From 9e4a36899f2fd69a3fcb591c41153fc0411553a7 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Karl Wester-Ebbinghaus <45657752+Karl-WE@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2026 13:27:29 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 01/14] Revise driver and firmware installation instructions

Updated guidance regarding driver and firmware installation for Azure Local 23H2 or later, specifying changes in the use of Windows Admin Center plugins and introducing OEM SBE packages for solutions.
---
 azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md | 3 ++-
 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md b/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
index 30ec304e28..152714a288 100644
--- a/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
+++ b/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
@@ -286,7 +286,8 @@ Check with your OEM regarding the necessary firmware that needs to be installed
 
 ## Drivers and firmware via the Windows Admin Center extension
 
-You should always follow the OEM's recommended installation steps. With Azure Local, Windows Admin Center plugins can be used to install drivers and firmware. For a comprehensive list of all OEM contact information, download the [Azure Local OEM Contact](https://github.com/Azure/AzureStack-Tools/raw/master/HCI/azure-stack-hci-oem-contact-and-material.xlsx) spreadsheet.
+You should always follow the OEM's recommended installation steps. With Azure Local 23H2 or later, Windows Admin Center plugins may no longer be used plugins to install drivers and firmware. Please leverage OEM SBE packages depending for Integrated and Validated solutions. Premier solutions will update their firmware and driver automatically.
+For a comprehensive list of all OEM contact information, download the [Azure Local OEM Contact](https://github.com/Azure/AzureStack-Tools/raw/master/HCI/azure-stack-hci-oem-contact-and-material.xlsx) spreadsheet.
 
 <!--|OEM    | Download link                                                    |
 |-------|------------------------------------------------------------------|

From 232949dd03ebf736e94b1238cc08413e4663636a Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Karl Wester-Ebbinghaus <45657752+Karl-WE@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2026 14:33:34 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 02/14] Update system requirements for Azure Local to version
 24H2

Updated the document to reflect changes from version 23H2 to 24H2, including system requirements and additional notes on hardware and deployment.


Major changes

Headlines and structure
replaced dotted information about drives into readable table thanks copilot

placed OEM information at the bottom
removed duplicate links for OEM.

added clarity about drive configuration and external SAN support
plus links.

revised the information about Windows Admin Center extension for firmware (wrong)

added information about driver and firmware management in common cases and the specialty of each solution category
---
 .../concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md      | 122 ++++++++++--------
 1 file changed, 68 insertions(+), 54 deletions(-)

diff --git a/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md b/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
index 152714a288..c0eda08277 100644
--- a/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
+++ b/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ---
-title: System requirements for Azure Local, version 23H2
-description: How to choose machines, storage, and networking components for Azure Local, version 23H2.
+title: System requirements for Azure Local, version 24H2
+description: How to choose machines, storage, and networking components for Azure Local, version 24H2.
 author: alkohli
 ms.author: alkohli
 ms.topic: how-to
@@ -26,11 +26,12 @@ Here are the Azure requirements for your Azure Local instance:
    - [Pay-as-you-go](https://azure.microsoft.com/pricing/purchase-options/pay-as-you-go/) subscription with credit card.
    - Subscription obtained through an Enterprise Agreement (EA).
    - Subscription obtained through the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program.
+   - For more information see [Microsoft Product Terms > Online Services > Azure](https://www.microsoft.com/licensing/terms/productoffering/MicrosoftAzure/] and select your respective licensing program.
 
 - **Azure permissions**: Make sure that you're assigned the required roles and permissions for registration and deployment. For information on how to assign permissions, see [Assign Azure permissions for registration](../deploy/deployment-arc-register-server-permissions.md).
 - **Azure regions**: Azure Local is supported for the following regions:
 
-   # [Azure public](#tab/azure-public)
+   ### [Azure public](#tab/azure-public)
 
    These public regions support geographic locations worldwide, for clusters deployed anywhere in the world:
 
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ Here are the Azure requirements for your Azure Local instance:
    - South Central US
 
 
-   # [Azure Government](#tab/azure-government)
+   ### [Azure Government](#tab/azure-government)
 
    Regions supported in the Azure Government cloud:
 
@@ -56,7 +57,7 @@ Here are the Azure requirements for your Azure Local instance:
 
 ## Machine and storage requirements
 
-Microsoft Support may only be provided for Azure Local running on hardware listed in the [Azure Local catalog, or successor](https://aka.ms/azurelocalcatalog).
+Microsoft Support may only be provided for Azure Local running on hardware listed in the [Azure Local catalog](https://aka.ms/azurelocalcatalog).
 
 Before you begin, make sure that the physical machine and storage hardware used to deploy Azure Local meets the following requirements:
 
@@ -73,55 +74,53 @@ Before you begin, make sure that the physical machine and storage hardware used
 |Secure boot|Secure Boot must be present and turned on.|
 |GPU | Optional<br>Up to 192 GB GPU memory per machine. |
 
-
 ### Extra requirements for drives
 
-> [!NOTE]
+> [!IMPORTANT]
 > These drive requirements supercede those for Windows Server.
+>
+> The machines should also meet these extra requirements for drives:
+> For Storage Spaces Direct, have direct-attached drives that are physically attached to one machine each.
+>
+> Host-bus adapter (HBA) cards must implement simple pass-through mode for any storage devices used for Storage Spaces Direct.
+>
+> RAID controller cards or SAN (Fibre Channel, iSCSI, FCoE) storage, shared SAS enclosures connected to multiple machines, or any form of multi-path IO (MPIO) where drives are accessible by multiple paths, aren't supported.
+> Exceptions for SAN via Fibre Channel exist, see note below.
 
