Azure Blueprints

Azure Blueprints Skill

This skill provides expert guidance for Azure Blueprints. Covers troubleshooting, decision making, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. It combines local quick-reference content with remote documentation fetching capabilities.

How to Use This Skill

> IMPORTANT for Agent: Use the Category Index below to locate relevant sections. For categories with line ranges (e.g., L35-L120), use read_file with the specified lines. For categories with file links (e.g., security.md), use read_file on the linked reference file

> IMPORTANT for Agent: If metadata.generated_at is more than 3 months old, suggest the user pull the latest version from the repository. If mcp_microsoftdocs tools are not available, suggest the user install it: Installation Guide

This skill requires network access to fetch documentation content:

• Preferred: Use mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch with query string from=learn-agent-skill. Returns Markdown.
• Fallback: Use fetch_webpage with query string from=learn-agent-skill&accept=text/markdown. Returns Markdown.

Category Index

| Category | Lines | Description |

|----------|-------|-------------|

| Troubleshooting | L34-L38 | Diagnosing and fixing common Azure Blueprints deployment and assignment errors, including policy, role assignment, and resource lock issues, with step-by-step troubleshooting guidance. |

| Decision Making | L39-L44 | Guidance on Azure Blueprints retirement timelines, planning and executing migrations, and answers to common questions about moving off Blueprints. |

| Security | L45-L60 | Security-focused deployment stages, resource locks, operator roles, and using/mapping Azure Blueprints for compliance frameworks like PBMM, ISM PROTECTED, ISO 27001, SWIFT CSP, and UK OFFICIAL/NHS. |

| Configuration | L61-L72 | Configuring and deploying Azure Blueprints (including security/ISO/CAF/SWIFT samples), using blueprint functions, and importing/exporting blueprints via PowerShell. |

| Integrations & Coding Patterns | L73-L79 | Automating Azure Blueprints as code using CLI, PowerShell, and REST: create, import/export, and manage blueprint definitions and assignments programmatically. |

| Deployment | L80-L85 | Controlling blueprint artifact deployment order, migrating blueprints to template specs/deployment stacks, and deploying the CAF Foundation blueprint with parameters. |

Troubleshooting

| Topic | URL |

|-------|-----|

| Troubleshoot common Azure Blueprints errors | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/troubleshoot/general |

Decision Making

| Topic | URL |

|-------|-----|

| Plan migration off Azure Blueprints with timelines | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/blueprint-retirement |

| Answer migration questions for Blueprints retirement | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/blueprint-retirement-faq |

Security

| Topic | URL |

|-------|-----|

| Understand security-related stages of Azure Blueprint deployment | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/concepts/deployment-stages |

| Configure resource locking behavior in Azure Blueprints | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/concepts/resource-locking |

| Configure Azure Blueprint Operator role environment | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/how-to/configure-for-blueprint-operator |

| Use Canada Federal PBMM blueprint for governance controls | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/samples/canada-federal-pbmm |

| Use ISM PROTECTED blueprint for Australian compliance | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/samples/ism-protected/ |

| Map ISM PROTECTED controls to Azure Policy | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/samples/ism-protected/control-mapping |

| Map ISO 27001 ASE/SQL controls to Policy and RBAC | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/samples/iso27001-ase-sql-workload/control-mapping |

| Map ISO 27001 shared services controls to Azure Policy | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/samples/iso27001-shared/control-mapping |

| Use SWIFT CSP-CSCF 2020 blueprint for Azure compliance | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/samples/swift-2020/ |

| Map SWIFT CSP-CSCF 2020 controls to Azure Policy | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/samples/swift-2020/control-mapping |

| Use UK OFFICIAL and NHS blueprint for Azure governance | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/samples/ukofficial-uknhs |

| Protect Azure Blueprint-deployed resources with locks | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/tutorials/protect-new-resources |

Configuration

| Topic | URL |

|-------|-----|

| Import and export Azure Blueprints with PowerShell | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/how-to/import-export-ps |

| Use Azure Blueprint functions in definitions and artifacts | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/reference/blueprint-functions |

| Configure and deploy Azure Security Benchmark blueprint sample | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/samples/azure-security-benchmark-foundation/deploy |

| Configure and deploy CAF migration landing zone blueprint | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/samples/caf-migrate-landing-zone/deploy |

| Configure and deploy ISM PROTECTED blueprint sample | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/samples/ism-protected/deploy |

| Configure and deploy ISO 27001 ASE/SQL workload blueprint | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/samples/iso27001-ase-sql-workload/deploy |

| Configure and deploy ISO 27001 shared services blueprint | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/samples/iso27001-shared/deploy |

| Configure and deploy SWIFT CSP-CSCF 2020 blueprint | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/samples/swift-2020/deploy |

Integrations & Coding Patterns

| Topic | URL |

|-------|-----|

| Create Azure Blueprints using Azure CLI commands | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/create-blueprint-azurecli |

| Create Azure Blueprints via REST API requests | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/create-blueprint-rest-api |

| Manage Azure Blueprint assignments with Az.Blueprint PowerShell | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/how-to/manage-assignments-ps |

Deployment

| Topic | URL |

|-------|-----|

| Control Azure Blueprint artifact deployment order | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/concepts/sequencing-order |

| Migrate Azure Blueprints to template specs and deployment stacks | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/migrate-to-template-specs |

| Deploy CAF Foundation blueprint with parameters | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/samples/caf-foundation/deploy |