Azure Automanage Preview
Simplify and optimise IT management with automated operations
Effortless automation of cloud and on-premises infrastructure
Automanage offers a unified solution to simplify IT management in the cloud. With point-and-click simplicity, automate operations and apply consistent best practises across the entire lifecycle of Windows Server and Linux virtual machines (VMs).
With Automanage for Windows Server, access unique capabilities for Windows Server only on Azure. Deploy security updates without having to reboot with hot-patch. Securely transfer files using the Server Message Block (SMB) over QUIC protocol. Retain private IP addresses by extending subnets to the cloud during migration.
Reduce costs by automating Windows Server and Linux management
Improve workload uptime with optimised operations
Automatically apply patches and security best practises
Proactively detect drift and automatically remediate
Automated VM configuration management
- Eliminate the need for discovery, enrolment, and configuration of Azure services that support VM management best practises in the cloud.
- Effortlessly manage dev/test and production machines with predefined or customised configuration profiles.
- Proactively detect and automatically remediate drift if machines diverge from the desired configuration state.
Consistent security best practises at scale
- Consistently apply security policy through Microsoft Defender for Cloud and Microsoft security baselines.
- Drive efficiency by automating frequent, time-consuming, and error-prone management tasks such as onboarding and configuration of Azure Monitor and Azure Back up.
Innovative capabilities for Windows Server on Azure
Automanage for Windows Server offers capabilities exclusively for VMs running on Azure.
- Quickly deploy security updates to Windows Server 2022 Server Core VMs on Azure without having to reboot every time using hotpatch.
- Easily migrate your workloads to Azure by extending on-premises IP subnets and preserving the original private IP addresses.
- Securely access files when working remotely without a VPN using built-in SMB over QUIC, a secure file-serving protocol.
Comprehensive security and compliance, built in
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Microsoft invests more than USD 1 billion annually on cybersecurity research and development.
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We employ more than 3,500 security experts dedicated to data security and privacy.
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Azure has more certifications than any other cloud provider. View the comprehensive list.
Automanage preview is free
There are no charges specifically for Automanage during the preview. Pricing for Automanage will be announced in the future, and users will be notified before the end of the preview. If you'd like to continue using Automanage after the preview, you'll be billed at the applicable rates.
Automanage resources and documentation
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Frequently asked questions about Automanage
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Automanage enrols, configures, and monitors the entire lifecycle of dev/test and production VMs for products, services, and features such as Azure Security Centre, update management, change tracking, VM inventory, desired state configuration, guest configuration, automation accounts, and log analytics.
In addition, Automanage configures Azure Back up and VM insights monitoring when using the Azure Virtual Machine Best Practises–Production configuration profile.
During the Automanage preview, Microsoft Antimalware for Azure Cloud Services and Virtual Machines—as well as security baselines—is included for Windows Server VMs through desired state configuration and guest configuration. Linux VMs will not have Microsoft Antimalware for Azure or auto-remediation, and the security baseline will be audit-only.
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You can customise settings for specific services, like Azure Back up. For the full list of settings that can be changed, see the documentation.
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Yes. Automanage is compatible with both Linux and Windows VMs.
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Detailed information on pricing is unavailable during the preview.
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You can enable Automanage with point-and-click simplicity on selected new and existing VMs, and disable it at any time.
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Linux VMs don't have Microsoft Antimalware for Azure enabled via best practises. Windows VMs do.
Automanage will apply the Linux security baseline via guest configuration, though the baseline for Linux VMs will be audit-only. Auto-remediation is not yet supported for Linux VMs that drift from the configured baseline.