Generated on: March 20, 2026 Target period: Within the last 24 hours Processing mode: Details Mode Number of updates: 4 items
Published: March 19, 2026 17:00:53 UTC Link: Public Preview: Azure Databricks OneLake Catalog Federation
Update ID: 558927 Data source: Azure Updates API
Categories: In preview, AI + machine learning, Analytics, Azure Databricks, Features
Summary:
What was updated
Azure Databricks now supports OneLake Catalog Federation in public preview, enabling direct integration with Microsoft Fabric OneLake data.
Key changes or new features
Developers and data engineers can connect Azure Databricks Unity Catalog to a OneLake catalog, allowing Databricks to automatically synchronize schemas and tables from Microsoft Fabric OneLake. This enables querying and analyzing OneLake data directly from Databricks without the need to copy or move data, streamlining data access and reducing data duplication.
Target audience affected
This update is relevant for data engineers, developers, and IT professionals working with Azure Databricks, Microsoft Fabric, and OneLake for analytics, data engineering, or data science workloads.
Important notes if any
The feature is currently in public preview and may not be suitable for production workloads. Users should review documentation for setup and limitations. This integration helps organizations simplify data governance and improve productivity by leveraging a unified data catalog across Azure Databricks and Microsoft Fabric OneLake.
For more details, see the official update.
Details:
Azure Update Report: Public Preview – Azure Databricks OneLake Catalog Federation
Background and Purpose of the Update:
This update introduces the public preview of OneLake catalog federation in Azure Databricks. The primary goal is to enable seamless data access between Azure Databricks and Microsoft Fabric OneLake, eliminating the need to copy or move data. This addresses common challenges in data integration, such as data duplication, synchronization overhead, and latency, by allowing direct querying of data stored in OneLake from within Databricks environments.
Specific Features and Detailed Changes:
Technical Mechanisms and Implementation Methods:
Use Cases and Application Scenarios:
Important Considerations and Limitations:
Integration with Related Azure Services:
Summary Sentence:
Azure Databricks now supports public preview of OneLake catalog federation, enabling direct querying of Microsoft Fabric OneLake data via Unity Catalog with automatic schema and table synchronization, streamlining cross-platform analytics and data governance without data movement.
Published: March 19, 2026 16:30:27 UTC Link: Retirement: HC-series Azure Virtual Machines will be retired on May 31, 2027
Update ID: 548543 Data source: Azure Updates API
Categories: Compute, Virtual Machines, Retirements
Summary:
What was updated
Microsoft announced the retirement of HC-series Azure Virtual Machines (VMs), specifically the Standard_HC44rs, Standard_HC44-16rs, and Standard_HC44-32rs sizes. These VM sizes will be retired on May 31, 2027.
Key changes or new features
After May 31, 2027, the specified HC-series VM sizes will no longer be available for deployment or support. Microsoft recommends migrating workloads to newer VM series for improved performance and ongoing support.
Target audience affected
This update affects developers, IT professionals, and organizations currently using HC-series VMs for high-performance computing (HPC) workloads, such as engineering simulations, computational fluid dynamics, and other compute-intensive applications.
Important notes if any
To avoid service disruption, users must plan and execute migration to supported VM sizes before the retirement date. Review current workloads and test compatibility with recommended replacement VM series. Early migration ensures continued support, access to new features, and better performance. For more details and migration guidance, refer to the official Azure update: https://azure.microsoft.com/updates?id=548543
Details:
Azure Update Report: Retirement of HC-series Azure Virtual Machines (Effective May 31, 2027)
Background and Purpose of the Update
Microsoft Azure has announced the retirement of specific HC-series virtual machine (VM) sizes—namely, Standard_HC44rs, Standard_HC44-16rs, and Standard_HC44-32rs—effective May 31, 2027. The primary purpose of this update is to phase out these older VM sizes, encouraging customers to transition to newer, more performant, and supported VM offerings. This aligns with Azure’s ongoing lifecycle management strategy to deprecate legacy infrastructure and promote the adoption of advanced compute resources.
Specific Features and Detailed Changes
The retirement specifically targets the following VM sizes:
After May 31, 2027, these VM sizes will no longer be available for deployment or scaling. Existing instances must be migrated to supported VM series prior to the retirement date to avoid service disruption. No other HC-series sizes are mentioned in this update.
