Forum Discussion

VEROChad's avatar
VEROChad
Copper Contributor
Oct 03, 2025

Issues Testing Azure Stack HCI on Hyper-V (Single Node) – Onboarding and Azure Arc Integration

i am currently testing azure stack hci in our company environment. i have downloaded the latest version of azure stack hci and deployed it on a single-node hyper-v vm setup for evaluation. while i can access the local azure stack hci portal, i am facing several issues when trying to onboard the host into the azure portal. challenges i am facing:
i am running azure stack hci on hyper-v manager with only one node (lab environment). could this be a limitation for azure portal onboarding?
even though i downloaded the latest azure stack hci build, the local portal shows the host as "not eligible." i am not sure why this is happening.
i tried to push two simple vms to azure arc/local using scripts, but i received an error that hyper-v components are not running, even though hyper-v is active.
i also ran into an issue with windows admin center because my subscription is not pay-as-you-go. is this a blocker for testing scenarios?
my questions:

is it possible to push vms into azure arc (or manage them locally) in this single-node hyper-v test environment?
can this be done using infrastructure as code with terraform and powershell, even without the original azure stack hci hardware?
what are the best practices for testing azure stack hci in a lab or non-production setup without purchasing physical nodes?

any guidance, examples, or workarounds would be greatly appreciated. our company is exploring azure hci, but we want to validate the setup in a lab before considering hardware purchases.

community

1 Reply

  • DarkVesper's avatar
    DarkVesper
    Copper Contributor
    Oct 05, 2025

    Hey VEROChad,

    You’re right to test this in a single-node lab before committing hardware. I hope this helps.

    This is what I've come across:

    1. Single-node limitations: Azure Stack HCI officially requires a minimum of two physical nodes for proper onboarding to Azure and for Arc integration to fully function. Single-node environments aren’t supported for full registration, which is why the host shows as “not eligible.”


    2. Hyper-V component error:  Even if Hyper-V is active, Azure Stack HCI expects specific feature dependencies tied to the validated HCI build and drivers. Running it on a general Hyper-V VM often triggers this mismatch.


    3. Windows Admin Center and Subscription: A Pay-As-You-Go subscription isn’t required to test WAC, but you’ll hit feature limitations when connecting to Azure services. For full hybrid testing, link WAC to a valid Azure subscription (even a trial one).


    ***Workarounds for lab validation

    You can simulate parts of the environment using Azure Arc–enabled servers directly on Windows Server 2022/2025 (bypasses HCI hardware dependency).

    For IaC, Terraform + PowerShell will still work for provisioning, but Arc registration will remain limited.

    Alternatively, consider nested virtualization inside a 2-node Hyper-V cluster if your system resources allow—it’s closer to a true HCI test setup.

    If your goal is to validate management and automation concepts rather than production HA performance, the Arc-enabled servers route is usually the most practical.

    DarkVesper

Resources