Introduction

This page presents a set of web-based calculators built to estimate key metrics within an Azure Local environment. These tools are custom-made and designed for storage planning, infrastructure cost estimation and license impact assessment.

While the calculators have been thoroughly tested, they are provided as-is and without any warranties. If you notice any inconsistencies or potential issues, I would greatly appreciate your feedback 🤗 feel free to get in touch!

These tools are intended to supplement the official Microsoft Azure Local Sizer, which is currently still in Preview. The Sizer offers a helpful approximation of how the final solution might look once deployed, and this calculator set aims to provide deeper visibility into specific resource planning areas.

More insights on planning, sizing, and migration strategies will be shared in my upcoming blog post: “Planning, Sizing and Migration for Azure Local”.

Azure Local Calculator

Azure Local Calculator is a GitHub-based repository offering a collection of interactive calculators focused on the Azure Local with emphasis on Storage, CPU and Pricing estimations.

The source code for the calculators is available on GitHub, but the calculators themselves can be used interactively right here on this page.

The storage configuration used in the calculator is based on the Express mode. While I acknowledge that this is not the most efficient setup in terms of capacity optimization, it serves well as a first approximation to get a general understanding of the storage architecture.

If you aim to implement more advanced storage configurations, you will likely need to customize the deployment by manually configuring storage to suit your needs, and in those cases, you probably already have an Excel sheet from your vendor or internal team that provides more accurate figures than what this calculator is designed to offer.

CPU

Virtual Workloads

CPU Ratio and Overhead

Cluster Settings

Calculation Mode

Choose your starting point: either specify how many nodes you have and get CPU recommendations, or select a CPU model and find out how many nodes you need.

vCPU to Physical Core Ratio Disclaimer:
The vCPU to physical core ratio (overcommit ratio) determines how many virtual CPUs share a single physical core. A ratio of 1:1 means no overcommit (dedicated cores). Common ratios range from 2:1 to 8:1 depending on workload type. VDI workloads typically use 4:1 to 8:1, while database or latency-sensitive workloads should stay closer to 1:1 or 2:1. Higher ratios reduce hardware cost but may impact performance under load.

Management Overhead Disclaimer:
Each Azure Local node reserves CPU cores for the host OS, Azure Arc agents, Storage Spaces Direct, and cluster services. The default of 4 cores is a reasonable estimate, but actual overhead may vary based on enabled features (e.g., AKS-HCI, ARC Resource Bridge). Consult Azure Local system requirements for specifics.

High Availability (N+1) Disclaimer:
When N+1 HA is enabled, the calculator reserves one full node worth of capacity so workloads can failover if a single node goes down. This is the standard recommendation for production clusters. If your cluster has only 1 node, HA reservation is automatically disabled.

CPU Recommendations Disclaimer:
The CPU models listed are based on publicly available specifications and represent common server-grade processors. However, not all CPUs are available on all OEM platforms. Server vendors (Dell, HPE, Lenovo, Supermicro, etc.) each qualify a specific subset of processors for their platforms, and availability may vary by region, server model, and generation. Always verify CPU availability and compatibility directly with your OEM or hardware vendor before purchasing. Not all CPUs listed may be validated for Azure Local.

Newer CPU Generations Disclaimer:
Newer processor generations (e.g., Intel Xeon 6 Granite Rapids/Sierra Forest, AMD EPYC 5th Gen Turin) typically offer improved IPC (Instructions Per Clock), higher core counts, better power efficiency, and enhanced virtualization features compared to older generations. This means that with a newer CPU, you may safely use a higher vCPU-to-physical-core ratio (overcommit) while maintaining the same or better performance per VM. When planning new deployments, consider selecting the latest available generation to maximize density and efficiency. Always validate performance expectations with your workload profile and OEM recommendations.

No Warranty:
All information in this CPU Calculator is provided "as is" with no warranties, express or implied. It does not represent official Microsoft documentation. Always verify with your hardware vendor and Microsoft licensing team for accurate sizing and configuration.

Storage Calculator

The storage calculator I designed is now outdated, as Armin has created a much better one. For this reason, I will not continue developing mine, and I recommend using Armin’s calculator for this purpose: s2d-calculator.com.

Cluster Configuration

Calculation Mode

Choose your starting point: specify your drives to calculate effective storage, or set a storage target to find the required drives.

Storage Resiliency

Available options depend on your cluster size.

Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) Disclaimer:
This calculator estimates storage capacity for Storage Spaces Direct deployments on Azure Local using Full-Flash NVMe configurations. Calculations are based on current best practices and deployment guidelines. Actual results may vary depending on firmware, driver versions, and workload patterns. Always refer to the official Microsoft documentation for the most up-to-date information.

Redundancy Disclaimer:
When using 1 or 2 nodes, S2D employs Two-Way Mirror redundancy, which stores 2 copies of data. With 3+ nodes, Three-Way Mirror becomes available, storing 3 copies across different fault domains. Dual Parity requires 4+ nodes and uses erasure coding with 2 parity stripes. For a single-node configuration, a local mirror is used across drives within the same node.