-The machines should also meet these extra requirements for drives:
-
-- Have direct-attached drives that are physically attached to one machine each. RAID controller cards or SAN (Fibre Channel, iSCSI, FCoE) storage, shared SAS enclosures connected to multiple machines, or any form of multi-path IO (MPIO) where drives are accessible by multiple paths, aren't supported.
-
-    > [!NOTE]
-    > Host-bus adapter (HBA) cards must implement simple pass-through mode for any storage devices used for Storage Spaces Direct.
-
-- **Drive Support**
-   - Supported drives: SATA, SAS, and NVMe (M.2, U.2, and add-in card).
-
-   - Supported formats: 512n, 512e, and 4K native.
-
-- **Deployment-specific requirements**
-
-   - **Single-node**: Use one drive type (NVMe or SSD) with uniform performance characteristics across drives.
-
-   - **Multi-node cluster**: Strongly recommend all-flash, single drive type (NVMe or SSD) with uniform performance.
-
-- **Hybrid two-tier requirements for HDD + flash**
+Here’s a clean, GitHub‑ready table that captures all your points in a structured, readable way.
 
-   - Hybrid two-tier is supported only when using HDD for capacity + flash (NVMe or SSD) for cache.
-
-   - Cache devices must be ≥ 32 GB.
-
-   - Cache-to-capacity ratio must be ≥ 15%.
+---
 
-   - Cache drives recommended to have high endurance: ≥ 3 DWPD or ≥ 4 TBW/day.
+## Drive & Deployment Requirements (GitHub Table)
 
-   - Number of capacity drives recommended to be whole multiple of cache drives.
+| Category | Requirements |
+|---------|--------------|
+| **Drive Support** | - SATA, SAS, NVMe (M.2, U.2, add‑in card)<br>- Supported formats: 512n, 512e, 4K native |
+| **Deployment Requirements** | **Single‑node:** One drive type (NVMe or SSD) with uniform performance.<br>**Multi‑node cluster:** Strongly recommended: all‑flash, single drive type (NVMe or SSD) with uniform performance. |
+| **Hybrid Two‑Tier (HDD + Flash)** | - Supported only with HDD for capacity + flash (NVMe or SSD) for cache.<br>- Cache devices ≥ 32 GB.<br>- Cache‑to‑capacity ratio ≥ 15%.<br>- Cache endurance recommended: ≥ 3 DWPD or ≥ 4 TBW/day.<br>- Number of capacity drives should be a whole multiple of cache drives. |
+| **NVMe Driver** | Uses Microsoft‑provided driver (`stornvme.sys`). |
+| **Flash Requirements** | Flash (NVMe or SSD) must include power‑loss protection. |
 
-- NVMe driver is the Microsoft-provided one included in Windows (driver filename is stornvme.sys).
+---
 
-- Flash (NVMe or SSD) must have power-loss protection.
+If you want, I can also format this as a collapsible section, add icons, or adapt it for documentation standards like MkDocs or Azure DevOps.
 
 For more feature-specific requirements for Hyper-V, see [System requirements for Hyper-V on Windows Server](/windows-server/virtualization/hyper-v/system-requirements-for-hyper-v-on-windows).
 
+> [!NOTE]
+> Notwithstanding to the requirements stated above, Azure Local Supports the usage of *additional* SAN via Fibre Channel (FC), currently in preview. Please consult your OEM about certified solutions.
+> See [External Storage Support for Azure Local](../concepts/external-storage-support.md)
+>
+> Albeit Storage Spaces Direct *remains required*, at the minimum for the Azure Local Infrastructure volume and the [Cluster Performance history](./windows-server/storage/storage-spaces/performance-history.md).
+and in addition to a required minimum of available Storage Spaces Direct (S2D), with a minimum of 2 physical disks per nodes. All requirements as stated above remain valid for Storage Spaces Direct, with exception of the attached SAN Storage. Please refer to this additional documentation.
+
 ## Networking requirements
 
 Azure Local requires connectivity to public endpoints in Azure, see [Firewall requirements](firewall-requirements.md) for details. Multi-machine deployments of Azure Local require a reliable high-bandwidth, low-latency network connection between each machine in the instance.
 
 Verify that physical switches in your network are configured to allow traffic on any VLANs you use. For more information, see [Physical network requirements for Azure Local](../concepts/physical-network-requirements.md).
 
-## Bandwidth requirements
+### Bandwidth requirements
 
 For hyperconverged clusters, limited-bandwidth connections, like rural T1 lines or satellite/cellular connections, are adequate for Azure Local to sync. The minimum required connectivity is 10 Mbit. More services might require extra bandwidth, especially to replicate or back up whole VMs, download large software updates, or upload verbose logs for analysis and monitoring in the cloud.
 
@@ -153,27 +152,37 @@ Before deploying Azure Local, ensure that your hardware is up to date by:
 - Determining the current version of your Solution Builder Extension (SBE) package.
 - Finding the best method to download, install, and update your SBE package.
 
