Azure releases

Microsoft Azure updates and Terraform AzureRM provider. New features, breaking changes, security advisories and deprecations - each summarised in plain English and updated continuously.

Tracking 321 Azure releases · Updated

  • Azure Updates aiazurepreviewengineer ·

    Azure Cosmos DB adds spherical quantization for vector search (preview)

    Azure Cosmos DB is introducing spherical quantization in public preview, a new vector compression technique that enhances vector indexing speed and accuracy. This feature aims to improve search recall and precision for large-scale vector operations. It is now available for users to test and adopt.

    feature announcement
  • Azure Updates infraazuredeprecationengineer ·

    Azure retires Reserved VM Instances for select older VM series

    Azure is retiring one-year Reserved VM Instances for several older VM series starting July 1, 2026, with purchases and renewals no longer being available. Three-year reservations for these series will also be retired. This change impacts users currently relying on these specific reserved instances for cost savings on older virtual machine generations.

    deprecation
  • Azure Updates infraazurepreviewengineer ·

    Azure Application Gateway for Containers managed add-on now in public preview

    Microsoft has announced the public preview of the managed add-on for Application Gateway for Containers in Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). This add-on aims to simplify the deployment and management of Application Gateway for Containers, addressing a previous limitation where it could not be managed automatically. This preview is relevant for AKS users looking to streamline their container ingress management.

    feature announcement
  • Azure Updates awsazuregaengineer ·

    Azure Elastic SAN adds AV64 SKU support for AVS

    Azure Elastic SAN now supports AV64 SKUs, offering higher-scale and higher-performance storage for Azure VMware Solution (AVS) deployments. This enhancement directly benefits AVS users requiring more robust storage capabilities. The feature is now generally available.

    feature patch
  • Azure Updates dataazuregaengineer ·

    Azure Elastic SAN adds single volume snapshots for incremental backups

    Azure Elastic SAN now supports single volume snapshots, allowing for incremental, point-in-time backups of individual SAN volumes. This feature captures only changes since the last snapshot and stores them within the SAN, enabling faster deployment of new volumes. This enhancement is now generally available for Azure Elastic SAN users.

    feature patch
  • Azure Updates infraazuregaarchitect ·

    Azure Elastic SAN Generally Available with AVS Gen2

    Azure Elastic SAN now offers generally available support for AVS Gen2 Private Cloud, simplifying connectivity and enhancing performance. This integration eliminates the need for an ExpressRoute gateway and requires only a single Private Endpoint for configuration. The feature targets Azure VMware Solution users needing efficient storage access for their private cloud environments.

    feature announcement
  • Azure Updates azuregaengineer ·

    Azure Communication Services: Cleanup legacy AlternateId usage

    Azure Communication Services (ACS) is cleaning up legacy AlternateId usage due to an issue impacting the Multi-line (Multiple Number Assignment) feature for Teams Phone enablement. This change affects customers using AlternateId in their internal implementations. The update is generally available and aims to ensure continued service reliability.

    patch announcement
  • Azure Updates aiazuregaengineer ·

    Azure Functions Durable Task Scheduler Consumption SKU GA

    The Durable Task Scheduler Consumption SKU for Azure Functions is now generally available, enabling users to run durable workflows and AI agent orchestrations with pay-per-use pricing. This eliminates the need for storage management, capacity planning, and paying for idle resources. It is now generally available for production use.

    feature announcement
  • Azure Updates networkingazure ·

    Azure data transfer updates for the UK region

    Azure is updating its data transfer policies for the United Kingdom, aligning with existing European practices. This change impacts how customers and CSP partners manage data movement between Azure and external environments within the UK. The update aims to provide greater flexibility and potentially cost savings for data egress and transfer operations in the region.

    announcement
  • Terraform AzureRM Provider Releases terraforminfra ·

    Azure provider for Terraform adds CDN security policy, improves storage and Kubernetes

    Terraform's Azure provider (v4.71.0) introduces a new data source for CDN security policies and enhances existing resources like storage accounts and Kubernetes clusters. These updates provide greater flexibility and control for managing Azure infrastructure via Terraform. The release also includes several bug fixes, addressing issues with SQL databases and network security rules, benefiting users managing these Azure services.

