How to fix "Diagnostics failed for the test category: ImageRecipeValidation" during Azure Local Registration?

Hello ObosonJW

The ImageRecipeValidation failure during Azure Arc registration is a known issue in Azure Local that affects multi-node clusters. This error occurs when:

• The OS image recipe validation checks fail on specific nodes
• Required Latest Cumulative Updates (LCUs) don't match the expected recipe
• Hardware or software configuration inconsistencies exist between nodes

Step 1: Verify Current Registration Status

First, check the current registration status on all nodes:

Run on each node to check registration status (PowerShell)

Get-AzureStackHci | Format-List RegistrationStatus, ConnectionStatus, LastConnected

Step 2: Run Diagnostic Tests

Use the Azure Local Configurator app or PowerShell to run comprehensive diagnostic tests:

Test-AzureStackHCIConnection -Verbose

Check cluster node status Get-ClusterNode | Format-Table Name, State, ID

Step 3: Verify OS Image Recipe Requirements

The most common cause is missing or incorrect Latest Cumulative Updates (LCUs):

Check installed hotfixes on each node:

Get-HotFix | Where-Object {$_.HotFixID -like "KB*"} | Sort-Object InstalledOn -Descending

# Verify specific LCUs mentioned in the error (typically KB5049620, KB5053599)

Get-HotFix -Id "KB5049620", "KB5053599" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

Step 4: Install Missing Updates

If updates are missing, install them from Microsoft Update Catalog:

1. Download required KBs from https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Home.aspx
2. Install on affected nodes:
3. Reboot each node after installation

Step 5: Repair Registration for Failed Nodes

For nodes that failed registration, use the repair registration process:

Run on one successfully registered node

$Subscription = "Your-Subscription-ID"

$Tenant = "Your-Tenant-ID"

$Region = "Your-Region"

Register-AzureStackHCI -RepairRegistration -SubscriptionId $Subscription -TenantId $Tenant -Region $Region

Step 6: Re-register Failed Nodes Individually

If repair doesn't work, temporarily remove and re-add failed nodes:

For each failed node, run on a working cluster node: $NodeName = "FailedNodeName"

Drain roles from the node: Suspend-ClusterNode -Name $NodeName -DrainGet-ClusterGroup

Verify roles moved

Remove from cluster temporarily: Remove-ClusterNode -Name $NodeName -Force

Reboot the failed node: Restart-Computer -ComputerName $NodeName -Force

Wait 10 minutes, then re-add

Add-ClusterNode -Name $NodeNameResume-ClusterNode -Name $NodeName

# Re-run Arc initialization on the repaired nodes

Invoke-AzStackHciArcInitialization -SubscriptionID $Subscription -ResourceGroup $RG -TenantID $Tenant -Region $Region -Cloud "AzureCloud" -ArmAccessToken $ARMtoken -AccountID $id

Alternative Solutions

Option 1: Use Older PowerShell Module Version

Some users report success with older Az.StackHCI module versions:

# Uninstall current module on all nodes Uninstall-Module Az.StackHCI -AllVersions -Force

Install older stable version Install-Module -Name Az.StackHCI -MaximumVersion 1.1.1 -Force

Option 2: Clean Previous Installation

If persistent issues occur, clean previous installation attempts:

Use Configurator app to clean previous installation

Or manually clean via PowerShell (contact Microsoft Support for specific steps)

Collect Logs for Support

If the issue persists, collect diagnostic logs:

# Logs location for manual collection C:\Windows\System32\Bootstrap\Logs

# Generate troubleshooting package

Get-AzureStackHCILogs -OutputPath "C:\Temp\AzSHCILogs.zip"

Install downloaded updates:

wusa.exe "path\to\KB5049620.msu" /quiet /norestartwusa.exe "path\to\KB5053599.msu" /quiet /norestart

Please refer Microsoft documentation for details

1. Azure Local Known Issues: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/known-issues?view=azloc-2507
2. Troubleshoot registration issues https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/manage/troubleshoot-deployment-configurator-app?view=azloc-2507
3. Azure Arc Agent Troubleshooting: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/servers/troubleshoot-agent-onboard
4. OS Image Recipe Validation: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/whats-new?view=azloc-2507&tabs=2408releases

Kindly let us know if the suggested steps helps or you need further assistance on this issue.