deployment-stacks-2025

# Azure Deployment Stacks - 2025 GA Features

Complete knowledge base for Azure Deployment Stacks, the successor to Azure Blueprints (GA 2024, best practices 2025).

## Overview

Azure Deployment Stacks is a resource type for managing a collection of Azure resources as a single, atomic unit. It provides unified lifecycle management, resource protection, and automatic cleanup capabilities.

## Key Features

### 1. Unified Resource Management
- Manage multiple resources as a single entity
- Update, export, and delete operations on the entire stack
- Track all managed resources in one place
- Consistent deployment across environments

### 2. Deny Settings (Resource Protection)
Prevent unauthorized modifications to managed resources:
- **None**: No restrictions (default)
- **DenyDelete**: Prevent resource deletion
- **DenyWriteAndDelete**: Prevent updates and deletions

### 3. ActionOnUnmanage (Cleanup Policies)
Control what happens to resources no longer in template:
- **detachAll**: Remove from stack management, keep resources
- **deleteAll**: Delete resources not in template
- **deleteResources**: Delete unmanaged resources, keep resource groups

### 4. Scope Flexibility
Deploy stacks at:
- Resource group scope
- Subscription scope
- Management group scope

### 5. Replaces Azure Blueprints
Azure Blueprints will be deprecated in **July 2026**. Deployment Stacks is the recommended replacement.

## Prerequisites

### Azure CLI Version
```bash
# Requires Azure CLI 2.61.0 or later
az version

# Upgrade if needed
az upgrade
```

### Azure PowerShell Version
```bash
# Requires Azure PowerShell 12.0.0 or later
Get-InstalledModule -Name Az
Update-Module -Name Az
```

## Creating Deployment Stacks

### Subscription Scope Stack

```bash
# Create deployment stack at subscription level
az stack sub create \
  --name MyProductionStack \
  --location eastus \
  --template-file main.bicep \
  --parameters @parameters.json \
  --deny-settings-mode DenyWriteAndDelete \
  --deny-settin