral offices.

Figure 2 – What is included in the Azure Hybrid Benefit for customers in Software Assurance

Specifically for customers with a Software Assurance agreement, the adoption of Azure Stack HCI translates into a drastic reduction in the costs of modernizing the virtualization environment, making this solution even more competitive from a cost point of view compared to competitors on the market. To consult in detail the licensing requirements you can refer to this document.

Costs for guest VMs

The Azure costs listed in the previous paragraph do not include the operating system costs for guest machines running in the Azure Stack HCI environment. This aspect is also common to other HCI platforms, like Nutanix and VMware vSAN.

The following image shows how the licensing of guest operating systems can take place:

Figure 3 – Licensing of guest operating systems

Costs for Windows Server virtual machines

There are mainly two options for licensing Windows Server guest machines in Azure Stack HCI:

Buy Windows Server licenses (CAPEX mode), Standard or Datacenter, which include the right to activate the OS of guest virtual machines. The Standard Edition may be suitable if the number of Windows Server guest machines is limited, while if there are several Windows Server guest systems, it is advisable to evaluate the Datacenter Edition which gives the right to activate an unlimited number of virtualized Windows Server systems.
Pay for the Windows Server license for guest systems through your Azure subscription, just like in Azure environment. Choosing this option will incur a cost (OPEX) bet a “€22.4 / physical core / month ”* to be able to activate an unlimited number of Windows Server guest systems in the Azure Stack HCI environment.

*Costs estimated for the West Europe region and subject to change. For more details on the costs of Azure Stack HCI you can consult the Microsoft's official page.

Charges for other workloads running on Azure Stack HCI

The result we intend to pursue with the Azure Stack HCI infrastructure is to be able to run in an on-premises environment, not just virtual machines, but the same Microsoft public cloud workloads. To achieve this Microsoft is bringing the most popular Azure workloads to Azure Stack HCI and the following cost considerations apply to each of them:

Azure Kubernetes Service: the configuration of the K8s Arc enabled cluster is free **.
Azure Arc-enabled data services:
- For SQL Server, customers can purchase SQL Server licenses in CAPEX mode or, who already has SQL licenses, can use Azure Hybrid Benefit for Azure Arc-enabled SQL Managed Instance, without having to pay the SQL license again.
- If you want to switch to an OPEX model, you can obtain Microsoft SQL Server licenses through Microsoft's Azure Arc-enabled data services **.
Azure Virtual Desktop:
- User access rights for Azure Virtual Desktop. The same licenses that grant access to Azure virtual desktops in the cloud also apply to Azure Virtual Desktop in Azure Stack HCI.
- Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid Service Fee. This fee is charged for each virtual CPU (vCPU) used by Azure Virtual Desktop session hosts running in Azure Stack HCI environment.

**For more details on Azure Arc costs you can consult this page.

Support costs

Azure Stack HCI, being in effect an Azure solution, is covered by Azure support with the following features:

A choice is provided between several Azure support plans, depending on your needs. Basic support is free, but in certain scenarios it is recommended that you at least consider Standard support, which provides a fixed monthly cost.
Technical support is provided by a team of experts dedicated to supporting the Azure Stack HCI solution and can be easily requested directly from the Azure portal.

Conclusions

Azure Stack HCI allows you to bring cloud innovation into your data center and at the same time create a strategic link to Azure. In the era of hybrid datacenters, a solution like Azure Stack HCI, allows you to structure the cost model at will and to have maximum flexibility. There are several vendors on the market offering solutions to build hyper-converged infrastructures (HCI) hybrid, and Azure Stack HCI can be very competitive, not only from the point of view of functionality, but also from the point of view of costs.

4 good reasons to choose Azure Stack HCI

Cloud computing is increasingly popular for companies looking to simplify management and achieve greater scalability of their IT environment. However, many organizations continue to use infrastructure at their datacenters for a variety of reasons, ranging from the need to ensure support for legacy workloads, the need to comply with specific technical and regulatory requirements. This article discusses the top reasons why you should consider adopting Azure Stack HCI over other on-premises virtualization solutions.

Azure Stack HCI is the Microsoft solution that allows you to create a hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) for running workloads in an on-premises environment and that provides a strategic connection to various Azure services. Azure Stack HCI was specifically designed by Microsoft to help customers modernize their hybrid datacenter, offering a complete and familiar Azure experience in an on-premises environment. If there is an insight into the Microsoft Azure Stack HCI solution, I invite you to read this article or to view this video.

