Exporting Azure Local SDN Object Maps to Visio with PowerShell + VSDX Templates

Executive Summary

Modern hybrid and edge datacenters demand agile visibility into software-defined networks. For Azure Local SDN (formerly Azure Stack HCI SDN), network object sprawl and multi-tenant overlays can complicate operations. Manually documenting your SLB, subnet, and gateway relationships in Visio is time-consuming and error-prone. These diagrams remain essential for compliance, troubleshooting, audits, and rapid onboarding of new teams.

Automating the export of Azure Local SDN topology into Visio VSDX diagrams using PowerShell delivers up-to-date, accurate maps of your SDN fabric. It dramatically reduces manual effort and human error. This approach scales for multi-tenant, multi-site, and hybrid cloud environments. It enables reusable documentation workflows that support ITIL and governance needs.

This guide walks you through a full workflow, from object data extraction to automated Visio generation. You will find sample PowerShell scripts, template design tips, and real-world diagrams. Whether you are a PowerShell admin, network architect, or hybrid cloud engineer, you will learn how to make SDN object maps an efficient, automated process.

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Table of Contents

1. Overview: Why Automate SDN Diagramming?
2. Workflow Summary
3. Understanding Azure Local SDN Objects
4. Exporting SDN Object Data with PowerShell
5. Building Visio VSDX Templates for Automation
6. Generating Visio Diagrams via PowerShell
7. Sample Topologies and Object Maps
8. Advanced Scenarios: Multi-Tenant and Hybrid
9. Downloadable Scripts and Template Guidance
10. FAQ: Troubleshooting and Tips

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Overview: Why Automate SDN Diagramming?

Real-World Challenges

SDN topologies are dynamic, with frequent changes across virtual networks, subnets, SLB rules, and gateways. Manual Visio diagramming is slow, unscalable, and difficult to keep in sync. Accurate topology maps are essential for security reviews (such as NSG or ACL mapping), change management, audit and compliance, as well as onboarding and handover.

Automated Visio export bridges the gap between SDN automation and clear, actionable documentation.

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Workflow Summary

High-Level Steps

Workflow steps:

1. Extract SDN object data using PowerShell and the AzStackHCI module or Windows Admin Center.
2. Format data for diagramming in JSON or CSV.
3. Use PowerShell to invoke Visio automation with COM/OfficeInterop or a third-party module to generate diagrams.
4. Save the output as VSDX files, using custom templates and stencils.

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Understanding Azure Local SDN Objects

Key SDN components relevant for diagramming include:

Object Type	Role	Relationships
Virtual Networks	Logical segmentation (tenant overlays)	Subnets, gateways
Subnets	IP range grouping	VMs, SLB, NSGs
Gateways (VPN, NAT)	Egress or ingress points	VNets, subnets, ext networks
SLB (Software LB)	Load balances north-south and east-west	VIPs, DIP, rules, pools
Network Security	ACLs, NSGs, policies	Subnets, VMs

Visual Example: (Markdown/ASCII)

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Exporting SDN Object Data with PowerShell

Required Modules and Permissions

• Az.StackHCI or Az.Network (check version compatibility with your SDN release)
• PowerShell 7 or later is recommended for best compatibility
• Local or delegated admin on Azure Local SDN environment

Example: Extracting Virtual Networks, Subnets, and Gateways

# Connect to Azure Local SDN management endpoint
Import-Module Az.StackHCI
Connect-AzAccount

# List SDN Virtual Networks
$vnets = Get-AzStackHCIVirtualNetwork

# List Subnets for each VNet
$subnets = $vnets | ForEach-Object {
    Get-AzStackHCIVirtualNetworkSubnet -VirtualNetworkName $_.Name
}

# List SLB objects
$slbs = Get-AzStackHCILoadBalancer

# List Gateway objects
$gateways = Get-AzStackHCIGateway

# Export to JSON for diagramming
$topology = [PSCustomObject]@{
    VirtualNetworks = $vnets
    Subnets         = $subnets
    SLBs            = $slbs
    Gateways        = $gateways
}
$topology | ConvertTo-Json | Out-File ".\SDN-Topology.json"

Tips:

• Add additional SDN objects as needed, such as NSGs or routes.
• Use tags or metadata for multi-tenant mapping.

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Building Visio VSDX Templates for Automation

Why Use Custom Templates?

Custom templates enforce consistent styling for your SDN diagrams. They allow script-driven placement of shapes, mapping object types to Visio shapes, and are reusable for future automation.