-### OEM information
+## BIOS setting
 
-This section contains OEM contact information and links to OEM Azure Local reference material.
+Check with your OEM regarding the necessary generic BIOS settings for Azure Local. These settings may include hardware virtualization, TPM enabled, and secure core.
 
-| Azure Local Solution provider | Solution platform  | How to configure BIOS settings | How to update firmware | How to update drivers | How to update the system after it's running |
-|-----------------------|--------------------|--------------------------------|------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
-| Bluechip              | SERVERline R42203a *Certified for Azure Local*   | [bluechip Service & Support](https://service.bluechip.de/)     | [bluechip Service & Support](https://service.bluechip.de/) | [bluechip Service & Support](https://service.bluechip.de/) | [bluechip Service & Support](https://service.bluechip.de/) |
-| DataON                | AZS-XXXX    | [AZS-XXXX BIOS link](https://www.dataonstorage.com/ir72)     | [AZS-XXXX driver link](https://www.dataonstorage.com/469v) | [AZS-XXXX driver link](https://www.dataonstorage.com/469v)| [AZS-XXXX update link](https://www.dataonstorage.com/9kto) |
-| primeLine             | All models  | [Contact primeLine service](https://www.primeline-solutions.com/de/kontakt-und-service/)   | [Contact primeLine service](https://www.primeline-solutions.com/de/kontakt-und-service/)  | [Contact primeLine service](https://www.primeline-solutions.com/de/kontakt-und-service/) |     |
-| Supermicro            | BigTwin 2U 2-Node   | [Configure BIOS settings](https://www.supermicro.com/en/support/resources/downloadcenter/firmware/MBD-X11DPT-B/BIOS)   | [Firmware update process](https://www.supermicro.com/en/support/resources/downloadcenter/firmware/MBD-X11DPT-B/BMC)    | [Driver update process](https://www.supermicro.com/wdl/CDR_Images/CDR-X11/)     |     |
-| Thomas-krenn          | All models    | [Configure BIOS settings](https://thomas-krenn.com/azshci-bios)   | [Firmware update process](https://thomas-krenn.com/azshci-driver)  | [Driver update process](https://thomas-krenn.com/azshci-driver)  |    |
+### BIOS resets
+In the event of a BIOS, Secure Boot or TPM reset, it is advisable to consult with the OEM to ensure that the required optimised settings have been applied. 
+It has been demonstrated that sub-optimal configuration parameters can have a detrimental effect on performance, with instances including Networking, SR-IOV and the Azure Local Security baseline, such as Secured Core and BitLocker Security.
+Furthermore, wrong settings may result in the failure of instance deployment.
 
-For a comprehensive list of all OEM contact information, download the [Azure Local OEM Contact](https://github.com/Azure/AzureStack-Tools/raw/master/HCI/azure-stack-hci-oem-contact-and-material.xlsx) spreadsheet.
+## Managing Drivers and Firmware
 
-### BIOS setting
+Check with your OEM regarding the necessary drivers that need to be installed for Azure Local. Additionally, your OEM can provide you with their preferred installation steps.
 
-Check with your OEM regarding the necessary generic BIOS settings for Azure Local. These settings may include hardware virtualization, TPM enabled, and secure core.
+You should always follow the OEM's recommended installation steps. 
+For Integrated and Validated Solutions, when available, please check the respective compatibility matrix of the SBE and the driver and firmware compatiblity matrix of it with the Azure Local solution version.
+OEMs provide technical guidance for deployments that are complementary to the Microsoft Deployment documentation. These could be whitepapers or deployment guides.
 
-## Driver
+### Driver and Firmware updates using Windows Admin Center extensions
+Starting with Azure Local 23H2 or later, Windows Admin Center plugins may no longer be used to install drivers and firmware. It is safe using these on certified Azure Local Nodes running Windows Server S2D.
 
-Check with your OEM regarding the necessary drivers that need to be installed for Azure Local. Additionally, your OEM can provide you with their preferred installation steps.
+### Initial Deployment
+Premier and Integrated Solutions: These are delivered preinstalled and preconfigured will update their firmware and driver automatically.
+Validated Solutions: These may come preinstalled. The forementioned check or further sideloading update packages is required as per OEM recommendation
+
+### Instance or node redeployment
+Premier and Integrated Solutions: Some OEM provide ready to use ISO Images that matches the preinstalled and preconfigured version. 
+Validated Solutions: These may come preinstalled. The forementioned check or further sideloading update packages is required as per OEM recommendation
+
+### Update existing Firmware and drivers
+Premier Solutions will update their firmware and driver automatically.
+Integrated and Validated Solutions: Please leverage OEM SBE packages depending for solutions.
 
 ### Driver installation steps
 
@@ -280,13 +289,18 @@ You should always follow the OEM's recommended installation steps. If the OEM's
     MinorDriverVersion		: 0
     ```
 
-## Firmware
+# OEM information
 
-Check with your OEM regarding the necessary firmware that needs to be installed for Azure Local. Additionally, your OEM can provide you with their preferred installation steps.
+This section contains OEM contact information and links to OEM Azure Local reference material.
 
