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Azure App Onboard Prereq

MicrosoftOfficialCreated by Microsoft

  • Skill
  • Review and audit
  • Software development
  • MIT
  • Low risk
  • Has scripts

From the author

Assess whether source code is ready to deploy to Azure — the check BEFORE infrastructure work. Evaluates build health, app completeness, dependencies and local services, stack compatibility, and deployment feasibility. Answers questions about what your app needs before it can be deployed — frameworks, dependencies, and configuration. Checks whether dependencies are compatible and identifies deployment blockers and unsupported frameworks. WHEN: "evaluate my repo", "is my app ready to deploy", "what does my app need to deploy", "what do I need before deploying", "does my app need", "can I ship this to Azure", "scan my repo for issues", "is this app deployable", "check if my app is ready for Azure", "do I need a Dockerfile", "what's blocking my deployment", "are there any blockers", "are my dependencies compatible", "does Azure support my framework", "what needs to change before deploying", "check my app configuration".
— the description by Microsoft

AutoGineer summary

Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author

The azure-app-onboard-prereq skill performs a comprehensive, read-only assessment of a repository to determine if it is prepared for deployment to Azure. It operates as the initial phase of the Azure onboarding pipeline, identifying potential blockers such as unsupported frameworks, incompatible dependencies, or missing configurations. By performing static analysis rather than executing build or test commands, it ensures a safe evaluation of the codebase. The skill generates a structured readiness report and identifies necessary remediations, ensuring that only viable applications proceed to the infrastructure planning and deployment stages.

What it does

  • Scans repositories to detect project components, language stacks, and infrastructure requirements.
  • Performs static analysis of build manifests to identify missing dependencies or configuration errors.
  • Checks for compatibility with Azure services and identifies non-Azure cloud SDKs that require migration.
  • Generates a readiness report with per-component verdicts (PASS/WARN/FAIL).
  • Validates the presence of necessary configuration files for deployment.
  • Enforces a strict read-only policy, prohibiting build, install, or test command execution.

When to use it

  • Before starting infrastructure planning or deployment for an existing application.
  • When you need to verify if your current codebase is compatible with Azure.
  • To identify specific blockers or missing dependencies preventing a successful deployment.
  • When you want to assess the health of your build configuration without running the build process.

Advantages

  • Ensures deployment readiness without executing potentially unsafe build or test commands.
  • Provides clear, actionable feedback on what needs to be fixed before proceeding.
  • Integrates seamlessly into the broader Azure onboarding pipeline.
  • Reduces deployment failures by catching configuration and dependency issues early.

Usage examples

“Is my app ready to deploy to Azure?”
The agent scans the repository, evaluates the build configuration and dependencies, and provides a readiness report with specific findings or blockers.
“What is blocking my deployment to Azure?”
The agent identifies missing dependencies, incompatible frameworks, or non-Azure cloud SDKs that must be addressed before deployment can proceed.
“Scan my repo for Azure deployment issues.”
The agent performs a static analysis of the codebase and reports on build health, completeness, and any required configuration changes.
“Are my dependencies compatible with Azure?”
The agent checks the project manifest against known Azure requirements and flags any problematic or unsupported packages.

Install

  1. Download the skill as a ZIP:

    https://autogineer.com/agent-skills/microsoft/azure-app-onboard-prereq/download
  2. Unzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:

    mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip azure-app-onboard-prereq.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by Microsoft

Azure App Onboard Prereq — Repository Evaluation

Evaluate a user's repository for build health, app completeness, and Azure deployment feasibility — before infrastructure planning. Produces per-component verdicts (PASS/WARN/FAIL) consumed by downstream phases.

Orchestrator relationship: Called by azure-app-onboard at Step 3, or standalone for code readiness checks. When called by orchestrator, return control to azure-app-onboard after writing artifacts — do NOT invoke downstream phases directly.

