CentOS 9 on Microsoft Azure

Deploy CentOS 9 on Azure Virtual Machines with this lightweight, continuously delivered, and RHEL-upstream image. Packaged and maintained by ProComputers, it is optimized for cloud-init automation, fast boot, and development or pre-production workloads — the perfect choice for users who need early access to features before they appear in Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

Key Features of CentOS 9 in Azure

• Rolling-release model: delivers updates slightly ahead of RHEL 9.
• Cloud-init enabled: automated provisioning and configuration in Azure.
• Fast boot times: tuned for Azure Managed Disks and optimized defaults.
• Secure by default: SELinux enforced, SSH hardened, minimal package footprint.
• Accelerated Networking support: low-latency, high-throughput Azure workloads.

Benefits of Using CentOS 9 on Azure Cloud

• Future-ready development: preview upcoming RHEL 9 changes in Azure.
• Upstream alignment: maintained by Red Hat with strong ties to RHEL.
• Stability for dev/test: ideal for development, validation, and pre-production workloads.
• Lightweight VM image: efficient for CI/CD, DevOps pipelines, and cloud-native apps.

Use Cases for CentOS 9 on Azure VM

• Build and test apps with visibility into upcoming RHEL 9 features.
• Host scalable web apps on Azure using Nginx, Apache, PHP, or Python.
• Run containerized workloads on Azure VMs with Podman and systemd integration.
• Launch CI/CD pipelines in Azure with Jenkins, Ansible, GitLab CI, or Terraform.
• Deploy relational and NoSQL databases on Azure such as PostgreSQL, MariaDB, or MongoDB.
• Power LAMP/LEMP stacks or custom backend services in the Azure cloud.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is CentOS 9 RHEL-compatible? CentOS 9 is upstream of RHEL 9. It provides a rolling preview of the next RHEL minor release. While closely aligned, it is not bug-for-bug identical with RHEL.
• Can I use it for production? CentOS 9 is best suited for development, testing, and pre-production. For stable, long-term support in production, consider Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, or RHEL itself.
• Who maintains this image? The VM image is packaged and maintained by ProComputers, ensuring quality, reliability, and ongoing updates for Azure users.

Conclusion

Unlock the power of the CentOS 9 Azure VM image today — the future-facing, stable environment for developers, system integrators, and IT operations teams. Start building cloud-native applications, testing RHEL-compatible workloads, and automating infrastructure with flexibility, upstream visibility, and enterprise-grade performance optimized for Microsoft Azure.

Why Choose ProComputers Packaged Images?

With over a decade of Microsoft Azure expertise, ProComputers delivers secure, optimized, cloud-ready Linux VM images — including CentOS 9 on Azure. Each virtual machine image is minimal, hardened, and engineered for fast performance and enterprise-grade flexibility.

Explore our Other Azure Marketplace VM Images

• Oracle Linux 8
• Oracle Linux 9
• RHEL 8
• RHEL 9
• AlmaLinux 8
• AlmaLinux 9
• Rocky Linux 8
• Rocky Linux 9
• CentOS 9
• CentOS 10

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