-## Drivers and firmware via the Windows Admin Center extension
+| Azure Local Solution provider | Solution platform  | How to configure BIOS settings | How to update firmware | How to update drivers | How to update the system after it's running |
+|-----------------------|--------------------|--------------------------------|------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
+| Bluechip              | SERVERline R42203a *Certified for Azure Local*   | [bluechip Service & Support](https://service.bluechip.de/)     | [bluechip Service & Support](https://service.bluechip.de/) | [bluechip Service & Support](https://service.bluechip.de/) | [bluechip Service & Support](https://service.bluechip.de/) |
+| DataON                | AZS-XXXX    | [AZS-XXXX BIOS link](https://www.dataonstorage.com/ir72)     | [AZS-XXXX driver link](https://www.dataonstorage.com/469v) | [AZS-XXXX driver link](https://www.dataonstorage.com/469v)| [AZS-XXXX update link](https://www.dataonstorage.com/9kto) |
+| primeLine             | All models  | [Contact primeLine service](https://www.primeline-solutions.com/de/kontakt-und-service/)   | [Contact primeLine service](https://www.primeline-solutions.com/de/kontakt-und-service/)  | [Contact primeLine service](https://www.primeline-solutions.com/de/kontakt-und-service/) |     |
+| Supermicro            | BigTwin 2U 2-Node   | [Configure BIOS settings](https://www.supermicro.com/en/support/resources/downloadcenter/firmware/MBD-X11DPT-B/BIOS)   | [Firmware update process](https://www.supermicro.com/en/support/resources/downloadcenter/firmware/MBD-X11DPT-B/BMC)    | [Driver update process](https://www.supermicro.com/wdl/CDR_Images/CDR-X11/)     |     |
+| Thomas-krenn          | All models    | [Configure BIOS settings](https://thomas-krenn.com/azshci-bios)   | [Firmware update process](https://thomas-krenn.com/azshci-driver)  | [Driver update process](https://thomas-krenn.com/azshci-driver)  |    |
 
-You should always follow the OEM's recommended installation steps. With Azure Local 23H2 or later, Windows Admin Center plugins may no longer be used plugins to install drivers and firmware. Please leverage OEM SBE packages depending for Integrated and Validated solutions. Premier solutions will update their firmware and driver automatically.
 For a comprehensive list of all OEM contact information, download the [Azure Local OEM Contact](https://github.com/Azure/AzureStack-Tools/raw/master/HCI/azure-stack-hci-oem-contact-and-material.xlsx) spreadsheet.
 
 <!--|OEM    | Download link                                                    |

From 5c148d98938c5245a13f6ee8bcd1ceb894773b6a Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Karl Wester-Ebbinghaus <45657752+Karl-WE@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2026 14:56:37 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 03/14] Revise drive requirements and OEM installation notes

Updated drive requirements section and clarified OEM installation steps. Added note about Azure Local support for additional SAN via Fibre Channel.

Sorry for the massive change. Reworked the document structure while reading it. OEM is now placed on the bottom as the former structure caused duplicate of backlinks

added clarification on

- SAN Support for Azure Local
- converted bullet points on drive characteristics into a readable table
- added notes and warnings where due - I mean it many still do not understand these critical things I've highlighted
- added information about BIOS reset
- reworked the former Driver and Firmware with WAC section as it it has dramatically changed. Included the most common scenarios since this concept page described it a bit but did not keep up with the changes and HW solution differences.


Hope you appreciate this work. It took a whole while.
---
 .../concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md      | 46 +++++++++----------
 1 file changed, 21 insertions(+), 25 deletions(-)

diff --git a/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md b/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
index c0eda08277..09b74fb831 100644
--- a/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
+++ b/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ Before you begin, make sure that the physical machine and storage hardware used
 |Secure boot|Secure Boot must be present and turned on.|
 |GPU | Optional<br>Up to 192 GB GPU memory per machine. |
 
-### Extra requirements for drives
+## Data Drive requirements
 
 > [!IMPORTANT]
 > These drive requirements supercede those for Windows Server.
@@ -87,33 +87,25 @@ Before you begin, make sure that the physical machine and storage hardware used
 > RAID controller cards or SAN (Fibre Channel, iSCSI, FCoE) storage, shared SAS enclosures connected to multiple machines, or any form of multi-path IO (MPIO) where drives are accessible by multiple paths, aren't supported.
 > Exceptions for SAN via Fibre Channel exist, see note below.
 
-Here’s a clean, GitHub‑ready table that captures all your points in a structured, readable way.
-
----
-
-## Drive & Deployment Requirements (GitHub Table)
-
 | Category | Requirements |
 |---------|--------------|
 | **Drive Support** | - SATA, SAS, NVMe (M.2, U.2, add‑in card)<br>- Supported formats: 512n, 512e, 4K native |
 | **Deployment Requirements** | **Single‑node:** One drive type (NVMe or SSD) with uniform performance.<br>**Multi‑node cluster:** Strongly recommended: all‑flash, single drive type (NVMe or SSD) with uniform performance. |
 | **Hybrid Two‑Tier (HDD + Flash)** | - Supported only with HDD for capacity + flash (NVMe or SSD) for cache.<br>- Cache devices ≥ 32 GB.<br>- Cache‑to‑capacity ratio ≥ 15%.<br>- Cache endurance recommended: ≥ 3 DWPD or ≥ 4 TBW/day.<br>- Number of capacity drives should be a whole multiple of cache drives. |
-| **NVMe Driver** | Uses Microsoft‑provided driver (`stornvme.sys`). |
+| **NVMe Driver** | Uses Microsoft‑provided driver (`stornvme.sys`). The improved StorNVMe driver, avaiable for Windows Server is not supported at this time. |
 | **Flash Requirements** | Flash (NVMe or SSD) must include power‑loss protection. |
 
----
-
-If you want, I can also format this as a collapsible section, add icons, or adapt it for documentation standards like MkDocs or Azure DevOps.
-
 For more feature-specific requirements for Hyper-V, see [System requirements for Hyper-V on Windows Server](/windows-server/virtualization/hyper-v/system-requirements-for-hyper-v-on-windows).
 
