As cloud technologies evolve, so too must the tools we rely on to maintain and secure our environments. Microsoft’s recent announcement regarding the retirement of Azure Automation Update Management is a prime example of this continuous evolution. By 31 August 2024, this service, along with the Log Analytics agent it uses, will be officially retired. Users will need to transition to the more advanced Azure Update Manager to ensure their virtual machines remain up-to-date and secure.
This blog post will explore the implications of this transition, the benefits of migrating to Azure Update Manager, and provide a detailed step-by-step guide for the most complex migration scenario—manual migration. This approach is ideal for those with intricate environments that require a high degree of customization and control.
The Shift to Azure Update Manager: What It Means for You
Azure Automation Update Management has been a reliable tool for managing the updates of virtual machines (VMs). However, with its retirement on the horizon, Microsoft is pushing for a transition to Azure Update Manager, a more integrated and feature-rich platform designed to offer greater flexibility, control, and scalability.
Why Migrate to Azure Update Manager?
Azure Update Manager is not just a replacement; it’s a significant upgrade. Here are some of the key improvements:
– Seamless Integration: Azure Update Manager is built natively into Azure’s infrastructure, providing zero-step onboarding for Azure VMs and Azure Stack HCI VMs, and easy integration with Azure Arc for managing non-Azure servers.
– Enhanced Control: With granular access control and role-based access control (RBAC), you can finely tune who has access to specific update management tasks, reducing the risk of unauthorized changes.
– Flexible Patching Options: Azure Update Manager offers advanced features such as customer-defined maintenance schedules, Azure-orchestrated automated patching, and hotpatching, which minimizes downtime by applying updates without requiring a reboot.
– Cost Efficiency: For managing Azure VMs and Azure Stack HCI VMs, Azure Update Manager is available at no extra charge. For Azure Arc-enabled servers, there’s a nominal fee of $5 per server per month.
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