IBM Maximo on Azure
IBM Maximo Application Suite 9 on Azure Red Hat OpenShift or self-managed OpenShift, with Azure Files storage, Entra ID single sign-on, and NVIDIA GPU nodes for Maximo Visual Inspection
Overview
IBM Maximo Application Suite runs on Red Hat OpenShift, and on Azure that means one of two paths. Microsoft's Azure Architecture Center names Azure Red Hat OpenShift (ARO) the preferred platform for MAS, because Microsoft and Red Hat jointly operate, patch, and support the managed cluster. Self-managed OpenShift on Azure virtual machines, installed with IPI or UPI, is the option when ARO does not meet control, isolation, or disconnected requirements. IBM also lists MAS in Azure Marketplace, where a BYOL offer can build a new IPI or UPI cluster or install into an existing one. The supported OpenShift version has to satisfy three boundaries at once: IBM's compatibility reports, Red Hat's lifecycle, and ARO's release calendar. Microsoft's reference uses Azure Files Premium (NFS) and Standard (SMB) for storage, Azure SQL Managed Instance or Db2 Warehouse for databases, and Microsoft Entra ID for SAML single sign-on. We design, install, and run that stack for your Azure landing zone.
What teams weigh before running Maximo on Azure
Version and support notes for Azure
IBM's v9-260924 operator catalog supports OpenShift 4.18 to 4.22 and has dropped 4.16, whose ARO EUS support ended June 27, 2026. ARO 4.18 EUS runs to February 25, 2027 and 4.20 EUS to October 21, 2027; 4.22 is listed as coming soon. Microsoft archived its Azure/maximo GitHub quickstart on June 15, 2026, and it only covers MAS 8.7 on OpenShift 4.8, so do not build from it.
Reference architecture
ARO is Microsoft's preferred platform for MAS on Azure, with the control plane run by Microsoft and Red Hat site reliability engineers. Self-managed OpenShift on Azure VMs uses IPI, or UPI for private and disconnected installs, and leaves patching to you. The IBM Azure Marketplace BYOL offer can provision IPI or UPI clusters or target an existing cluster.
Microsoft's guidance is at least two worker nodes per availability zone, sized from IBM's MAS system requirements. MAS Core needs about 13 vCPUs for a standard base install before applications. Self-managed clusters also need one control plane VM per zone; on ARO the control plane is part of the service.
Azure Files Premium provides NFS shares for ReadWriteMany workloads such as Db2 Warehouse and Manage's Postgres, and Azure Files Standard provides SMB shares for low-throughput ReadWriteOnce volumes. Use zone-redundant storage and private endpoints. The MAS CLI auto-detects managed-premium (RWO) and azurefiles-premium (RWX) storage classes.
Azure SQL Managed Instance can serve MAS applications that IBM supports on SQL Server, alongside Db2 Warehouse or Oracle; Azure SQL Database is not supported. MongoDB runs in-cluster or on MongoDB Atlas on Azure, since Cosmos DB's MongoDB API is not supported. Kafka for IoT runs on Strimzi in-cluster or Confluent, not Azure Event Hubs.
Plan a large virtual network (Microsoft suggests a /16 where possible) with at least /24 subnets for ARO control plane and workers, a /27 for private endpoints, and a /26 AzureBastionSubnet if you use Bastion. Azure DNS hosts the cluster domain, and ExpressRoute or VPN carries private user traffic.
MAS supports SAML single sign-on, and Microsoft Entra ID has a Maximo Application Suite gallery app for it. Cluster administrators sign in to OpenShift through a separate Entra ID OAuth configuration, and Azure RBAC controls who can change the underlying resources.
Trade-offs
13 vCPUs mAS Core base install. Starting point for a standard-sized MAS Core install before applications, per Microsoft's sizing guidance
800+ pods for MAS and standard apps. Pod count Microsoft cites when advising a /21 or larger pod network
4.18-4.22 openShift versions in IBM's latest catalog. OpenShift range supported by IBM Maximo operator catalog v9-260924 (September 2026)
An OpenShift release must appear in IBM's compatibility reports for every MAS application you run, be inside Red Hat's lifecycle, and be installable on ARO in your region. Missing any one leaves the deployment unsupported, and ARO clusters past end of life drop to limited support.
ARO's support policy forbids custom MachineConfig and KubeletConfig objects unless documented. IBM's Db2 Warehouse docs call for a 16,384 PID limit and say changing it on ARO needs a Red Hat support exception, so raise it before install rather than after.
In-cluster MongoDB, Strimzi Kafka, and some prerequisites such as Behavior Analytics Services keep state on cluster storage. Microsoft warns Strimzi data is likely lost in a disaster, so backups to another region or managed services are needed.
Microsoft notes that MAS and some standard applications deploy over 800 pods and may need a /21 or larger pod network. Readdressing an OpenShift cluster after install is disruptive and can mean a rebuild.
Air-gapped MAS on Azure requires self-managed OpenShift with UPI and image mirroring, and Microsoft states it is not fully tested. Use it only when a regulatory or OT isolation requirement calls for it.