    feature patch
  • Azure Updates securityazurega ·

    Azure Blob Storage: Prefix-scoped User Delegation SAS now GA

    Azure Blob Storage has moved prefix-scoped access for User Delegation SAS to general availability across all regions. This enhancement extends the existing SAS token scoping from container and individual blob levels to include a specific prefix within a container. This new capability is available to all Azure users and provides more granular control over access to blob data.

    feature announcement
  • Azure Updates azuregaengineer ·

    Azure Functions adds general availability support for Java 25

    Azure Functions has achieved general availability for Java 25 support. This enables developers to build and deploy applications using Java 25 on both Linux and Windows Azure Functions plans, including Flex Consumption. The update allows for local development and deployment, simplifying the Java development lifecycle on Azure.

    feature patch
  • Azure Updates complianceazurega ·

    Azure Red Hat OpenShift now generally available in Austria East

    Azure Red Hat OpenShift has been launched in the Austria East region, offering three availability zones for resilient operations. This expansion supports customers requiring in-country data residency and adheres to strict data protection regulations. The service is now generally available for Azure customers and partners in this new region.

    feature announcement
  • Azure Updates aiazuregaengineer ·

    Microsoft Agent Framework 1.0 now generally available

    Microsoft Agent Framework has reached version 1.0 with stable APIs and long-term support for .NET and Python developers. This release enables multi-agent orchestration, multi-provider model support, and cross-runtime interoperability. It is now generally available for production use.

    feature announcement
  • Azure Updates aiazurepreviewengineer ·

    Foundry Agent Service Adds Memory in Public Preview

    Foundry Agent Service now includes a managed long-term memory capability, currently in public preview. This feature integrates natively with Microsoft Agent Framework and LangGraph, eliminating the need for external databases. This simplifies the process for developers building agent-based applications on Azure.

    feature announcement
  • Azure Updates networkingazurepreviewengineer ·

    Azure Container Network Insights Agent enters public preview

    A new Container Network Insights Agent is now in public preview on Azure, designed to streamline Kubernetes network troubleshooting. Previously, engineers struggled with scattered logs and metrics across various tools, necessitating manual correlation during incidents. This agent offers a consolidated web-based interface for better signal correlation, making it easier for engineers to diagnose and resolve network issues within Kubernetes environments.

    feature announcement
  • Azure Updates infraazuregaengineer ·

    Azure Elastic SAN GA: Windows VM volume connectivity via extension

    Azure Elastic SAN now supports volume connectivity for Windows Virtual Machines using a new VM extension, generally available today. This feature simplifies connecting SAN volumes during VM deployment by integrating directly with the Azure Portal. It is now available for all Windows VM users managing Elastic SAN storage.

    feature announcement
  • Azure Updates infraazuregaengineer ·

    Azure Virtual Network Manager adds cross-region IPAM pool association

    Azure Virtual Network Manager now supports associating a single IPAM pool with virtual networks across multiple Azure regions, simplifying IP address management at scale. This feature helps reduce configuration errors and improve the manageability of IP address space for complex deployments. It is now generally available for all Azure users.

    feature patch
  • Azure Updates securityazurepreviewengineer ·

    Azure Front Door Premium adds HTTP DDoS Ruleset preview

    Microsoft is introducing a public preview of the HTTP DDoS Ruleset for Azure Front Door Premium. This new feature aims to combat evolving botnets and HTTP-layer DDoS attacks, which are a common cause of application downtime. The ruleset is now available in preview for users of Azure Front Door Premium.

    feature announcement
  • Azure Updates aiazuregaengineer ·

    Foundry Agent Service Supports Bring-Your-Own-Model Scenarios

    Foundry Agent Service now allows agents to use external AI models, including those behind enterprise gateways like Azure API Management. This feature enhances flexibility by enabling organizations to leverage their existing AI investments and choose models best suited for their needs. The capability is now generally available, offering broader integration options for AI deployments.

    feature announcement