+### Use of Azure Local with external SAN storage
 > [!NOTE]
 > Notwithstanding to the requirements stated above, Azure Local Supports the usage of *additional* SAN via Fibre Channel (FC), currently in preview. Please consult your OEM about certified solutions.
 > See [External Storage Support for Azure Local](../concepts/external-storage-support.md)
 >
-> Albeit Storage Spaces Direct *remains required*, at the minimum for the Azure Local Infrastructure volume and the [Cluster Performance history](./windows-server/storage/storage-spaces/performance-history.md).
+> Albeit Storage Spaces Direct *remains required*, at the minimum for the Azure Local Infrastructure volume and the [Cluster Performance history](/windows-server/storage/storage-spaces/performance-history.md).
 and in addition to a required minimum of available Storage Spaces Direct (S2D), with a minimum of 2 physical disks per nodes. All requirements as stated above remain valid for Storage Spaces Direct, with exception of the attached SAN Storage. Please refer to this additional documentation.
 
+
 ## Networking requirements
 
 Azure Local requires connectivity to public endpoints in Azure, see [Firewall requirements](firewall-requirements.md) for details. Multi-machine deployments of Azure Local require a reliable high-bandwidth, low-latency network connection between each machine in the instance.
@@ -162,27 +154,28 @@ It has been demonstrated that sub-optimal configuration parameters can have a de
 Furthermore, wrong settings may result in the failure of instance deployment.
 
 ## Managing Drivers and Firmware
+> [!IMPORTANT]
+> Check with your OEM regarding the necessary drivers that need to be installed for Azure Local. Additionally, your OEM can provide you with their preferred installation steps.
 
-Check with your OEM regarding the necessary drivers that need to be installed for Azure Local. Additionally, your OEM can provide you with their preferred installation steps.
-
-You should always follow the OEM's recommended installation steps. 
-For Integrated and Validated Solutions, when available, please check the respective compatibility matrix of the SBE and the driver and firmware compatiblity matrix of it with the Azure Local solution version.
-OEMs provide technical guidance for deployments that are complementary to the Microsoft Deployment documentation. These could be whitepapers or deployment guides.
+It is imperative to adhere to the recommended installation steps stipulated by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM).
+For Integrated and Validated Solutions, verify the respective compatibility matrix of the SBE package matching the node, and the deployed or to be updated Azure Local solution version.
+A driver and firmware compatibility matrix, when provided by the OEM, should be qualified for deployed or to be updated Azure Local solution version.
 
 ### Driver and Firmware updates using Windows Admin Center extensions
-Starting with Azure Local 23H2 or later, Windows Admin Center plugins may no longer be used to install drivers and firmware. It is safe using these on certified Azure Local Nodes running Windows Server S2D.
+> [!IMPORTANT]
+> Starting with Azure Local 23H2 or later, Windows Admin Center plugins may no longer be used to install drivers and firmware. It is safe using these on certified Azure Local Nodes running Windows Server S2D.
 
 ### Initial Deployment
-Premier and Integrated Solutions: These are delivered preinstalled and preconfigured will update their firmware and driver automatically.
-Validated Solutions: These may come preinstalled. The forementioned check or further sideloading update packages is required as per OEM recommendation
+Premier Solutions and Integrated Systems: These are delivered preinstalled and preconfigured will update their firmware and driver automatically.
+Validated Nodes: These may come preinstalled. The forementioned check or further sideloading update packages is required as per OEM recommendation
 
 ### Instance or node redeployment
-Premier and Integrated Solutions: Some OEM provide ready to use ISO Images that matches the preinstalled and preconfigured version. 
-Validated Solutions: These may come preinstalled. The forementioned check or further sideloading update packages is required as per OEM recommendation
+Premier Solutions and Integrated Systems: Some OEM provide ready to use ISO Images that matches the preinstalled and preconfigured version. 
+Validated Nodes: These may come preinstalled. The forementioned check or further sideloading update packages is required as per OEM recommendation
 
 ### Update existing Firmware and drivers
-Premier Solutions will update their firmware and driver automatically.
-Integrated and Validated Solutions: Please leverage OEM SBE packages depending for solutions.
+Premier Solutions: will update their firmware and driver automatically via Azure Update Manager during the greatly automated update procedere.
+Integrated Systems and Validated Nodes: These require manual steps. It is recommended to update firmware and drivers before deployment. Please leverage OEM SBE packages depending for solutions, and consult your OEM and their additional deployment documentation.
 
