AI Foundry for AU learners

Vincent Lau 0 Reputation points

I am currently doing my AZ-901 online in Microsoft Learn, when I access into AI Foundry (part of the course) I was unable to access into the following,

  • can't use certain models in the Foundry deployment playground (part of the course exercise) - attached a screenshot of the missing acesss
  • can't select different regions for resources (AI-901) Is this only available to US learners? Any workaround for Australian learners?
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2 answers

  1. SRILAKSHMI C 19,195 Reputation points • Microsoft External Staff • Moderator

    Hello @Vincent Lau

    Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A.

    Based on the information you've provided, there are two separate concerns:

    1. Certain Models Are Missing in the Azure AI Foundry Deployment Playground

    This is typically related to model availability, access, or subscription constraints rather than a problem with your account location.

    Some common reasons include:

    • The model is not available in the selected region.

    The model requires limited-access approval or additional eligibility requirements.

    The subscription being used is not approved for that specific model.

    The learning environment or subscription has restrictions on which models can be deployed.

    Permissions assigned to the subscription or resource do not allow deployment of certain models.

    As a result, it is normal for different subscriptions or regions to display different sets of available models within Azure AI Foundry.

    What to Check

    • In Azure AI Foundry, verify whether the model is available in your selected region.
    • Review the deployment type being used (Standard, Global Standard, PTU, etc.), as model availability varies by deployment type.
    • If you're using a Microsoft Learn sandbox, Azure for Students subscription, or another educational subscription, some models may not be available by design.
    • If the model is a gated or limited-access model, additional approval may be required before it appears in the catalog.

    2. Unable to Select Different Regions

    The documentation does not indicate that Azure AI Foundry is limited to US learners.

    Australian learners can use Azure AI Foundry; however, region availability depends on:

    The Azure subscription type being used.

    Service availability in the selected region.

    Subscription-level policies and restrictions.

    Model-specific regional availability.

    Capacity and eligibility requirements.

    For example, some Azure AI Foundry and Azure OpenAI models are only available in specific regions and may not be deployable in every Azure region.

    In training environments, the course exercises may assume a region that supports the required model, while your subscription may only permit deployment in a subset of regions.

    Is This an Australia-Specific Limitation?

    No. This is generally not related to your geographic location as an Australian learner.

    Instead, the behavior is typically driven by:

    • Subscription restrictions (Microsoft Learn Sandbox, Azure for Students, etc.).
    • Model availability by region.
    • Access eligibility requirements.
    • Service capacity and deployment constraints.

    Recommended Workarounds

    1. Open Azure AI Foundry and check model availability for your region.
    2. Use the model catalog filters to identify regions that support the model required by the exercise.
    3. If the model requires approval, follow the limited-access request process where applicable.
    4. If you're using a Microsoft Learn sandbox or educational subscription, be aware that some models and regions may not be available in that environment.
    5. If possible, test with a personal Pay-As-You-Go Azure subscription to determine whether the limitation is related to the learning subscription. Please refer this

    https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/ai-foundry/openai/overview?wt.mc_id=knowledgesearch_inproduct_azure-cxp-community-insider#get-started-with-azure-openai

    I Hope this helps. Do let me know if you have any further queries.

    If this answers your query, please do click Accept Answer and Yes for was this answer helpful.

    Thank you!

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  2. AI answer

    The behavior is expected and is not limited to US learners. What can be done in the Azure AI Foundry exercises depends on:

    1. The region where the Foundry project is created.
    2. Which models and deployment types are actually available in that region.
    3. The quota and capacity for those models in that region and subscription.

    For Australian learners, the key points are:

    1. Foundry regional support
      Azure AI Foundry (Microsoft Foundry) projects can be created in multiple regions, including Australia East and other non‑US regions. However, not every model or feature used in a training lab is guaranteed to be available in every region. Model availability and quotas are region-specific.
    2. Model availability and quota are regional
      • Foundry Models (including Azure OpenAI models) have per‑region availability and quota. Some models used in learning content may only be available or have capacity in certain regions at a given time.
      • If a model is not available or quota is exhausted in Australia East, it might not appear in the model catalog or playground, or deployment may fail.
      • Quotas are allocated per region, per subscription, and per model/deployment type.
    3. Why regions may not be selectable in the lab
      In some guided exercises, the region is effectively constrained by:
      • The preconfigured subscription or resource group used for the lab.
      • The specific region(s) where the training environment has capacity and quota for the required models.
        This can make it appear that only a subset of regions (often US or EU) is available, even when the learner is in Australia.
    4. Workarounds and checks
      For an Australian learner using a personal or organizational subscription (not a locked-down lab environment):
      • Create a Foundry project in a supported region that has the models and capacity needed. Use the Quick decision checklist:
        • Confirm the required model is available in the target region.
        • Confirm there is enough quota in that region.
        • Confirm dependent services (Speech, Content Safety, Agent Service tools) are available in that region.
      • If a feature or model is missing in Australia East, try another supported region (for example, East US or West Europe) where the model is available and has capacity.
      • Use the feature-specific regional availability pages listed under Foundry features to verify which regions support the models and tools used in the course.
    5. Not restricted to US learners
      The platform does not restrict features by the learner’s country, but by region-level service availability and quota. If the course was authored assuming a region like East US, some steps may not map 1:1 to Australia East if the same models or deployment types are not available or lack capacity there.

    If the course environment is fully managed (for example, a sandbox where regions and models are preconfigured), and the required models or regions are not available, the only practical options are:

    • Follow the lab exactly as written using the regions that are exposed in the sandbox, or
    • Recreate the exercise in a personal/organizational subscription in a region that supports the required models.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.
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