Azure Local with Everpure

Microsoft Platform Guide
Audience
Public
Source Type
Documentation

This section covers the Microsoft Azure Local integration with Everpure solutions.

Microsoft Azure Local and Everpure FlashArray form a jointly validated solution that brings Azure-managed infrastructure together with enterprise-class external block storage.

This combination gives customers a flexible, high-performance option for running virtual machines (VMs), containers, and Azure services on Azure Local while using Everpure FlashArray as the external SAN storage platform in their datacenter or edge locations.

Use this page to understand the high-level architecture, key benefits, and supported capabilities of the Azure Local with Everpure FlashArray solution, and to find links to detailed deployment and configuration guidance.

Solution Overview

Azure Local is Microsoft's on-premises extension of Azure: a managed service that runs Azure infrastructure and services inside a customer's datacenter or edge site, while remaining connected to the Azure control plane for unified management, billing, and updates.

The Azure Local with Everpure FlashArray integration connects Everpure FlashArray as external block storage over Fibre Channel to Azure Local hosts. This allows Azure Local clusters to use FlashArray volumes as Cluster Shared Volumes (CSV) for VM and container workloads.

With this solution, organizations can:

  • Extend existing FlashArray investments by using them as the external storage platform for Azure Local clusters.
  • Run storage-intensive, business-critical workloads on Azure Local with consistent low latency and enterprise data services from FlashArray.
  • Support edge, hybrid, and modernization use cases, including edge/AI inferencing, local processing with cloud replication, hybrid DR/backup, and migrations from VMware or traditional Hyper-V environments.
  • Align with Everpure's unified hybrid strategy, extending "block and file anywhere" from core to edge to cloud.

Supported Everpure platforms include FlashArray //X, //XL, //C, //E and //RC20 that are currently supported by Pure.

High-Level Architecture

In the joint solution, Azure Local hosts connect to Everpure FlashArray using dual-fabric Fibre Channel, presenting FlashArray volumes to the Windows Server Failover Cluster that underpins Azure Local.

At a high level:

  • Connectivity:

    • FlashArray is presented as external SAN storage via Fibre Channel (FC).
    • Volumes are formatted as NTFS and added to the Failover Cluster as Cluster Shared Volumes (CSV).
    • Azure Local registers these CSVs as Storage Paths that can be selected for VM, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), and Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) workloads.

  • Control plane:

    • Azure Local infrastructure and workloads are managed from the Azure Portal using Azure Arc integration.
    • FlashArray itself is managed using the FlashArray GUI/CLI, Everpure PowerShell SDK2, REST APIs, Python SDK, Windows Admin Center extension, and System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) where applicable.

  • Hybrid connectivity:

    • Azure Local requires connectivity to Azure for control plane operations; FlashArray data services continue to operate even during temporary cloud disconnects.
    • Asynchronous replication to Everpure Cloud deployments in Azure or AWS (PSC Dedicated) extends the architecture for hybrid backup and disaster recovery scenarios.

This architecture enables a disaggregated model where compute and storage can scale independently, while still supporting hyperconverged patterns where appropriate.