Phase 1 of 4 in AppOnboard pipeline. Session: .copilot-azure/sessions/{session-id}/. Reads context.json. Writes components[], repo{}, detectedInfra[]. Produces prereq-output.json. Schema: prereq-schemas.ts — PrereqOutput, BuildRequirements. Direct entry supported.

When NOT to Use

SignalRedirect
Validate infrastructure (Bicep/TF/azure.yaml)azure-validate
Generate IaCazure-prepare
End-to-end idea-to-productionazure-app-onboard
Run azd up or deployazure-deploy

Rules

⛔ ABSOLUTE PROHIBITION — npm install, npm test, npx jest, pytest, and ALL install/build/test commands are NEVER allowed. Under NO circumstances may you run npm install, npm test, npx jest, pip install, pytest, dotnet build, dotnet restore, dotnet test, go mod download, cargo build, or ANY package-manager install, build, or test command during the prereq phase. Do NOT run test suites to verify code — check for test config files statically instead. The prereq phase is read-only evaluation + static-only verification. ONLY exception — two sanctioned contexts, both consent-gated: (a) code the agent modified during migration/remediation (see remediation-protocol.md step 6), or (b) code the agent wrote from scratch on the zero-code path (see zero-code-path.md). In either case, install/build/test runs ONLY via the user-confirmed build-validation gate (build-check.md Step 3), after the user answers that specific per-command consent prompt. General prior consent never counts.

  1. ⛔ Full pipeline (Steps 1–8), no exceptions. All prompts → Step 1 directly. Answer specific questions AS PART OF findings (Step 5), not before.

  2. ⛔ No sub-agents for evaluation. 3-axis evaluation is inline. Exception: zero-code-path scaffolding (Step 2).

  3. Code/destructive modifications require ask_user. Max 3 questions before results. Direct entry: don't repeat orchestrator's intent questions.

MCP Tools

ToolPurpose
mcp_azure_mcp_get_azure_bestpracticesValidate detected stack patterns against Azure best practices
mcp_azure_mcp_extension_cli_installCheck/install required CLI tools (az, azd, func)

Workflow

Step 1: Session Check

Orchestrator entry: Session exists — read context.json, proceed to Step 2.

Direct entry: Check .copilot-azure/sessions/active-session.json:

  • Exists → ⛔ read session-protocol.md for resume/fresh gate. Do NOT proceed until user answers.

  • Missing → create session: generate UUID, New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path ".copilot-azure/sessions/{uuid}" -Force, write context.json + active-session.json via create tool.

Then: az account show → merge {id, name, tenantId} into context.json.azure. ⛔ Session MUST exist on disk before any scanning.

Step 2: Scan Workspace

Scan for project files. Detect components, repo{}, detectedInfra[], detectedServices[]. Classify Terraform providers. Check CLI availability. Stack detection conflicts: user explicit statement wins (write to context.json, mark scan as override); scan-only → confirm with user; multiple stacks → show all and ask (see component-mapping.md); no code → zero-code-path.md.

If no project files, no Dockerfile, AND no index.html → ⛔ read zero-code-path.md.

⛔ Cloud SDK early gate. Grep for aws-sdk|@aws-sdk|boto3|google-cloud|@google-cloud|firebase. If functional deps found → read cloud-sdk-migration.md, then ask_user: "Redirect to Azure Cloud Migrate" (set routeToSkill: "azure-cloud-migrate") · "Continue evaluation anyway" (finish readiness eval + SDK→Azure mapping, then STOP at Step 8 — no plan until the deps are swapped) · "Cancel".

Step 3: Per-Component Evaluation
Sub-stepActionReference
3.1Build check⛔ You MUST read build-check.md
3.2Completeness check⛔ You MUST read completeness-check.md
3.3Deployability check⛔ You MUST read deployability-check.md
3.3aComponent mapping (conditional)Read component-mapping.md ONLY IF >1 project manifest found (monorepo)

Populate buildRequirements per component after evaluation. Verdict propagation, tier rules, and f1Viable aggregation are in readiness-gate.md and the individual check references.