Figure 1 – Overview of Azure Stack HCI

Interacting with customers on a daily basis, I am often asked why they should choose Azure Stack HCI over other known solutions that have been on the market for a long time. In the following paragraphs I report those that, in my view, are the main reasons that lead to the adoption of Azure Stack HCI.

1. Modernize your on-premises infrastructure by bringing innovation

Azure Stack HCI is not synonymous with a virtualization environment, but it allows you to achieve much more. In fact,, it is ideal if you want to modernize your infrastructure, adopting a hyper-converged architecture that allows you to:

Activate virtual machines relying on consolidated technologies that make the environment stable and highly available, also particularly suitable for workloads that require high performance and high scalability.
Deploy and manage modern applications based on micro-services, parallel to virtual machines, on the same cluster environment, adopting Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). As well as being able to run containerized Windows and Linux apps, AKS provides the infrastructure to run services PaaS selected of the Azure platform in an on-premises environment, thanks to Azure Arc.
Activate virtual machines with Windows Server 2022 Azure Datacenter edition, which offers specific features not available in the classic Standard and Datacenter editions. To learn more about the features available in this edition, you can consult this article.
Create session host pools of Azure Virtual Desktop using virtual machines running on-premises. This hybrid scenario becomes interesting in situations where applications are sensitive to latency, such as video editing, or scenarios where users need to take advantage of a legacy system present on-premises that cannot be easily reached.
Extend the functionality of the on-premises solution by connecting to various Azure services such as Azure Site Recovery, Azure Backup, Azure Monitor and Defender for Cloud. This aspect guarantees a constant innovation, given the continuous evolution of cloud services.

2. Optimize costs

The cost model for Azure Stack HCI, described in detail in this article, is very simple.

In particular, for customers with a Software Assurance contract, the adoption of Azure Stack HCI translates into a drastic reduction in the costs of modernizing the virtualization environment, making this solution even more competitive from a cost point of view compared to competitors on the market. Recently, doing a cost comparison between Azure Stack HCI and VMware vSphere + vSAN on a projection of 3 years, it emerged as Azure Stack HCI allows you to save up to 40%.

3. Increase the level of security

Azure Stack HCI offers cross-security across hardware and firmware, integrated into the functionalities of the operating system, that can help protect servers from advanced threats. In fact,, Azure Stack HCI systems, can adopt the security features of Secured-core, all through an easy setup experience from the Windows Admin Center.

Furthermore, Azure Stack HCI allows you to get free, just like in Azure, important security patches for Microsoft's legacy products that are past their end of support, through the Extended Security Update program (ESU). Currently applies to Windows Server 2008/R2 and will soon also apply to Windows Server 2012/R2 when end of support is reached, in addition to the corresponding versions of SQL Server. This allows you to have more time to undertake an application modernization process, without neglecting the safety aspects.

4. Maximize the investments already made

Azure Stack HCI can integrate with your existing environment as well as popular third-party solutions. Therefore, the adoption of this solution does not require new investments to introduce or adapt the management solutions, identity, security and protection.

In particular, the administrative management of Azure Stack HCI does not require specific software, but you can use existing management tools such as Admin Center, PowerShell, System Center Virtual Machine Manager and even third-party tools. Furthermore, by adopting Azure Stack HCI and Azure Arc it is possible to apply the cloud management models also to the on-premises environment, greatly simplifying the user experience.

Azure Stack HCI allows you to take full advantage of not only the investments already made in terms of tools, but also with regard to the skills of the IT staff.

Conclusions

Microsoft brings cloud innovation and experience managing one of the world's largest data centers to Azure Stack HCI. Customers, in turn, by adopting Azure Stack HCI they can modernize their on-premises datacenter, safeguarding the investments made and future ones, without neglecting the aspects related to security and integration. The reasons described in this article are particularly important, to the point of having already led several customers to choose Azure Stack HCI over other solutions in this area.

Azure Stack HCI: the constantly evolving hyper-converged solution – edition of November 2022

Azure Stack HCI is the solution that allows you to create a hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) for running workloads in an on-premises environment and that provides a strategic connection to various Azure services. Azure Stack HCI is also considered as a hybrid service of Azure and as such it is constantly evolving. Microsoft recently introduced a series of new features that pave the way for new Azure Stack HCI adoption scenarios and allow you to better manage your hybrid infrastructure based on this solution.. This article reports the main aspects that have undergone an evolution and the new features recently introduced in Azure Stack HCI.

