There are two types of Azure VMware Solution (AVS) SKUs - Gen 1 (Standard) and Gen 2 (VNet Native). They primarily refers to the Networking Architecture and the Underlying Hardware (SKUs) they are using. While Gen 1 mostly uses the AV36/AV52 series, Gen 2 is built around the AV64 SKU.
Key Architectural Differences
| Feature | AVS Gen 1 (Standard) | AVS Gen 2 (VNet Native) |
|---|---|---|
| Networking model |
ExpressRoute-based The SDDC is essentially an external service connected to your VNet via an ExpressRoute circuit and Virtual Gateway. |
VNet-native The SDDC is deployed directly into your VNet using delegated subnets. It behaves more like a native Azure resource. |
| Deployment Flow | Requires creating an ExpressRoute Gateway and manual peering/Global Reach setup. | Automatically creates delegated subnets in your host VNet; no ExpressRoute Gateway required for VNet connectivity. |
| vSAN Architecture | Uses vSAN Original Storage Architecture (OSA). | Uses vSAN Express Storage Architecture (ESA), which is optimized for high-performance NVMe. |