Edit

Preview Microsoft Discovery onboarding changes offline

Use -DryRun to describe a stage's intended actions from config.json without making Azure calls or changing resources. This parameter prevents VM creation and model inference. This task creates local output only when requested. It doesn't evaluate existing Azure state.

Prerequisites

The preview doesn't require Azure CLI, authentication, or Azure permissions. Obtaining a configuration with verified live checks has separate requirements.

Preview landing zone preparation

Run Stage 2 with -DryRun and an optional report path:

.\stage2-landing-zone\stage2_prepare.ps1 `
  -ConfigPath .\config.json -DryRun -JsonPath .\out\stage2-plan.json

Review the proposed registration, access, network, and storage work. This output doesn't prove the runner is authorized to perform it or that the target virtual network is safe to change.

Preview readiness checks

Select the profile you want to inspect:

.\stage3-validation\stage3_validate.ps1 `
  -ConfigPath .\config.json -Profile workspace -DryRun `
  -JsonPath .\out\stage3-plan.json

-Profile supports supercomputer, workspace, and bookshelf. Adding -WithVm -DryRun only describes a VM lifecycle; it doesn't create a probe or perform network tests. The live probe option has release limitations.

Preview deployment and scenario verification

Run the remaining previews:

.\stage4-deployment\stage4_deploy.ps1 `
  -ConfigPath .\config.json -DryRun -JsonPath .\out\stage4-plan.json

.\stage5-scenario-enablement\stage5_enable.ps1 `
  -ConfigPath .\config.json -DryRun -JsonPath .\out\stage5-plan.json

The plan includes stage options, such as Stage 4 -Recovery and supported Stage 5 target overrides. A recovery preview isn't authorization to perform a live re-PUT.

For programmatic inspection, use -PassThru:

$plan = .\stage2-landing-zone\stage2_prepare.ps1 `
  -ConfigPath .\config.json -DryRun -PassThru
$plan | Format-Table

In dry-run mode, -PassThru returns result objects without printing or writing the plan reports. It takes precedence over -JsonPath.

Interpret the plan

Confirm these results:

  • The verdict is PLAN, not GO.
  • Checks are marked Skip because the tool didn't execute them.
  • Exit 0 means the tool successfully generated the plan, not that the environment is ready.
  • With -JsonPath, the tool writes the JSON plan and its Markdown companion. Without it, there are no plan report files.

Missing or invalid required configuration causes the preview to fail. Passing required-field and RBAC-mode validation doesn't establish that every deployment prerequisite is satisfied.

This preview isn't Azure what-if. It doesn't evaluate permissions, quota, capacity, policy, live configuration, DNS, or connectivity. A Stage 3 PLAN can't satisfy Stage 4's readiness-report gate. Stage 1 already performs planning and doesn't accept -DryRun.

When you're ready for live execution, review the stage's prerequisites and remove -DryRun. Don't remove it merely to obtain a different verdict.

Next step

Prepare the landing zone

  • Last updated on