Financial benefits for customers with a Software Assurance agreement

In the following image it is summarized as, customers with Software Assurance, can use Azure Hybrid Benefit to further reduce costs in the cloud, in on-premises datacenters and peripheral offices.

Figure 1 – What is included in the Azure Hybrid Benefit for customers in Software Assurance

22H2 update

The new update, known as “version 22H2” or “22H2 feature update”, has been officially released and is ready for use in the production environment. This version brings higher quality on several fronts of the solution.

The following points summarize the various features and the various improvements introduced to the Azure Stack HCI operating system, version 22H2:

Network ATC v2 is able to automatically assign IP addresses to intra-cluster storage networks and automatically name cluster networks based on their intended use. It can also manage the live migration settings, such as network selection, transport and bandwidth allocation.
Storage management is more flexible as existing storage volumes can be modified to increase their resilience (for example, passing from a two-way to a three-way mirror) or perform an in-place conversion from fixed provisioning to a thin one.
Storage replication in a stretched cluster is faster with the new optional compression capability.
Hyper-V live migration is more reliable for clusters to 2 and 3 nodes without the presence of specific switches.
On the networking side, a new tag-based network segmentation option is also available, which helps protect virtualized workloads from threats based on custom tags that are assigned.

To consult all the details relating to the 22H2 version you can consult this document.

All existing Azure Stack HCI clusters can receive the 22H2 update as a free over-the-air update and you can apply the update without interruption thanks to the cluster-aware update. Microsoft recommends version 22H2 for all new Azure Stack HCI implementations.

The management tools have also been revamped to support the functionality of this new update. In fact,, you can use Windows Admin Center to manage version 22H2. Furthermore, compatibility with System Center Virtual Machine Manager and Operations Manager is maintained, thanks to the first Update Rollup (UR1) for System Center 2022, which will add official support for Azure Stack HCI, version 22H2.

Azure Arc-enabled VM management

By adopting Azure Stack HCI and Azure Arc, cloud management models can also be applied to the on-premises environment. Earlier this year, Microsoft released the public preview for managing Azure Arc-enabled virtual machines, which allows you to deploy virtual machines on Azure Stack HCI via ARM, Azure CLI and Azure portal.

In this context, important new features have been introduced:

In addition to the use of customized images, images can now be accessed directly from the Azure Marketplace. This allows you to quickly deploy the latest fully updated Microsoft images, including Windows Server 2022 Azure Edition with hotpatching and Windows 11 Enterprise multi-session for Azure Virtual Desktop. Third party images will also be available in the future. This feature is natively integrated into Azure Arc and is designed to respect network bandwidth. In fact,, the images are optimized to minimize file size and you only need to download them once to create even several virtual machines.
When deploying a new VM in Azure Stack HCI through Azure Arc, the guest operating system is now automatically Arc-enabled. This means it is possible to use extensions for VMs, as Domain Join or Custom Script to deploy and configure applications. Other extensions will also be available in the future.

Azure Hybrid Kubernetes Service

Many enterprises have a mix of deprecated virtualization applications and new container-based applications. By adopting Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) in the Azure Stack HCI environment it is possible to distribute and manage containerized applications in parallel with virtual machines, on the same physical server or cluster environment.

The update of September 2022 for AKS on Azure Stack HCI has introduced some significant improvements, including:

The Linux container base image has been updated to Mariner 2.0, which is smaller in size and safer.
The integration of software-defined networking (SDN) is available and ready for use in the production environment.
The procedure for connecting GPUs to containers has been simplified.
Introduces the ability to use any account in the system Administrators group to manage AKS.

The ability to provision hybrid AKS clusters directly from Azure was also recently introduced, using an AAD identity. The distribution of new Kubernetes clusters in the on-premises environment is done through the Arc Resource Bridge, very similar to managing Arc-enabled virtual machines. This is an important evolution towards a simple and consistent end-to-end application provisioning experience, that embraces the cloud and the edge.

Hardware designed, shipped and supported directly by Microsoft

Microsoft announced that in the 2023 will offer a hardware-based Azure Stack HCI system designed, shipped and supported directly from the house in Redmond.

The solution, called “Pro 2”, has the following features:

Compact form factor of only 2U at half depth, also ideal for deployments outside the data center (ex. retail, manufacturing and healthcare environments).
Tamper resistant.
Quiet enough for an office environment, generating less than 60 dBA of acoustic noise.
Orderable directly from the Azure portal and supplied with pre-installed Azure Stack HCI.
Available in different configurations, with specifications suitable for different use cases.
Hardware management fully integrated with existing cluster management tools, including a new Windows Admin Center extension under development.