 ### Driver installation steps
 
@@ -291,6 +284,9 @@ You should always follow the OEM's recommended installation steps. If the OEM's
 
 # OEM information
 
+> [!NOTE]
+> Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are able to provide technical training and certification, as well as technical guidance for deployments that complement the Microsoft Deployment documentation. These could be white papers or deployment guides.
+
 This section contains OEM contact information and links to OEM Azure Local reference material.
 
 | Azure Local Solution provider | Solution platform  | How to configure BIOS settings | How to update firmware | How to update drivers | How to update the system after it's running |

From 5da691c6a3dea434872f9644ced553c905a23e51 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Karl Wester-Ebbinghaus <45657752+Karl-WE@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2026 15:04:52 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 04/14] overhaul of the system requirements

- fixed headers
- reworked section about drivers and firmware, added common use cases and added solution specific guidance
- resorted some sections, put OEM at the bottom and removed duplicate references
- transferred bullet points for drive characteristics into a readable table (thanks Copilot)
- added warnings and informational where due, because customers / deployments fail because of missing these crucial bits.

From 80ae0857aec6036da00471c895540e0f622553b5 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Karl Wester-Ebbinghaus <45657752+Karl-WE@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2026 15:16:53 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 05/14] fixing errors reported by GitHub

fixed links
---
 azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md | 5 ++---
 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md b/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
index 09b74fb831..cac55ff481 100644
--- a/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
+++ b/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ Here are the Azure requirements for your Azure Local instance:
    - [Pay-as-you-go](https://azure.microsoft.com/pricing/purchase-options/pay-as-you-go/) subscription with credit card.
    - Subscription obtained through an Enterprise Agreement (EA).
    - Subscription obtained through the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program.
-   - For more information see [Microsoft Product Terms > Online Services > Azure](https://www.microsoft.com/licensing/terms/productoffering/MicrosoftAzure/] and select your respective licensing program.
+   - For more information see [Microsoft Product Terms > Online Services > Azure](https://www.microsoft.com/licensing/terms/productoffering/MicrosoftAzure/), then select your respective licensing program.
 
 - **Azure permissions**: Make sure that you're assigned the required roles and permissions for registration and deployment. For information on how to assign permissions, see [Assign Azure permissions for registration](../deploy/deployment-arc-register-server-permissions.md).
 - **Azure regions**: Azure Local is supported for the following regions:
@@ -282,8 +282,7 @@ You should always follow the OEM's recommended installation steps. If the OEM's
     MinorDriverVersion		: 0
     ```
 
-# OEM information
-
+## OEM information
 > [!NOTE]
 > Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are able to provide technical training and certification, as well as technical guidance for deployments that complement the Microsoft Deployment documentation. These could be white papers or deployment guides.
 

From 41fca9d7407cf38590634bac59b8cae31be959cf Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Karl Wester-Ebbinghaus <45657752+Karl-WE@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2026 15:39:15 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 06/14] Update note on Azure Local external SAN storage support

corrections
---
 azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md b/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
index cac55ff481..14219ea88b 100644
--- a/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
+++ b/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ For more feature-specific requirements for Hyper-V, see [System requirements for
 ### Use of Azure Local with external SAN storage
 > [!NOTE]
 > Notwithstanding to the requirements stated above, Azure Local Supports the usage of *additional* SAN via Fibre Channel (FC), currently in preview. Please consult your OEM about certified solutions.
-> See [External Storage Support for Azure Local](../concepts/external-storage-support.md)
+> See [External Storage Support for Azure Local](../concepts/external-storage-support.md).
 >
 > Albeit Storage Spaces Direct *remains required*, at the minimum for the Azure Local Infrastructure volume and the [Cluster Performance history](/windows-server/storage/storage-spaces/performance-history.md).
 and in addition to a required minimum of available Storage Spaces Direct (S2D), with a minimum of 2 physical disks per nodes. All requirements as stated above remain valid for Storage Spaces Direct, with exception of the attached SAN Storage. Please refer to this additional documentation.

From 7d9f8c5c000034e49f9ad5f362b6ffe7920c48c1 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Karl Wester-Ebbinghaus <45657752+Karl-WE@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2026 19:38:15 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 07/14] Update azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md

Co-authored-by: Copilot <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
---
 azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md b/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
index 14219ea88b..293fb92a48 100644
--- a/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
+++ b/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ For more feature-specific requirements for Hyper-V, see [System requirements for
 > See [External Storage Support for Azure Local](../concepts/external-storage-support.md).
 >
 > Albeit Storage Spaces Direct *remains required*, at the minimum for the Azure Local Infrastructure volume and the [Cluster Performance history](/windows-server/storage/storage-spaces/performance-history.md).
-and in addition to a required minimum of available Storage Spaces Direct (S2D), with a minimum of 2 physical disks per nodes. All requirements as stated above remain valid for Storage Spaces Direct, with exception of the attached SAN Storage. Please refer to this additional documentation.
+In addition, a minimum amount of available Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) is required, with at least two physical disks per node. All requirements as stated above remain valid for Storage Spaces Direct, with the exception of the attached SAN storage. Please refer to this additional documentation.
 
