Microsoft Extends MANA Network Adapter Support to Existing Azure VM SKUs

Microsoft Azure will deploy its MANA network adapter technology to existing VM families starting February 2026, enabling performance and security improvements without requiring migration to new SKUs.

Microsoft has announced a strategic infrastructure upgrade that brings next-generation networking capabilities to existing Azure virtual machines. Starting February 2026, the Microsoft Azure Network Adapter (MANA) will be deployed across eligible VM size families, allowing customers to leverage new hardware advancements without migrating workloads to newer SKUs. This move reflects Azure's commitment to backward compatibility while advancing cloud performance.

What Changed: Hardware Evolution Without Migration

Azure will progressively deploy MANA-enabled hardware across all regions based on capacity requirements, not geographic restrictions. Once available in a region, existing VM deployments can automatically utilize the new hardware during provisioning or scaling operations. Crucially, this isn't a forced migration—workloads remain operational on current hardware until customers actively deploy to MANA-enabled infrastructure.

Technical Comparison: MANA vs. Legacy Infrastructure

The performance differential is significant for supported environments. MANA-enabled VMs running compatible operating systems gain:

Sub-second NIC firmware upgrades (vs. minutes in traditional systems)
40-50% higher network throughput based on Azure's internal benchmarks
15-20% latency reduction for network-intensive workloads
Hardware-accelerated data paths via Azure Boost
Enhanced security through isolated control planes

Workloads on incompatible OS versions will function normally but operate at legacy performance levels. As detailed in the MANA documentation, compatibility spans modern Linux distributions and Windows Server 2022 onwards.

Business Impact and Migration Strategy

This deployment model creates tangible advantages:

Cost Optimization: Defer migration expenses by extending the lifecycle of current VM investments
Risk Mitigation: Maintain business continuity while gaining access to hardware improvements
Performance Scaling: Enable burst capabilities for latency-sensitive applications like HPC and real-time analytics

Strategic considerations include:

Validate OS compatibility using Azure's compatibility guidelines
Monitor regional rollout timelines for capacity planning
Test workloads on MANA during non-peak hours to benchmark improvements
For unsupported workloads, evaluate phased OS updates versus new SKU migration

Cloud Ecosystem Implications

This rollout demonstrates Azure's nuanced approach to hardware innovation, contrasting with competitors' typical "all-or-nothing" refresh cycles. By decoupling hardware improvements from SKU generations, Microsoft enables gradual modernization—a critical advantage for enterprises with complex compliance or dependency constraints. The approach also pressures competitors to develop similar backward-compatible upgrade paths.

As February 2026 approaches, infrastructure teams should audit affected workloads using Azure's deployment guide. Proactive validation ensures organizations capture MANA's performance benefits while maintaining operational stability during the transition.