This upcoming release enables customers to adopt a consistent business model between the cloud and the edge: an OPEX payment model with the possibility of using Azure commitments to obtain a complete Microsoft solution, including hardware.

Conclusions

Thanks to constant improvement, the continuous introduction of new features and the inclusion of new usage scenarios, Microsoft's proposition for hyper-converged scenarios is increasingly complete, integrated and performing. Azure Stack HCI integrates perfectly with the existing on-premises environment and offers an important added value: the ability to connect Azure Stack HCI with other Azure services to obtain a hybrid hyper-converged solution. This aspect in particular strongly differentiates it from other competitors who offer solutions in this area.

The cost model for Azure Stack HCI

Technologies from different vendors are available on the market that allow you to build hyper-converged infrastructures (HCI). Microsoft in this sector offers an innovative solution called Azure Stack HCI, deployed as an Azure service, that allows you to achieve high performance, the latest security features and native integration with Azure services. This article describes how much you need to invest to get the Azure Stack HCI solution and what aspects you can consider to structure the cost model as you like..

Premise: OPEX vs CAPEX

The term CAPEX (contraction from CAPital EXpenditure, ie capital expenditures) indicates the cost of developing or providing durable assets for a product or system.

CAPEX costs usually require a budget and a spending plan. Also for these reasons, companies generally prefer to incur OPEX costs, as they are easier to plan and manage.

Clarify these concepts, now let's see the Azure Stack HCI cost model and how to get a totally OPEX model.

Hardware costs

Azure Stack HCI Integrated Systems: determined by the vendor, offer specially structured and integrated systems for this solution, that provide an appliance-like experience. These solutions also include integrated support, jointly between the vendor and Microsoft.
Azure Stack HCI validated nodes: implementation takes place using hardware specifically tested and validated by a vendor. In this way you can customize the hardware solution according to your needs, going to configure the processor, memory, storage and features of network adapters, but respecting the supplier's compatibility matrices. There are several hardware vendors that offer suitable solutions to run Azure Stack HCIand can be consulted by accessing this link. Most implementations are done in this way.

Figure 1 - Hardware deployment scenarios

Azure costs

Despite being running on premise, Azure Stack HCI provides for billing based on Azure subscription, just like any other service in Microsoft's public cloud.

Costs for Windows Server machines

Buy Windows Server licenses (CAPEX mode), Standard or Datacenter, which include the right to activate the OS of guest virtual machines. The Standard Edition may be suitable if the number of Windows Server guest machines is limited, while if there are several Windows Server guest systems, it is advisable to evaluate the Datacenter Edition which gives the right to activate an unlimited number of virtualized Windows Server systems.
Pay for the Windows Server license for guest systems through your Azure subscription, just like in Azure environment. Choosing this option will incur a cost (OPEX) equal to "22.2 € / physical core / month ”* to be able to activate an unlimited number of Windows Server guest systems in the Azure Stack HCI environment.

*Costs estimated for the West Europe region and subject to change. For more details on the costs of Azure Stack HCI you can consult the Microsoft's official page.

Charges for other workloads running on Azure Stack HCI

Azure Kubernetes Service: the configuration of the K8s Arc enabled cluster is free **.
Azure Arc-enabled data services:
- For SQL Server, customers can purchase SQL Server licenses in CAPEX mode or, who already has SQL licenses, can use Azure Hybrid Benefit for Azure Arc-enabled SQL Managed Instance, without having to pay the SQL license again.
- If you want to switch to an OPEX model, you can obtain Microsoft SQL Server licenses through Microsoft's Azure Arc-enabled data services **.
Azure Virtual Desktop:
- User access rights for Azure Virtual Desktop. The same licenses that grant access to Azure virtual desktops in the cloud also apply to Azure Virtual Desktop in Azure Stack HCI.
- Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid Service Fee. This fee is charged for each virtual CPU (vCPU) used by Azure Virtual Desktop session hosts running in Azure Stack HCI environment.

**For more details on Azure Arc costs you can consult this page.

Support costs

Azure Stack HCI, being in effect an Azure solution, is covered by Azure support with the following features:

A choice is provided between several Azure support plans, depending on your needs. Basic support is free, but in certain scenarios it is recommended that you at least consider Standard support, which provides a fixed monthly cost.
Support is provided by a team of experts dedicated to supporting the Azure Stack HCI solution.
You can easily request technical support directly from the Azure portal.