 
 ## Networking requirements

From 3fc8ab1715759c87b427985a965c43cdfc3e944e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Karl Wester-Ebbinghaus <45657752+Karl-WE@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2026 19:38:30 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 08/14] Update azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md

Co-authored-by: Copilot <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
---
 azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md b/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
index 293fb92a48..9f586acdf1 100644
--- a/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
+++ b/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ Before you begin, make sure that the physical machine and storage hardware used
 | **Drive Support** | - SATA, SAS, NVMe (M.2, U.2, add‑in card)<br>- Supported formats: 512n, 512e, 4K native |
 | **Deployment Requirements** | **Single‑node:** One drive type (NVMe or SSD) with uniform performance.<br>**Multi‑node cluster:** Strongly recommended: all‑flash, single drive type (NVMe or SSD) with uniform performance. |
 | **Hybrid Two‑Tier (HDD + Flash)** | - Supported only with HDD for capacity + flash (NVMe or SSD) for cache.<br>- Cache devices ≥ 32 GB.<br>- Cache‑to‑capacity ratio ≥ 15%.<br>- Cache endurance recommended: ≥ 3 DWPD or ≥ 4 TBW/day.<br>- Number of capacity drives should be a whole multiple of cache drives. |
-| **NVMe Driver** | Uses Microsoft‑provided driver (`stornvme.sys`). The improved StorNVMe driver, avaiable for Windows Server is not supported at this time. |
+| **NVMe Driver** | Uses Microsoft‑provided driver (`stornvme.sys`). The improved StorNVMe driver, available for Windows Server is not supported at this time. |
 | **Flash Requirements** | Flash (NVMe or SSD) must include power‑loss protection. |
 
 For more feature-specific requirements for Hyper-V, see [System requirements for Hyper-V on Windows Server](/windows-server/virtualization/hyper-v/system-requirements-for-hyper-v-on-windows).

From 7c7becc2a4a481df2dfadaa27119f50696bf79c0 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Karl Wester-Ebbinghaus <45657752+Karl-WE@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2026 19:40:07 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 09/14] Update azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md

Co-authored-by: Copilot <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
---
 azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md b/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
index 9f586acdf1..a89f523347 100644
--- a/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
+++ b/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ Validated Nodes: These may come preinstalled. The forementioned check or further
 
 ### Update existing Firmware and drivers
 Premier Solutions: will update their firmware and driver automatically via Azure Update Manager during the greatly automated update procedere.
-Integrated Systems and Validated Nodes: These require manual steps. It is recommended to update firmware and drivers before deployment. Please leverage OEM SBE packages depending for solutions, and consult your OEM and their additional deployment documentation.
+Integrated Systems and Validated Nodes: These require manual steps. It is recommended to update firmware and drivers before deployment. Please leverage OEM SBE packages appropriate for your solution type, and consult your OEM and their additional deployment documentation.
 
 ### Driver installation steps
 

From 967ce019a7f3762f2d34a47d3c9dba977d2d2a75 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Karl Wester-Ebbinghaus <45657752+Karl-WE@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2026 19:40:40 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 10/14] Update azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md

Co-authored-by: Copilot <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
---
 azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md b/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
index a89f523347..fe273ded8b 100644
--- a/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
+++ b/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ Before you begin, make sure that the physical machine and storage hardware used
 ## Data Drive requirements
 
 > [!IMPORTANT]
-> These drive requirements supercede those for Windows Server.
+> These drive requirements supersede those for Windows Server.
 >
 > The machines should also meet these extra requirements for drives:
 > For Storage Spaces Direct, have direct-attached drives that are physically attached to one machine each.

From ea1b41f5a12da06d5940b3e28a884ec6ae020b98 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Karl Wester-Ebbinghaus <45657752+Karl-WE@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2026 19:41:30 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 11/14] Update azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md

Co-authored-by: Copilot <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
---
 azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md b/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
index fe273ded8b..a2f1c9b4e8 100644
--- a/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
+++ b/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ Premier Solutions and Integrated Systems: These are delivered preinstalled and p
 Validated Nodes: These may come preinstalled. The forementioned check or further sideloading update packages is required as per OEM recommendation
 
 ### Instance or node redeployment
-Premier Solutions and Integrated Systems: Some OEM provide ready to use ISO Images that matches the preinstalled and preconfigured version. 
+Premier Solutions and Integrated Systems: Some OEMs provide ready-to-use ISO images that match the preinstalled and preconfigured version.
 Validated Nodes: These may come preinstalled. The forementioned check or further sideloading update packages is required as per OEM recommendation
 
 ### Update existing Firmware and drivers

From 4aee1bcc1fbda3f26879ef46e70c273b77521223 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Karl Wester-Ebbinghaus <45657752+Karl-WE@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2026 19:41:48 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 12/14] Update azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md

Co-authored-by: Copilot <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
---
 azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md b/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
index a2f1c9b4e8..9bcd986163 100644
--- a/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
+++ b/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ Premier Solutions and Integrated Systems: Some OEMs provide ready-to-use ISO ima
 Validated Nodes: These may come preinstalled. The forementioned check or further sideloading update packages is required as per OEM recommendation
 
 ### Update existing Firmware and drivers
-Premier Solutions: will update their firmware and driver automatically via Azure Update Manager during the greatly automated update procedere.
+Premier Solutions: will update their firmware and driver automatically via Azure Update Manager during the greatly automated update procedure.
 Integrated Systems and Validated Nodes: These require manual steps. It is recommended to update firmware and drivers before deployment. Please leverage OEM SBE packages appropriate for your solution type, and consult your OEM and their additional deployment documentation.
 
