sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api-provider-azure@v1.14.3/docs/book/src/topics/externally-managed-azure-infrastructure.md (about)

     1  # Externally managed Azure infrastructure
     2  
     3  Normally, Cluster API will create infrastructure on Azure when standing up a new workload cluster. However, it is possible to have Cluster API reuse existing Azure infrastructure instead of creating its own infrastructure.
     4  
     5  CAPZ supports [externally managed cluster infrastructure](https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/cluster-api/blob/10d89ceca938e4d3d94a1d1c2b60515bcdf39829/docs/proposals/20210203-externally-managed-cluster-infrastructure.md).
     6  If the `AzureCluster` resource includes a "cluster.x-k8s.io/managed-by" annotation then the [controller will skip any reconciliation](https://cluster-api.sigs.k8s.io/developer/providers/cluster-infrastructure.html#normal-resource).
     7  This is useful for scenarios where a different persona is managing the cluster infrastructure out-of-band while still wanting to use CAPI for automated machine management.
     8  
     9  You should only use this feature if your cluster infrastructure lifecycle management has constraints that the reference implementation does not support. See [user stories](https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/cluster-api/blob/10d89ceca938e4d3d94a1d1c2b60515bcdf39829/docs/proposals/20210203-externally-managed-cluster-infrastructure.md#user-stories) for more details.