Conclusions

Azure Stack HCI allows you to bring cloud innovation into your datacenter and at the same time create a bridge to Azure. In the era of hybrid datacenters, a solution like Azure Stack HCI, allows you to structure the cost model as you wish and to have maximum flexibility. There are several vendors on the market offering solutions to build hyper-converged infrastructures (HCI) hybrid, and Azure Stack HCI can be very competitive, not only from the point of view of functionality, but also from the point of view of costs.

How to modernize your infrastructure and get the benefits of Azure with a single on-premises server

Azure Stack HCI is the Microsoft solution that allows you to create a hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) for running workloads in an on-premises environment and that provides a strategic connection to various Azure services. Microsoft recently introduced the ability to create an Azure Stack HCI cluster consisting of a single server. This possibility opens up new scenarios regarding the adoption of this solution. This article reports the main use cases, the aspects to consider and the benefits that can be obtained by activating Azure Stack HCI on a single server system.

In a hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI), several hardware components are removed, substitutes from the software, able to combine the layer of compute, storage and network in one solution. In this way there is a transition from a traditional "three tier" infrastructure, composed of network switches, appliance, physical systems with onboard hypervisors, storage fabric and SAN, toward hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI).

Figure 1 – "Three Tier" Infrastructure vs Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI)

Azure Stack HCI is a stack made up of hardware and software that customers also use for the potential of simple integration with the Microsoft Azure cloud.

Use cases of Azure Stack HCI consisting of multiple nodes

The use of a standard Azure Stack HCI configuration consisting of multiple nodes is suitable if:

You want to modernize your infrastructure, adopting a simple hyper-converged architecture based on established technologies. Ideal for both existing workloads in the main datacenter and for branch office scenarios that require high resilience.
You want to provide for an extension of the functionality of the on-premises solution, which guarantees resilience, connecting to Azure. This aspect guarantees a constant innovation, the evolution of cloud services and the possibility to take advantage of a common set of tools, simplifying the user experience.
You want a suitable solution to host workloads that require high performance and high scalability.
It is considered useful to innovate your datacenter, as you have the ability to activate AKS clusters and deploy cloud native apps and Azure Arc-enabled services in high availability. All this thanks to the tight integration of AKS in the Azure Stack HCI environment.

Figure 2 - Use cases of Azure Stack HCI with multiple nodes

Use cases of Azure Stack HCI with a single node

Thanks to the possibility of activating an Azure Stack HCI cluster even with a single server, it is possible to contemplate new usage scenarios, including:

Activation of Azure Stack HCI in environments where there are no particular needs in terms of resilience, such as branch offices.
Adoption of a solution in environments where the ability to scale easily is required, starting initially from a single node to potentially go up to 16 nodes, if necessary.
Need to activate a solution with a small footprint, perhaps in locations with physical space constraints and at the same time allowing to keep hardware costs and operating costs low.
Ability to create and maintain test and development environments more easily.

Comparison between single node and multi-node Azure Stack HCI clusters

From the point of view of functionality, Azure Stack HCI clusters made up of a single node offer a feature set that is very similar to traditional clusters made up of multiple nodes, like:

Native integration with Azure Arc, key element for innovation and modernization of the infrastructure.
Ability to add servers horizontally to increase the scalability of the cluster environment.
Integration with Azure services.
Support for the same workloads, like Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS).

For a complete comparison of the features you can consult this Microsoft's document.

Single node Azure Stack HCI clusters currently have the following limitations:

Installation must be done using PowerShell commands and configuration support is not yet available through the Windows Admin Center.
They are resilient to some errors, for example the presence of a failed disk, but the limited capabilities in terms of resilience dictate that they must be composed of only one type of disk drive, NVMe or SSD (not combinable with each other). This implies that there is no possibility of having cache levels.
Not all hardware vendors currently have supported solutions. To check availability, you can consult the Microsoft catalog of Azure Stack HCI solutions.

Conclusions

The possibility of activating an Azure Stack HCI cluster with only one physical server introduces greater flexibility and greatly expands the possibilities of adopting this solution. Furthermore, this choice denotes how Azure Stack HCI is the future of virtualization and software-defined solutions at Microsoft. By adopting Azure Stack HCI it is possible to bring innovation even within your datacenter thanks to a solution that is constantly updated and able to easily integrate with Azure services.