Summary

The current Azure Local Cloud docs site covers the standard reference implementation, but many real-world deployments include additional components that don't fit neatly into the core implementation guide. This issue requests a new "Advanced Scenarios" (or "Extended Solutions") section that covers real-world patterns around alternate hardware, OOB management, connectivity, and operational variations.

Background

At Tierpoint (a real-world deployment scenario the toolkit was built around), the implementation included:

• Site-to-Site VPN between the on-premises Azure Local cluster and Azure, because all management infrastructure (automation, monitoring, pipelines) lived in Azure
• Opengear console servers for out-of-band (OOB) management of cluster nodes, switches, and iDRAC/BMC interfaces — allowing zero-touch access when nodes are down or misconfigured
• Dell OpenManage switches for managing the cluster's OOB and data networks

These patterns are broadly applicable to enterprise Azure Local deployments but are currently scattered across appendices rather than given proper treatment as first-class scenarios.

Proposed New Section: docs/scenarios/ (or docs/advanced-scenarios/)

This section would cover scenarios beyond the core reference implementation, organized as self-contained guides:

1. Site-to-Site VPN Connectivity

• When and why you need S2S VPN for Azure Local management
• Azure VPN Gateway sizing and configuration for Azure Local
• On-premises VPN appliance configuration (reference: FortiGate/Fortinet pattern from appendices)
• Routing and firewall rules for Azure Local management traffic
• Testing and validating S2S VPN connectivity
• Cross-reference: appendix-j-fortinet-config.mdx and appendix-o-opengear-maintenance.mdx

2. Opengear Out-of-Band Console Management

• What Opengear is and why OOB matters for Azure Local clusters
• Opengear setup and configuration for Azure Local node consoles
• Using Opengear for iDRAC/BMC access
• Using Opengear for network switch OOB access
• Zero-touch reconfiguration scenarios
• Cross-reference: appendix-k-opengear-config.mdx and appendix-o-opengear-maintenance.mdx

3. Dell Hardware — Switches and iDRAC

• Dell OS10 switch configuration for Azure Local networks (RDMA, storage, management, BMC)
• iDRAC configuration and lifecycle management
• BOSS card (boot SSD) setup and maintenance
• Dell Redfish API for hardware discovery and configuration
• Cross-reference: appendix-i-dell-config.mdx and appendix-m-dell-os10-maintenance.mdx

4. Azure Management Plane in Azure (Hub-and-Spoke)

• Pattern: Azure subscription as the management hub for on-premises Azure Local clusters
• Azure Virtual Networks, VPN Gateway, Azure Bastion topology
• Running pipelines and automation from Azure (Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions hosted runners) targeting on-premises
• Monitoring: Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, Defender for Cloud — all in Azure managing on-prem

5. Point-to-Site VPN for Operator Access

• When P2S VPN is needed (remote admin access to on-prem cluster management networks)
• Azure VPN Gateway P2S configuration
• Connecting from workstation to cluster management network

6. Multi-Site / Multiple Cluster Deployments

• Managing multiple Azure Local clusters from a single Azure subscription
• Naming conventions and resource group strategy for multi-cluster
• Scaling the toolkit and variable management for multiple sites

Migration of Appendices

Several existing appendices (appendix-i through appendix-o) contain content that rightfully belongs in this new section:

• Review each appendix — if it describes a full scenario (Opengear, Fortinet, Dell), consider promoting it to a scenario page
• Appendices should remain as detailed reference / config dumps; scenarios section provides the "when/why/how" narrative

Deliverables

• Proposed section structure agreed on (table of contents in a comment on this issue)
• New section created: docs/scenarios/ with a strong index.mdx
• Minimum coverage: S2S VPN, Opengear OOB, Dell hardware, Azure management hub
• Cross-references from the implementation guide to relevant scenario pages
• npm run build passes with no broken links

References

• docs/implementation/appendices/appendix-j-fortinet-config.mdx — Fortinet/FortiGate VPN config
• docs/implementation/appendices/appendix-k-opengear-config.mdx — Opengear setup
• docs/implementation/appendices/appendix-i-dell-config.mdx — Dell hardware config
• docs/implementation/appendices/appendix-m-dell-os10-maintenance.mdx — Dell switch maintenance
• docs/implementation/appendices/appendix-o-opengear-maintenance.mdx — Opengear maintenance