Technical Mechanisms and Implementation Methods
The retirement will be enforced at the Azure platform level. This means:
Migration typically involves:
Use Cases and Application Scenarios
The HC-series VMs are designed for high-performance computing (HPC) workloads, such as:
Organizations leveraging these VM sizes for HPC workloads must review their compute requirements and transition to supported VM offerings that provide similar or improved performance characteristics.
Important Considerations and Limitations
Integration with Related Azure Services
These VM sizes are commonly integrated with:
When migrating, ensure that the new VM sizes are compatible with these services and that any required extensions or drivers are supported.
Summary:
Microsoft Azure will retire the Standard_HC44rs, Standard_HC44-16rs, and Standard_HC44-32rs VM sizes on May 31, 2027; customers should plan to migrate affected workloads to supported VM offerings to ensure uninterrupted service and improved performance.
Published: March 19, 2026 16:30:27 UTC Link: Retirement: HBv2-series Azure Virtual Machines will be retired on May 31, 2027
Update ID: 548525 Data source: Azure Updates API
Categories: Compute, Virtual Machines, Retirements
Summary:
What was updated
Microsoft announced the retirement of HBv2-series Azure Virtual Machines (VMs), including the following sizes: Standard_HB120rs_v2, Standard_HB120-96rs_v2, Standard_HB120-64rs_v2, Standard_HB120-32rs_v2, and Standard_HB120-16rs_v2. The retirement date is set for May 31, 2027.
Key changes or new features
After May 31, 2027, the above HBv2-series VM sizes will no longer be available for deployment or scaling. Customers must transition their workloads to alternative VM series, such as the HBv3-series, which offer improved performance, scalability, and updated hardware features.
Target audience affected
This update impacts IT professionals, infrastructure administrators, and developers currently running workloads on HBv2-series VMs, especially those managing high-performance computing (HPC) environments.
Important notes if any
To avoid service disruption, plan and migrate workloads from HBv2-series VMs to supported alternatives before the retirement date. Review application compatibility and performance requirements when selecting replacement VM sizes. Microsoft recommends leveraging newer VM series for enhanced capabilities and ongoing support. For more details and migration guidance, refer to the official Azure update: https://azure.microsoft.com/updates?id=548525
Details:
Azure Update Report: Retirement of HBv2-series Azure Virtual Machines on May 31, 2027
Background and Purpose of the Update
Microsoft Azure has announced the retirement of the HBv2-series virtual machine (VM) sizes, effective May 31, 2027. The retirement affects the following VM sizes: Standard_HB120rs_v2, Standard_HB120-96rs_v2, Standard_HB120-64rs_v2, Standard_HB120-32rs_v2, and Standard_HB120-16rs_v2. The primary purpose of this update is to phase out older HBv2-series hardware and encourage customers to transition to newer VM series that offer enhanced performance, improved scalability, and better support for modern workloads.
Specific Features and Detailed Changes
The HBv2-series VMs are designed for high-performance computing (HPC) workloads, particularly those requiring significant CPU and memory resources. After May 31, 2027, these specific VM sizes will no longer be available for provisioning, and existing deployments will need to be migrated to supported VM series. This change impacts all regions and customers utilizing the listed HBv2 VM sizes.
Technical Mechanisms and Implementation Methods
The retirement will be enforced at the platform level. After the retirement date, Azure Resource Manager (ARM) will prevent the creation of new instances of the retired VM sizes. Existing VMs of these sizes may be deallocated or deleted, depending on Microsoft’s retirement policy. Customers must plan and execute migration strategies to supported VM families before the cutoff date to avoid service disruption. Migration typically involves resizing VMs to a supported SKU, updating deployment templates, and validating workload compatibility.
Use Cases and Application Scenarios
HBv2-series VMs are commonly used in technical computing scenarios such as computational fluid dynamics, finite element analysis, weather modeling, and other CPU-bound HPC applications. Organizations leveraging these VM sizes for research, engineering simulation, or large-scale parallel processing must identify alternative VM series that meet their performance and scalability requirements.
Important Considerations and Limitations
Integration with Related Azure Services
HBv2-series VMs are often integrated with Azure Batch, Azure CycleCloud, Azure HPC Cache, and Azure Virtual Network for large-scale HPC workloads. Migration to newer VM series may require reconfiguration of these integrations to ensure optimal performance and compatibility. Customers should review dependencies and update service configurations as part of their migration plan.
