---
title: "Foundry Local"
id: "70061"
type: "page"
slug: "foundry-local"
published_at: "2026-10-13T15:29:20+00:00"
modified_at: "2026-10-13T15:29:20+00:00"
url: "https://www.uscloud.com/microsoft-support-glossary/foundry-local/"
markdown_url: "https://www.uscloud.com/microsoft-support-glossary/foundry-local.md"
---

Overview:

- [What is Foundry Local?](#what-is-foundry-local)
- [What changes when a model runs locally](#what-changes-when-a-model-runs-locally)
- [Workloads that may suit local inference](#workloads-that-may-suit-local-inference)
- [A practical development path](#a-practical-development-path)
- [Example: assisting field technicians](#example-assisting-field-technicians)
- [Tradeoffs and operating boundaries](#tradeoffs-and-operating-boundaries)
- [Security and readiness questions](#security-and-readiness-questions)
- [Choosing where inference should happen](#choosing-where-inference-should-happen)
-

## What is Foundry Local?

Foundry Local is a tool for running supported AI models on a local computer. Developers can use it to explore model behavior and build applications that send inference requests to a model running in the local environment. The intended setup differs from a cloud-hosted model endpoint, where requests are sent to a remote service for processing.

The distinction matters because model execution location affects application design. With local inference, the device must have the resources to load and run the selected model. The application also needs a way to connect to that local runtime and handle cases where the model is unavailable, slow, or unable to process a request.

Foundry Local is not the model itself, nor does local execution automatically make an application private, secure, or independent of network access. A solution may still rely on cloud services for authentication, data retrieval, updates, logging, or other functions.

## What changes when a model runs locally

When inference happens on a local machine, the application can send requests to a model process on that device instead of routing each request to a hosted inference endpoint. That can be useful for development, experimentation, or workflows where keeping inference close to the user or device is important.

The shift also moves more responsibility to the local environment. Model files must be obtained and stored, the device needs enough memory and processing capacity, and the application must manage the runtime lifecycle. Performance can vary substantially across devices. A model that works acceptably on a developer workstation may respond slowly or fail to load on a lower-powered endpoint.

Local execution also changes, but does not eliminate, data-flow questions. Teams should map where prompts, results, telemetry, and supporting data go. The model request may remain on the device while another part of the application still communicates with a remote service.

## Workloads that may suit local inference

Local inference is worth evaluating when the workload has a practical reason to run near the user or device. Possible considerations include:

- **Development and testing:** Try model behavior during application development without designing every experiment around a hosted endpoint.
- **Intermittent connectivity:** Support tasks that may need to continue when a reliable connection is not available, if the complete application can also operate in that condition.
- **Data-flow constraints:** Reduce the need to send inference prompts to a remote model service, while separately reviewing other application data flows.
- **Device-based experiences:** Respond to requests where the input or result is closely tied to a particular computer or local workflow.
- **Architecture comparison:** Compare the experience of local execution with a hosted model before settling on a production design.

These are reasons to investigate the approach, not guarantees. The model’s performance, licensing, hardware demands, and supported environment must fit the actual use case.

## A practical development path

A responsible proof of concept can proceed in stages:

1. **Define the task.** Specify what the model should do, who will use the feature, and what inputs it will receive.
2. **Check the target device.** Confirm that the intended machine has sufficient storage, memory, and processing capacity for the candidate model.
3. **Run a representative test.** Use realistic prompts and measure response quality, speed, and resource use on the target class of device.
4. **Connect the application.** Implement the local request path and decide how the application detects and responds to runtime failures.
5. **Review the data flow.** Trace prompts, results, model downloads, diagnostics, and any remote service calls.
6. **Plan distribution and support.** Decide how the runtime and model will be installed, updated, monitored, and removed.

Testing only on a developer’s machine can hide important differences between development and deployment environments. Include representative hardware and realistic user scenarios before treating a successful prototype as evidence of production readiness.

## Example: assisting field technicians

A company is exploring an assistant for technicians who inspect equipment in locations with inconsistent connectivity. The application could use a locally running model to summarize a technician’s notes or help organize observations while work is underway. The team tests how well the model handles the vocabulary technicians use and whether the target device can return results quickly enough.

The broader workflow still matters. If the assistant needs current maintenance records, it may require a network connection or a separate synchronization process. If it suggests a safety-related action, the organization may require a human to verify that suggestion. Running the model locally can change where inference occurs, but it does not replace the company’s procedures for data freshness, safety, or approval.

## Tradeoffs and operating boundaries

Local inference gives developers more control over the execution environment, but it introduces device-level constraints. Larger or more capable models may require substantial resources, and local response times can vary with hardware load. Teams may need to choose between model capability, responsiveness, and the range of devices they can support.

Updates and distribution also need planning. A solution may need to deliver model files, manage runtime versions, and ensure that users receive compatible components. Model terms should be reviewed for the intended use and distribution method. Local execution does not remove license obligations or establish that a model is appropriate for a particular business purpose.

Finally, local inference is not automatically cheaper or more reliable than a hosted approach. Costs and operational effort may shift from centralized service usage to device capacity, packaging, support, and maintenance. Compare the complete lifecycle rather than focusing only on where a single inference request runs.

## Security and readiness questions

Before expanding beyond a prototype, teams should clarify:

- Which inputs and outputs remain on the device, and which are sent elsewhere?
- How are model files obtained, verified, updated, and removed?
- What happens when the runtime is missing, overloaded, or incompatible?
- Can users access local model files or cached information in ways the application does not intend?
- Are the model’s usage terms suitable for the organization’s workload?
- Does the application need human review for important or safety-sensitive outputs?
- How will the team evaluate quality and performance across supported devices?

A clear answer to these questions helps separate the benefits of local processing from assumptions that may not hold for the full application.

## Choosing where inference should happen

Foundry Local gives developers a way to run supported models on local machines and assess how that architecture fits an application. It can be useful for experimentation and for workloads where local execution has a concrete operational or data-flow advantage. Its success depends on whether the target devices can support the model and whether the team can manage installation, updates, and failures.

The decision is not simply local versus cloud. Some applications may use local inference for one task and remote services for others. Choose the arrangement that meets the workload’s requirements, then test the complete data path and user experience in the environment where the application will operate.