Azure Virtual Machine Accelerated Networking uses SR-IOV to give eligible VMs a more direct network data path, reducing reliance on the host’s software virtual switch. It can reduce network-related latency, jitter, and CPU use, but it does not increase the bandwidth allocated to the VM size. Support depends on the exact VM SKU, region, guest operating system, and drivers.
How Accelerated Networking works
Without Accelerated Networking, packets pass through the host and its virtual switch on their way to or from a VM. With the feature enabled, Single Root I/O Virtualization (SR-IOV) lets the VM use a virtual function associated with the host’s physical network hardware for an accelerated data path. This reduces host-to-VM communication and work such as software interrupts and context switches on that path. The capability applies to the VM where it is enabled.
Azure uses different networking hardware depending on VM size and platform generation, including Mellanox devices and the Microsoft Azure Network Adapter (MANA). MANA is part of Azure Boost, but whether a VM can use it depends on platform placement and guest operating-system and driver support. If the guest lacks MANA support, it may use NetVSC, the hypervisor’s virtual adapter path instead. The underlying adapter does not change the network limits assigned to a VM size. Microsoft’s Accelerated Networking overview and its MANA support guidance describe these paths.
What performance changes—and what does not
Microsoft identifies lower latency, jitter, and CPU utilization as benefits. The size of any improvement depends on the VM, operating system, application, drivers, tuning, traffic pattern, and infrastructure. There is no universal percentage gain that applies to all workloads. Measure end-to-end performance for the application you run.
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Accelerated Networking does not raise a VM’s allocated bandwidth. Outbound bandwidth is a VM-size limit shared by the VM’s NICs, not a separate allowance for each NIC. The feature may help a workload make better use of its allocation, but CPU, storage, and other parts of the data path can still limit results. See Azure VM network throughput and bandwidth limits.
Topology matters for latency. Microsoft describes the clearest benefit when at least two VMs with the feature enabled communicate within the same virtual network. The effect is minimal for traffic crossing virtual networks or traveling to on-premises systems. Microsoft’s network-bandwidth optimization guidance recommends validating changes across the entire path and testing performance end to end.
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Check whether your VM and operating system are supported
Microsoft’s broad guidance says most general-purpose and compute-optimized sizes with two or more vCPUs support Accelerated Networking; for hyperthreaded instances, it generally requires four or more vCPUs. These guidelines are not guarantees for every size. GPU-focused NC and NV sizes are cited as exceptions in the overview. Confirm the exact SKU and region before deployment, rather than assuming every member of a VM family is eligible.
Use Azure CLI to inspect SKU capabilities in the region where you plan to deploy:
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az vm list-skus --location <region> --all --output tableCheck the returned SKU capabilities for Accelerated Networking. Replace <region> with the Azure region name you intend to use. Microsoft’s overview provides the SKU-query guidance; availability can vary by region and SKU.
The guest OS and its drivers must also support the relevant networking path. Microsoft’s current compatibility guidance lists Windows Server 2016, 2019, and 2022 and Windows 11 for Mellanox-backed support, as well as specified Azure Marketplace Linux and FreeBSD distributions. Linux kernel and driver requirements vary, and MANA support has its own guest requirements. For custom images, the required SR-IOV drivers must be present. Review the current MANA overview and Accelerated Networking compatibility guidance for the image and hardware path you plan to use.
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Enable it on a new or existing VM
When creating a VM
In the Azure portal, select a supported VM size and Marketplace image. The portal can offer the Accelerated Networking setting when that combination supports it. For a custom OS image, use Azure CLI or PowerShell if portal-based creation does not support the image.
For an existing VM
- Stop the VM and deallocate it. Merely shutting down the guest operating system is not sufficient; the VM must be deallocated before changing the NIC setting.
- Change the NIC’s Accelerated Networking setting using the Azure portal, Azure CLI, or PowerShell.
- Start the VM and verify that its guest OS and drivers recognize the accelerated network path.
Microsoft’s management guide documents the supported procedures. The platform does not automatically update Mellanox or MANA drivers inside the guest, so keep the OS kernel and drivers maintained independently.
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How to tell whether it helps your workload
Compare equivalent runs with and without the feature, controlling for VM size, region, application configuration, traffic, and other relevant conditions. Track the measures that matter to your workload:
- End-to-end throughput, not just a link or adapter rate.
- Latency and jitter, especially for VM-to-VM traffic in the same virtual network.
- CPU consumed by networking and the application’s overall CPU headroom.
- Whether the VM is approaching its size-based bandwidth limit or is constrained elsewhere, such as by CPU or storage.
For MANA-capable hardware, placement is infrastructure-dependent rather than a selectable purchase or guaranteed assignment. Microsoft’s MANA overview, last updated August 6, 2026, says May 26, 2026 was the earliest potential placement date on MANA-capable hardware for certain Intel v5 and Cobalt 100 v6 families; timelines for additional listed families remain under review. Treat that as potential placement, not a promise that a particular VM will run on MANA hardware.
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