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Guide Origin: Official | ArcKit Version: [VERSION]

/arckit:azure-research researches Azure services, architecture patterns, and implementation guidance using the Microsoft Learn MCP server for authoritative documentation.

Agent Architecture: This command runs as an autonomous agent via the Task tool. The agent makes 15-30+ MCP calls to gather Azure documentation in its own context window, keeping the main conversation clean. The slash command is a thin wrapper that delegates to the agent.

Prerequisites

Microsoft Learn MCP Server (REQUIRED)

This command requires the Microsoft Learn MCP server to be installed. It will not work without it.

Installation:

Add to your Claude Code MCP configuration (~/.claude/claude_desktop_config.json or project .mcp.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "microsoft-docs": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@anthropic/mcp-server-microsoft-docs"]
    }
  }
}

After installation, restart Claude Code to load the MCP server.

Slow corporate network? On TLS-inspecting proxies, VPN tunnels, or congested links, large-scope research prompts can exceed Claude Code's default per-request fetch timeout. Set MCP_TOOL_TIMEOUT=300000 (5 minutes, in milliseconds) before launching Claude — see MCP per-request timeout in the MCP setup guide. Requires Claude Code v2.1.142+.

Project Prerequisites

  • Requirements document (ARC-*-REQ-*.md) - MANDATORY
  • Data model (ARC-*-DATA-*.md) - Recommended for database selection
  • Stakeholders (ARC-*-STKE-*.md) - Recommended for priorities

Scenario Matrix

Scenario Prompt seed Focus
Service selection "Research Azure services for " Maps requirements to Azure services
Architecture pattern "Research Azure architecture pattern for " Reference architectures from Azure Architecture Center
UK Government "Research Azure for UK Government " G-Cloud, data residency, NCSC compliance
AI/ML workloads "Research Azure AI services for " Azure OpenAI, Cognitive Services, ML
Migration "Research Azure migration options for " Azure Migrate, modernization paths
Security assessment "Research Azure Security Benchmark for " Control mapping, Well-Architected security

Add constraints (budget, classification, region) in the prompt for tailored results.

Command

/arckit:azure-research Research Azure services for <project>

Outputs: projects/<id>/research/ARC-<id>-AZRS-v1.0.md

Auto-versioning: Re-running this command when a document already exists automatically increments the version (minor for refreshed content, major for changed scope) instead of overwriting.

Long runs: Remote Control + push notifications

/arckit:azure-research frequently exceeds 10 minutes as the agent issues dozens of Microsoft Learn MCP calls and fetches full documentation pages for cost and compliance analysis. To avoid babysitting the terminal, pair it with Claude Code Remote Control:

claude remote-control

Drive the session from claude.ai/code or the mobile app, then enable /config → Push when Claude decides so your phone gets a notification on completion or when the agent reaches a decision point (service shortlist confirmation, region selection). ArcKit's minimum Claude Code floor (v2.1.287) already covers the v2.1.110 RC requirement.

Caveats: Pro/Max plans only (no API keys, no Bedrock/Vertex/Foundry), push is a single on/off so chatty agents can over-notify, and the local claude process must keep running.

MCP Tools Used

The command uses three Microsoft Learn MCP tools:

Tool Purpose
microsoft_docs_search Search Azure documentation for services, patterns, best practices
microsoft_docs_fetch Retrieve complete documentation pages for detailed analysis
microsoft_code_sample_search Find Bicep, Terraform, and SDK code samples

Output Highlights

  • Azure Service Recommendations: Mapped to specific requirements (FR, NFR, INT, DR)
  • Architecture Pattern: Reference architecture from Azure Architecture Center
  • Well-Architected Assessment: All 5 pillars evaluated per service
  • Azure Security Benchmark: 12 control domains mapped
  • UK Government Compliance: G-Cloud, UK regions, NCSC principles
  • Cost Estimates: Monthly and 3-year TCO with optimization recommendations
  • Implementation Guidance: Bicep/Terraform templates, Azure DevOps pipelines

UK Government Features

When UK Government project detected:

Area Coverage
G-Cloud Framework reference, service IDs, procurement steps
Data Residency UK South/UK West availability, geo-replication
Classification OFFICIAL, OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE, SECRET suitability
NCSC 14 Cloud Security Principles alignment
Scottish Government AI Strategy, Cyber Resilience Framework

Follow-on Actions

  • Feed Azure findings into /arckit:diagram for Azure architecture diagrams
  • Run /arckit:secure to validate against UK Secure by Design
  • Run /arckit:devops to plan Azure DevOps CI/CD pipelines
  • Run /arckit:finops to create Azure FinOps cost management strategy
  • Run /arckit:adr to document Azure service selection decisions

Comparison with /arckit:research

Feature /arckit:research /arckit:azure-research
Scope Multi-cloud, SaaS, open-source Azure-specific only
Source Web search, multiple sources Microsoft Learn MCP (authoritative)
Depth Build vs buy analysis Deep Azure service analysis
Compliance General UK Gov Azure-specific UK compliance
Code samples Limited Bicep, Terraform, SDKs
Cost estimates High-level Detailed Azure pricing

When to use which:

  • Use /arckit:research for cloud-agnostic evaluation or build vs buy
  • Use /arckit:azure-research when Azure is the target platform

Resources