Azure Confidential Computing Skill

This skill provides expert guidance for Azure Confidential Computing. Covers decision making, architecture & design patterns, limits & quotas, 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](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
Decision Making	L35-L46	Guidance on choosing Azure confidential computing options: VMs (AMD/Intel), containers, GPUs, deployment models, capabilities, products, and use cases for secure workloads.
Architecture & Design Patterns	L47-L55	Architectural patterns and design guidance for using Azure confidential VMs, SGX enclaves, AKS, and multi-party analytics to build secure AI and containerized workloads.
Limits & Quotas	L56-L61	Intel SGX capacity, quotas, and sizing for Azure confidential computing: AKS confidential node limits, SGX VM sizing guidance, and FAQ on SGX resource constraints.
Security	L62-L77	Attestation, vTPM, and hardening guidance for Azure confidential VMs, AKS confidential containers, and SGX enclaves, including guest attestation, Defender integration, and secure key/secret management.
Configuration	L78-L89	Configuring and deploying Azure confidential VMs and AKS (SGX, containers), managing keys and secure key release policies, and using/opt-ing out of VMMD metablob disks.
Integrations & Coding Patterns	L90-L101	Patterns and samples for integrating Intel SGX/AMD SEV-SNP, confidential containers/VMs, attestation (dm-verity/IMA), Fortanix CCM, and secure key release (SKR) with Azure services.
Deployment	L102-L110	How to deploy and migrate Azure confidential VMs/VMSS and AKS (SGX and confidential node pools), create custom images, and set up Fortanix CCM using CLI and ARM templates.

Decision Making

Topic	URL
Select Azure confidential container offerings	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/choose-confidential-containers-offerings
Choose Azure confidential computing deployment models	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/confidential-computing-deployment-models
Understand Azure confidential container options	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/confidential-containers
Overview of confidential containers on Azure	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/confidential-containers
Understand and choose Azure confidential VM capabilities	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/confidential-vm-overview
Use Azure confidential GPUs for secure compute offload	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/gpu-options
Choose Azure confidential computing use cases	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/use-cases-scenarios
Select Azure confidential VM options on AMD or Intel	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/virtual-machine-options

Architecture & Design Patterns

Topic	URL
Apply confidential computing to AI workloads on Azure	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/confidential-ai
Design solutions with Azure confidential computing options	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/confidential-computing-solutions
Use SGX enclave nodes in AKS workloads	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/confidential-nodes-aks-overview
Design enclave-aware container applications on AKS	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/enclave-aware-containers
Architect multi-party analytics on Azure confidential computing	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/multi-party-data

Limits & Quotas

Topic	URL
AKS confidential nodes Intel SGX capacity details	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/confidential-nodes-aks-faq
Deploy and size Intel SGX VMs on Azure	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/virtual-machine-solutions-sgx

Security

Topic	URL
Configure attestation for Azure SGX enclaves	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/attestation
Use attestation types for Azure confidential workloads	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/attestation-solutions
Security model for AKS Confidential Containers	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/confidential-containers-aks-security-policy
Understand security and behavior of Azure confidential VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/confidential-vm-faq
Design and configure guest attestation for Azure confidential VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/guest-attestation-confidential-virtual-machines-design
Configure guest attestation for Azure confidential VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/guest-attestation-confidential-vms
Secure confidential VMs with Defender for Cloud and guest attestation	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/guest-attestation-defender-for-cloud
Harden Linux images by removing Azure guest agent	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/harden-a-linux-image-to-remove-azure-guest-agent
Harden Linux images by removing sudo users for confidential VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/harden-the-linux-image-to-remove-sudo-users
Leverage vTPM features in Linux confidential VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/how-to-leverage-virtual-tpms-in-azure-confidential-vms
Manage secrets and keys in Azure confidential computing	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/secret-key-management
Use virtual TPMs in Azure confidential VMs securely	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/virtual-tpms-in-azure-confidential-vm

Configuration

Topic	URL
Configure Confidential Containers on AKS (preview)	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/confidential-containers-on-aks-preview
Configure AKS Intel SGX device plugin (confcom)	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/confidential-nodes-aks-addon
Configure opt-out of VMMD blob for Azure Confidential VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/disable-confidential-vm-metadata-blob
Rotate customer-managed keys for Azure confidential VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/key-rotation-offline
Deploy Azure confidential VMs with ARM templates	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/quick-create-confidential-vm-arm
Provision Azure confidential VMs using Azure CLI	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/quick-create-confidential-vm-azure-cli
Author Secure Key Release policies for Azure TEEs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/skr-policy-examples
Use Virtual Machine Metablob Disk with confidential VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/virtual-machine-metablob-disk

Integrations & Coding Patterns

Topic	URL
Use development tools for Intel SGX enclaves on Azure	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/application-development
Run confidential containers with Intel SGX enclaves	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/confidential-containers-enclaves
Build Intel SGX enclave apps with OSS tools	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/enclave-development-oss
Use guest attestation sample app with confidential VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/guest-attestation-example
Attest Linux workloads with dm-verity and IMA on Azure confidential VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/how-to-attest-linux-workload
Run apps with Fortanix CCM and Node Agent	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/how-to-fortanix-confidential-computing-manager-node-agent
Implement SKR with confidential containers on Azure Container Instances	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/skr-flow-confidential-containers-azure-container-instance
Implement SKR from Key Vault to AMD SEV-SNP confidential VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/skr-flow-confidential-vm-sev-snp

Deployment

Topic	URL
Deploy AKS cluster with SGX enclave nodes via CLI	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/confidential-enclave-nodes-aks-get-started
Use confidential VM node pools in AKS	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/confidential-node-pool-aks
Create custom images for Azure confidential VMs with CLI	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/how-to-create-custom-image-confidential-vm
Deploy Fortanix CCM as Azure managed app	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/how-to-fortanix-confidential-computing-manager
Migrate nested Azure confidential VMs across regions	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/migrate-nested-confidential-vms
Deploy VM scale sets with hardened Linux images	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/confidential-computing/vmss-deployment-from-hardened-linux-image