 ### Driver installation steps

From cf930cc6c502d7b4c5cd06d33fd4a7ea1486f7fe Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Karl Wester-Ebbinghaus <45657752+Karl-WE@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2026 20:21:49 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 13/14] Apply suggestions from code review

I have reviewed the suggestions and comments of GitHub Copilot and this is the result. I am happy with the overall result of this reworked article and kindly asking to close and review & signoff in private repo.

Much appreciate your consideration of my efforts and your efforts required for signoff.

Co-authored-by: Copilot <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
---
 azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md | 14 +++++++-------
 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)

diff --git a/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md b/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
index 9bcd986163..98850f21ae 100644
--- a/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
+++ b/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ Before you begin, make sure that the physical machine and storage hardware used
 > Host-bus adapter (HBA) cards must implement simple pass-through mode for any storage devices used for Storage Spaces Direct.
 >
 > RAID controller cards or SAN (Fibre Channel, iSCSI, FCoE) storage, shared SAS enclosures connected to multiple machines, or any form of multi-path IO (MPIO) where drives are accessible by multiple paths, aren't supported.
-> Exceptions for SAN via Fibre Channel exist, see note below.
+> Exceptions for SAN via Fibre Channel exist; see the **Use of Azure Local with external SAN storage** section below.
 
 | Category | Requirements |
 |---------|--------------|
@@ -99,10 +99,10 @@ For more feature-specific requirements for Hyper-V, see [System requirements for
 
 ### Use of Azure Local with external SAN storage
 > [!NOTE]
-> Notwithstanding to the requirements stated above, Azure Local Supports the usage of *additional* SAN via Fibre Channel (FC), currently in preview. Please consult your OEM about certified solutions.
+> Notwithstanding the requirements stated above, Azure Local Supports the usage of *additional* SAN via Fibre Channel (FC), currently in preview. Please consult your OEM about certified solutions.
 > See [External Storage Support for Azure Local](../concepts/external-storage-support.md).
 >
-> Albeit Storage Spaces Direct *remains required*, at the minimum for the Azure Local Infrastructure volume and the [Cluster Performance history](/windows-server/storage/storage-spaces/performance-history.md).
+> Storage Spaces Direct *remains required*, at a minimum, for the Azure Local Infrastructure volume and the [Cluster Performance history](/windows-server/storage/storage-spaces/performance-history.md).
 In addition, a minimum amount of available Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) is required, with at least two physical disks per node. All requirements as stated above remain valid for Storage Spaces Direct, with the exception of the attached SAN storage. Please refer to this additional documentation.
 
 
@@ -150,8 +150,8 @@ Check with your OEM regarding the necessary generic BIOS settings for Azure Loca
 
 ### BIOS resets
 In the event of a BIOS, Secure Boot or TPM reset, it is advisable to consult with the OEM to ensure that the required optimised settings have been applied. 
-It has been demonstrated that sub-optimal configuration parameters can have a detrimental effect on performance, with instances including Networking, SR-IOV and the Azure Local Security baseline, such as Secured Core and BitLocker Security.
-Furthermore, wrong settings may result in the failure of instance deployment.
+It has been demonstrated that sub-optimal configuration parameters can have a detrimental effect on performance. Examples include networking, SR-IOV, and the Azure Local security baseline, such as Secured-core and BitLocker.
+Furthermore, incorrect settings may result in failed instance deployments.
 
 ## Managing Drivers and Firmware
 > [!IMPORTANT]
@@ -166,8 +166,8 @@ A driver and firmware compatibility matrix, when provided by the OEM, should be
 > Starting with Azure Local 23H2 or later, Windows Admin Center plugins may no longer be used to install drivers and firmware. It is safe using these on certified Azure Local Nodes running Windows Server S2D.
 
 ### Initial Deployment
-Premier Solutions and Integrated Systems: These are delivered preinstalled and preconfigured will update their firmware and driver automatically.
-Validated Nodes: These may come preinstalled. The forementioned check or further sideloading update packages is required as per OEM recommendation
+Premier Solutions and Integrated Systems: These are delivered preinstalled and preconfigured and will update their firmware and drivers automatically.
+Validated Nodes: These may come preinstalled. The aforementioned check or further sideloading of update packages is required, as per OEM recommendation.
 
 ### Instance or node redeployment
 Premier Solutions and Integrated Systems: Some OEMs provide ready-to-use ISO images that match the preinstalled and preconfigured version.

From 9ffd625d54891a51a2dee52eb2b60862cf8b6b58 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Karl Wester-Ebbinghaus <45657752+Karl-WE@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 4 Mar 2026 02:09:26 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 14/14] Apply suggestion from @Karl-WE

---
 azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md b/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
index 98850f21ae..6aea5a271b 100644
--- a/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
+++ b/azure-local/concepts/system-requirements-23h2.md
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ Validated Nodes: These may come preinstalled. The aforementioned check or furthe
 
 ### Instance or node redeployment
 Premier Solutions and Integrated Systems: Some OEMs provide ready-to-use ISO images that match the preinstalled and preconfigured version.
-Validated Nodes: These may come preinstalled. The forementioned check or further sideloading update packages is required as per OEM recommendation
+Validated Nodes: These may come preinstalled. The aforementioned driver check via PowerShell or further sideloading update packages is required as per OEM recommendation.
 
 ### Update existing Firmware and drivers
 Premier Solutions: will update their firmware and driver automatically via Azure Update Manager during the greatly automated update procedure.