Summary
Microsoft Azure will retire HBv2-series VM sizes on May 31, 2027, requiring customers to migrate affected workloads to supported VM series to maintain service continuity and leverage improved platform capabilities.
Published: March 19, 2026 16:30:27 UTC Link: Retirement: NP-series Azure Virtual Machines will be retired on May 31, 2027
Update ID: 548497 Data source: Azure Updates API
Categories: Compute, Virtual Machines, Retirements
Summary:
What was updated
Microsoft announced the retirement of NP-series Azure Virtual Machines (VMs)—specifically the Standard_NP10s, Standard_NP20s, and Standard_NP40s sizes—effective May 31, 2027.
Key changes or new features
These NP-series VM sizes will no longer be available after the retirement date. Customers using these VMs are advised to migrate their workloads to alternative Azure GPU VM offerings to maintain service continuity and performance. Microsoft recommends evaluating the latest GPU VM series for improved capabilities and support.
Target audience affected
This update impacts developers, IT professionals, and organizations currently running workloads on NP-series VMs, particularly those utilizing GPU acceleration for AI, machine learning, or graphics-intensive applications.
Important notes if any
Action is required before May 31, 2027, to avoid service disruptions. Begin planning and testing migration to supported GPU VM sizes as soon as possible. Review the Azure documentation for guidance on selecting replacement VM sizes and migration best practices. No automatic migration will occur; manual intervention is necessary. For more details, refer to the official Azure update: https://azure.microsoft.com/updates?id=548497
Details:
Azure Update Report: Retirement of NP-series Azure Virtual Machines (May 31, 2027)
Background and Purpose of the Update:
Microsoft Azure has announced the retirement of the NP-series Virtual Machine (VM) sizes—specifically Standard_NP10s, Standard_NP20s, and Standard_NP40s—effective May 31, 2027. The NP-series VMs are GPU-enabled instances designed for workloads requiring parallel processing capabilities, such as deep learning, AI model training, and high-performance computing (HPC). The purpose of this update is to phase out these legacy VM sizes and encourage customers to migrate to newer Azure GPU VM offerings that provide enhanced performance, scalability, and support.
Specific Features and Detailed Changes:
The retirement affects three VM sizes: Standard_NP10s, Standard_NP20s, and Standard_NP40s. After May 31, 2027, these VM sizes will no longer be available for deployment or scaling operations. Existing workloads running on these sizes must be transitioned to alternative GPU VM families before the retirement date to avoid service disruption. Microsoft recommends migrating to other Azure GPU VM families, which offer improved hardware specifications, updated drivers, and better integration with Azure’s evolving infrastructure.
Technical Mechanisms and Implementation Methods:
The retirement process will be managed through Azure’s lifecycle management policies. After the retirement date, the NP-series VM sizes will be removed from the Azure portal, CLI, and ARM templates, preventing new deployments or scaling of existing resources. Customers should plan and execute migration strategies using Azure Migrate or custom scripts to move workloads to supported GPU VM families. This may involve updating VM images, reconfiguring networking, and validating application compatibility with the new VM hardware.
Use Cases and Application Scenarios:
NP-series VMs are commonly used for GPU-intensive workloads, including machine learning training, inferencing, scientific simulations, and graphics rendering. Organizations leveraging these VMs for AI development, data analytics, or visualization tasks must identify suitable replacement VM sizes that meet their performance and compatibility requirements. Azure’s newer GPU VM families are designed to support these scenarios with improved compute power, memory, and GPU capabilities.
Important Considerations and Limitations:
Integration with Related Azure Services:
Migrating away from NP-series VMs may impact integration with Azure services such as Azure Machine Learning, Azure Batch, and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) if these workloads are GPU-dependent. Ensure that the new VM sizes are supported by these services and update configurations accordingly. Azure Migrate and Azure Advisor can assist with migration planning and optimization.
Summary Sentence:
Microsoft Azure will retire the NP-series VM sizes (Standard_NP10s, Standard_NP20s, and Standard_NP40s) on May 31, 2027, and recommends transitioning workloads to newer Azure GPU VM families to maintain service continuity and performance.
This report was automatically generated - 2026-03-20 03:03:12 UTC