Step 4: Write Artifacts + Readiness Gate

⛔ Verify context.json exists on disk. ⛔ You MUST read readiness-gate.md (verdicts, tiers, batch-then-approve, fast-track), then ⛔ You MUST read prereq-artifacts.md (write procedures, schemas).

Step 5: Present Findings

Per readiness-gate.md § Present Findings — show verdicts grouped by severity before proceeding.

Step 6: Remediation (conditional)

⛔ You MUST read remediation-protocol.md IF any ❌ FAIL verdict, 🔧 Recommended Fix, or ⚠️ WARN with fixPhase: "prereq" exists. Contains remediation loop, static verification, re-eval mandate, post-remediation artifact updates, and the build-validation consent gate. If all verdicts are ✅ PASS or ⚠️ WARN without fixPhase: "prereq", skip to Step 7.

Step 7: Write Final State

completedPhases already has "prereq" + currentPhase: null (from Step 4). Then:

⛔ Write lastScanCommit. Run git rev-parse HEAD and store the full 40-character SHA as context.json.repo.lastScanCommit. Required — staleness guard in Step 1 compares to HEAD on resume to detect changes.

Step 8: Route

⛔ Mandatory — do NOT skip this step.

Routing fields: All routing writes routeToSkill and routeReason to context.json.

Post-remediation context: If Step 6 ran, lead the routing prompt with: "Remediation complete — {N} issues fixed, your app is now {overallHealth}."

⛔ Evaluate rows top to bottom — first match wins.

#ConditionAction
1routeToSkill set (any entry)ask_user: "Redirect to {routeToSkill}" / "Not now". ⛔ Pipeline stops — do NOT proceed to architecture planning.
2cloudSdkFindings[] non-empty (user chose "Continue evaluation anyway")Present the cloud-SDK → Azure swap mapping as 🔶 blockers, then ask_user with this exact prompt: "🔶 Cloud SDK migration required — these dependencies must be swapped before this app can deploy to Azure. (Redirect to azure-cloud-migrate / Stop — swap manually and re-run)" — Redirect sets routeToSkill: "azure-cloud-migrate", Stop halts. ⛔ Pipeline stops — do NOT proceed to architecture planning, and do NOT offer a "continue to prepare" option; the app can't deploy until the deps are swapped.
3Orchestrator + no routeToSkillTell the user: "✅ Your app has been evaluated and is ready — let's plan your Azure deployment." Then invoke azure-app-onboard. ⛔ Do NOT stop, do NOT wait for user input, do NOT narrate internal handoffs. The user already consented to the full pipeline at scope triage.
4Direct + ready/readyWithCaveats + no Azure infraask_user: "Deploy to Azure (full pipeline)" → invoke azure-app-onboard / "Not now"
5Direct + ready/readyWithCaveats + existing Azure infraask_user: "Start fresh" → invoke azure-app-onboard / "Use existing infra" → invoke azure-prepare / "Not now"
6Direct + blockedReport blocker summary + "Fix and re-run."

Severity tiers (🛑🔶❌🔧⚠️✅) are defined in readiness-gate.md.

Outputs

ArtifactLocationConsumer
Session contextcontext.json → components[], repo{}, detectedInfra[], detectedServices[]All downstream phases
Prereq outputprereq-output.jsonprepare phase (via azure-app-onboard)
Readiness report.copilot-azure/sessions/{uuid}/readiness-report.mdUser (offline reference)

Files

references/subagent-starter-scaffold.md

Subagent Template — Starter App Scaffold (Zero-Code Path Step 4)

Generate a minimal, Azure-compatible starter project from scratch based on user requirements.

Critical Rules

  • ⛔ Do NOT invoke ANY skills — no {"skill": "..."} calls. You are a code generation sub-agent only.

  • ⛔ Do NOT generate Azure infrastructure (Bicep, Terraform, azure.yaml). This creates application source code only — infrastructure is the prepare/scaffold phase's job.