Dual Parity Warning:
Dual Parity deviates from the standard Azure Local recommended configuration. It provides better storage efficiency than mirroring but with significantly lower write performance and higher rebuild times after a failure. It is only suitable for specific use cases (e.g., cold or archival data workloads) and should only be used if you fully understand the implications. The standard recommendation for Azure Local production deployments is Three-Way Mirror.

Reserved Capacity Disclaimer:
For multi-node configurations, the calculator reserves capacity equivalent to one capacity drive per node to ensure sufficient unallocated space for automatic repairs after a drive failure. For single-node clusters, no reserved capacity is applied. Actual reserve behavior may differ based on Microsoft reserve capacity documentation.

Infrastructure Overhead:
Approximately 300 GB is reserved for infrastructure volumes including Infrastructure_1 (ARC Resource Bridge and AKS images, ~250 GB), ClusterPerformanceHistory (~20 GB), and additional system overhead (~7 GB). These values are approximate and may change based on deployment specifics.

Volume Distribution Disclaimer:
During cloud deployment, the assignment of volumes within the storage pool (SU1_Pool) is automated. The remaining usable capacity after infrastructure volumes is divided equally among UserStorage volumes (one per node). These values are approximate and subject to change.

Dual Parity Efficiency:
Dual parity efficiency depends on the number of fault domains (nodes). With N nodes, the efficiency is calculated as (N-2)/N, up to a maximum of 6 data columns + 2 parity columns (75% efficiency at 8+ nodes). Dual parity provides better storage efficiency than mirrors but with lower write performance.

No Warranty:
All information in this Storage Calculator is provided "as is" with no warranties, express or implied. It does not represent official Microsoft documentation. Always verify with your hardware vendor and Microsoft documentation for accurate sizing and configuration.

Pricing Calculator

Infrastructure Price

License Price

Related Licenses / Costs

Enter the relevant costs for each category. Leave blank or 0 for items that do not apply.

Azure Local Services Price

Disclaimer for Pricing Calculator:
This Pricing Calculator is provided for informational purposes only and includes:

  • Infrastructure Price: Node and switch costs (one-time).
  • License Price: Host fee (10/core), Windows Server fee (23.30/core) - or custom pricing: monthly + one-time cost per node.
  • Related Costs: Additional one-time and monthly costs for external services (e.g., Backup, security software).
  • Service Price: Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and SQL Managed Instance (SQLmi) usage costs (monthly).

Actual costs may vary depending on vendor quotes, hardware configurations, and licensing agreements.

Hybrid Benefit Disclaimer:
The Azure Local Host fee (10/core) and Windows Server fee (23.30/core) can be waived if you qualify for Azure Hybrid Benefit under an Enterprise Agreement (EA) or a Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) subscription. MPSA or OEM + SA is not supported, and Hybrid Benefit is not defined for Open Value. Consult the Microsoft Product Terms (EA/CSP), Microsoft Product Terms for Windows Server, and Azure Hybrid Benefit for Windows Server for specifics. Product Terms override general documentation.

Windows Server License Disclaimer:
By default, a Windows Server guest fee of 23.30/core/month is applied unless waived or supplemented by custom pricing. Confirm eligibility and final costs with your licensing provider.

Related Costs Disclaimer:
The Related Licenses / Costs section is broken down into Backup, Logs/Monitoring, Installation, External Partner Management, and Other. Each category supports both one-time (OTC) and monthly costs. These values are illustrative; actual costs depend on vendor quotes and service agreements.

AVD and SQLmi Disclaimer:
AVD costs are estimated at 0.01 per vCPU per hour. SQLmi pricing depends on tier, licensing model, and reservation term. These calculations are illustrative. For more info visit Azure Arc Data Services Pricing. Always refer to official Microsoft documentation for up-to-date pricing.

No Warranty:
All information is provided "as is" with no warranties, express or implied. It does not represent official Microsoft documentation. Verify your specific agreements, product terms, and quotes for accurate pricing.

Contributors

  • Florian Hildesheim
    Contributed insights and reference values for the Storage Calculator.
    LinkedIn

  • Karl Wester-Ebbinghaus
    Provided valuable feedback and data for the Pricing Calculator and early CPU modeling discussions.
    LinkedIn

The Storage Calculator is inspired by Cosmos Darwin’s work on the S2D Calculator.
LinkedIn – Cosmos Darwin

  • Cristian Schmitt Nieto
    Author of the calculators and blog.
    LinkedIn

General Disclaimer

  • Unofficial:
    These calculators are community-built tools and do not represent official Microsoft products or documentation.

  • No Endorsement:
    They are provided as reference material only and do not imply endorsement of any architectural decision.

  • Provided “AS IS”:
    All code and tools are provided with no warranties, either express or implied.

  • No Standard Support:
    These tools are not covered by any Microsoft support program.

  • Use at Your Own Risk:
    It is your responsibility to validate and test the results for your specific environment.

  • Limitation of Liability:
    Neither the author(s) nor Microsoft will be liable for any damages resulting from the use of these tools, including (but not limited to) loss of business, profits or data.