Steps to create your own VSDX template:

1. Open Visio and start a new drawing with the network diagram stencil.
2. Create master shapes for each SDN object type, such as VNet, Subnet, Gateway, SLB, and VM.
3. Add data fields to shapes, for example, Name, Address, or Role.
4. Save as a .vsdx template, such as AzureLocalSDN-Template.vsdx.
5. Optionally, export a stencil (.vssx) for consistent symbol use.

Store your template in a shared location accessible to automation scripts.

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Generating Visio Diagrams via PowerShell

Automation Approaches

There are two main methods to automate Visio exports from PowerShell.

1. COM Automation (Windows-only).
   • Directly controls Visio via the Office COM interface.
   • Fully supports VSDX and custom stencils or templates.
   • Requires Visio installed on the automation host.
2. Third-Party Modules or Libraries.
   • VisioAutomation for advanced .NET or PowerShell.
   • VSDX Python tools, which can be called from PowerShell.

For enterprise automation, COM automation is most common.

Example: PowerShell Script to Auto-Generate a VSDX SDN Map

# Launch Visio and open your template
$Visio = New-Object -ComObject Visio.Application
$TemplatePath = "C:\Templates\AzureLocalSDN-Template.vsdx"
$Document = $Visio.Documents.Open($TemplatePath)

# Map SDN object data to shapes
foreach ($vnet in $vnets) {
    $Shape = $Document.Pages[1].Drop($Document.Masters.ItemU("VNet"), 1, 5)
    $Shape.Text = $vnet.Name
    $Shape.CellsU("Prop.Address").FormulaU = "`"$( $vnet.AddressSpace )`""
}
foreach ($subnet in $subnets) {
    $Shape = $Document.Pages[1].Drop($Document.Masters.ItemU("Subnet"), 3, 4)
    $Shape.Text = $subnet.Name
    $Shape.CellsU("Prop.Address").FormulaU = "`"$( $subnet.AddressPrefix )`""
}
# Repeat for Gateways, SLBs, and other objects as needed

# Connect shapes as per relationships (simplified example)
$Page = $Document.Pages[1]
$Connector = $Page.Drop($Document.Masters.ItemU("Dynamic Connector"), 0, 0)
$Page.ConnectShapesViaConnector($Shape1, $Shape2, $Connector)

# Save as new VSDX
$Document.SaveAs("C:\Exports\SDN-Topology-Export.vsdx")
$Visio.Quit()

For robust production use, wrap this in error handling and make object or shape mapping data-driven.

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Sample Topologies and Object Maps

Example 1: SLB–Subnet–Gateway Map (ASCII/Markdown)

Example 2: Comprehensive SDN Object Map

In Visio, this will render as linked shapes with metadata fields populated from PowerShell.

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Advanced Scenarios: Multi-Tenant and Hybrid

Use tags, custom properties, or color-coding in your Visio templates to denote tenants, sites, or environments. For hybrid SDN environments using Azure Arc and Azure Local, you can extend scripts to include both on-premises and cloud VNet data. The script can also iterate over multiple management endpoints for multi-site mapping.

Sample: Tenant-A and Tenant-B

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Downloadable Scripts and Template Guidance

• Sample PowerShell Extraction Script:
  Download from your organization’s repository or adapt from the code in the Exporting SDN Object Data section.
• Visio VSDX Template Guide:
  Save a new Visio template (.vsdx) with custom shapes for each SDN object.
  Store all templates in a shared, version-controlled location.

Instructions for creating and using your own templates:

1. Open Visio and save your custom network diagram as a template.
2. In your PowerShell script, update $TemplatePath to your saved template.
3. To reuse, point all automation hosts or scripts to this template path.
4. Maintain a changelog for template updates.

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FAQ: Troubleshooting and Tips

What if my Visio script fails with COM errors?
Ensure Visio is installed on your automation host. Run PowerShell as administrator and validate your template path.

How do I map custom SDN objects not covered above?
Add new master shapes to your Visio template and update the script’s object mapping.

Can I export directly from Windows Admin Center (WAC)?
WAC can export JSON or topology snapshots, but full Visio automation is best accomplished with PowerShell.

Is this process suitable for production or multi-tenant SDN?
Yes. Scripts can be extended for multi-tenant tagging, multi-site aggregation, and custom reporting.

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Summary

By combining PowerShell’s SDN object extraction with Visio’s template-driven automation, Azure Local administrators can instantly generate up-to-date, accurate network diagrams for any environment. This approach improves visibility, auditability, and onboarding for enterprise and multi-tenant SDN deployments.

Keep your diagrams as dynamic as your networks. Let automation handle the rest.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the opinions of Microsoft, my employer or any affiliated organization. Always refer to the official Microsoft documentation before production deployment.