  • ⛔ Do NOT install dependencies — no npm install, pip install, or any package manager commands. The main agent handles the build-validation gate after you return.

Input (provided by caller)

FieldSourceRequired
App descriptionUser's answer to "What kind of app?" or context.json.intent.userPromptYES
Chosen stackStack the user accepted or overrode (e.g., "Node.js/Express", "Python/FastAPI")YES
Workspace rootAbsolute path to write filesYES
Data needstrue if user described database/storage needs ("with a database", "stores tasks")YES
Multi-pagetrue if user described multiple views/pages ("three tabs", "dashboard + settings")YES

Workflow

Step 1 — Apply starter patterns

Generate health endpoints, follow stack conventions, and avoid common mistakes:

Health endpoints (MANDATORY):

  • /healthz — liveness: 200 { status: "ok" }. Must return 2xx directly (no redirects), allow anonymous access.

  • /readyz — readiness: check DB/cache/deps. 200 when ready, 503 when not.

  • Container Apps: httpGet.port must match targetPort in ingress config.

Stack conventions:

  • Node.js/Express: Listen on process.env.PORT || 3000. "start" script required. "engines": { "node": ">=24" }. Production deps in dependencies.

  • Python (Flask/FastAPI): Production: gunicorn -w 4 -k uvicorn.workers.UvicornWorker main:app. Include gunicorn in requirements.txt. Bind 0.0.0.0, not 127.0.0.1.

  • Next.js/React: Static export: output: 'export'. Hybrid SSR works on SWA.

Project structure: src/ for app code (routes, entry, server). .env.sample, .gitignore, package.json/requirements.txt, README.md.

Common mistakes to avoid: hardcoded port, dev server in production, no health endpoint, missing start script, secrets in source, no CORS middleware, missing engines.node, Python missing gunicorn, Python using passlib (unmaintained, breaks on Python 3.12+ with bcrypt 5.x — use bcrypt>=4.0 directly).

Step 2 — Generate files

Scaffold a minimal starter project. Include:

  • Entry point file with a working HTTP server, /healthz (liveness), and /readyz (readiness) endpoints

  • Package manifest (package.json, requirements.txt, *.csproj, go.mod) with minimal production dependencies

  • .env.sample listing required environment variables (at minimum: PORT)

  • .gitignore appropriate for the stack

  • README.md with project name, one-line description, and local run instructions

  • If data needs is true: add a placeholder data model/schema file and an in-memory or file-based data layer (NOT a cloud database client — that's scaffold phase's job)

  • If multi-page is true: scaffold route stubs or page components

Step 3 — Return file list

Return the list of files written to the workspace so the main agent can verify and pass to build validation.

Output

ArtifactLocation
Application source filesWorkspace root (conventional layout per Step 1 patterns)
File listReturn to caller — array of relative paths written

Rules

  • Scaffold dynamically based on app description — no hardcoded templates. Read the stack ecosystem's conventions (e.g., npm init patterns for Node, dotnet new webapi patterns for .NET).

  • Code must be functional enough to start locally (e.g., node src/server.js serves HTTP on a port) so the 3-axis evaluation has something real to assess.

  • Follow the project structure and common mistakes guidance from Step 1 exactly.

Requirements and compatibility

Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta

“Works with” means the tool reads the open Agent Skills format; a skill written for one tool may use features others lack.

Needs: Needs Python, Needs Node.js

Security

What our scanner noticed· Low risk

  • Instructions that use the network
  • Scripts that your agent may run

This skill includes scripts that your agent may run. Read them before you use it.

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Attribution and licence

Created by
Microsoft
Publisher
Microsoft (Official)
Source
microsoft/skills · .github/plugins/azure-skills/skills/azure-app-onboard-prereq · commit 0696600
Licence
MIT License (redistribution allowed)
  • LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from .github/plugins/azure-skills/LICENSE)
  • ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
Synced
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