Many Azure MAS guides online, including Microsoft's archived GitHub quickstart, target MAS 8.x and OpenShift 4.8. Steps, storage drivers, and Cloud Pak for Data versions in them no longer match MAS 9.
What we do
We review your MAS applications, user load, and Azure landing zone, then choose ARO or self-managed OpenShift and an OpenShift version that IBM's compatibility reports, Red Hat, and ARO all support.
AI on Azure
If Maximo Visual Inspection or other AI workloads are in scope, we check that the NVIDIA GPU VM size is on ARO's supported worker list and supported by IBM for your OpenShift version.
We design the virtual network, subnets, private endpoints, storage classes, database placement, and Entra ID integration, following Microsoft's MAS reference architecture and IBM's Azure planning docs.
AI on Azure
GPU worker pools are designed as separate machine sets so Visual Inspection training and inference scale without affecting Manage capacity.
We install MAS with IBM's MAS CLI and Ansible collection rather than by hand, configure Azure Files and managed disk storage classes, Db2 or SQL Managed Instance, MongoDB, and SAML single sign-on.
AI on Azure
For Visual Inspection we install the NVIDIA GPU Operator and verify CUDA support on the GPU nodes before activating the application.
We move Maximo 7.6.x environments, including those already on Azure VMs, to MAS 9 on OpenShift, covering database upgrade, customizations, integrations, and user cutover to Entra ID SSO.
AI on Azure
Once on MAS 9, Health, Predict, and Visual Inspection can be added on the same cluster when your data and use cases are ready.
We plan OpenShift updates on ARO's EUS channels, apply IBM's monthly operator catalogs, and maintain backup and cross-region recovery for MongoDB, Kafka, and databases.
AI on Azure
Each upgrade is checked against IBM's support matrix for Visual Inspection and the GPU Operator, since GPU support can lag the latest OpenShift release.
Walk through your cluster, databases, integrations, and AI plans with an engineer who installs and runs MAS on OpenShift.
The stack
Requirements
IBM's Azure planning topics: offering choice, prerequisites, service principal permissions, and security.
Azure Marketplace BYOL and paid offers, and the IPI, UPI, and existing-cluster deployment plans.
Hardware, software, and sizing requirements for MAS 9 and its applications.
Azure Architecture Center reference architecture covering ARO, storage, databases, networking, GPUs, and Entra ID.
ARO install availability and end-of-life dates for each OpenShift minor version.
Cluster configuration rules and supported control plane, worker, and GPU VM sizes.
IBM's MAS CLI install flow, including Azure storage class auto-detection.
Yes. MAS runs on Red Hat OpenShift, and on Azure that can be Azure Red Hat OpenShift (ARO) or self-managed OpenShift on Azure VMs. Microsoft's Azure Architecture Center publishes a reference architecture for MAS 9.x and names ARO the preferred platform.
ARO is a managed OpenShift service jointly engineered, operated, and supported by Microsoft and Red Hat. They patch, update, and monitor the platform, while you stay responsible for MAS, identity integration, network controls, worker capacity, storage, and backup.
Microsoft recommends ARO unless it does not meet your control, isolation, or disconnected requirements. Self-managed OpenShift gives you full control over the cluster, including PID limits and machine configuration, but you also patch and maintain the OpenShift platform and its VMs.
Yes. IBM lists MAS in Azure Marketplace as a BYOL offer and a paid offer, deployed through an ARM template. The BYOL plans create a new OpenShift cluster with IPI or UPI, or install MAS into an existing OpenShift cluster.
Choose a version listed in IBM's compatibility reports for all your MAS applications and available on ARO in your region. Microsoft suggests even-numbered EUS releases for production. As of IBM's September 2026 catalog, supported OpenShift versions are 4.18 to 4.22.
Microsoft's reference uses Azure Files Premium with NFS for ReadWriteMany workloads and Azure Files Standard with SMB for low-throughput ReadWriteOnce volumes, on zone-redundant storage with private endpoints. The MAS CLI recognizes the managed-premium and azurefiles-premium storage classes. Db2 Warehouse through Cloud Pak for Data uses OpenShift Data Foundation.
Azure SQL Managed Instance can be used for MAS applications that IBM supports on SQL Server, and you can mix it with Db2 Warehouse for other applications. Azure SQL Database is not supported. Some applications cannot share a database because of conflicting settings, so check each one.
No. Microsoft states that using MongoDB APIs with Azure Cosmos DB is not currently supported for MAS, and Azure Event Hubs is not supported as a Kafka endpoint. Use in-cluster MongoDB or MongoDB Atlas on Azure, and Strimzi or Confluent for Kafka.
MAS supports SAML, and Microsoft Entra ID has a Maximo Application Suite gallery app. You exchange SAML metadata between Entra ID and the MAS Configure SAML page, then create SAML users in MAS. OpenShift admin access uses a separate Entra ID OAuth setup.
Yes. Visual Inspection uses CUDA and supports only NVIDIA GPUs. On ARO, pick a GPU VM size from ARO's supported worker list, such as the NCasT4_v3 or NCv3 series, and confirm IBM supports it for your MAS and OpenShift versions along with the NVIDIA GPU Operator.
Tell us where Maximo runs today and where you want it to run. We will tell you honestly whether Azure is the right fit.
