Azure Local Unleashed

Hybrid and edge computing have become essential for organizations that need cloud innovation with local control, compliance, resilience, low latency, and data sovereignty. Azure Local, together with Azure Arc, extends the Azure operating model to data centers, remote sites, and edge environments, enabling consistent management, security, and governance wherever workloads run.

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to designing, deploying, and operating Azure Local as part of a modern hybrid strategy. It starts with adaptive cloud foundations, then explores sovereignty and compliance, and the key decisions for installation and configuration. Readers will learn how Azure Local supports virtual machines, Kubernetes, AVD and modern applications, and how Azure Arc simplifies operations through unified management, patching, security, policy, monitoring, and reporting.

By the end of this book, IT leaders, architects, platform engineers, and cloud professionals will be able to evaluate when Azure Local is the right choice, design sustainable hybrid architectures, and operate distributed environments with confidence and control.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
● Understand Azure Local for hybrid and edge scenarios.
● Plan hardware, networking, storage, and deployment requirements.
● Deploy and configure Azure Local using practical guidance.
● Run VMs, Kubernetes, AVD, and AI workloads locally.
● Manage distributed environments consistently with Azure Arc.
● Explore edge AI and future hybrid cloud strategies.

WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR
This book is for IT leaders, cloud architects, infrastructure architects, platform engineers, system administrators, consultants, and technology decision-makers who design, deploy, or manage hybrid and edge environments. It is also valuable for professionals evaluating Azure Local, Azure Arc, cloud governance, modernization strategies, and distributed workload placement.

1. Introduction to Adaptive Cloud
2. Cloud Sovereignty and Regulatory Compliance
3. Business and Operational Strengths of Azure Local
4. Installation and Configuration of Azure Local
5. A Platform for All Your Apps
6. Simplifying IT Operations with Azure Arc
7. Real-world Use Cases and Competitive Landscape
8. AI at the Edge and Unlocking New Business Models with Azure Local
9. Future of Hybrid and Edge Computing with Azure Local

● Francesco Molfese is a C-level executive and cloud leader with extensive experience in cloud strategy, hybrid architectures, networking, and modern infrastructure. He leads strategic initiatives from vision to execution, defining priorities, roadmaps, governance models, and business outcomes.

He has a strong background in Microsoft Azure, hybrid cloud, cloud governance, and infrastructure modernization, with a constant focus on reliability, security, and operational consistency. Since 2016, Francesco has been a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) in cloud and datacenter management.

Francesco is also community lead of cloud community, an Italian reference point for cloud management and governance. Through the community, he contributes to sharing news, insights, and practical knowledge about cloud technologies, with a strong focus on business needs and real-world adoption. He is also a frequent speaker at major IT Pro conferences.

● Silvio Di Benedetto is CEO and senior consultant at Inside Technologies and has over twenty years of experience in hybrid cloud, security, compliance, and modern infrastructure design. He has been a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) in cloud and datacenter management since 2012 and has collaborated extensively with Microsoft product teams across Windows Server, Azure Local, security, and modern workplace management.

Silvio is a frequent speaker at leading IT conferences, a conference organizer, an active technical author, and a community lead of Windows Server since 2005, with a strong focus on helping organizations modernize infrastructure while improving governance and operational efficiency.