Advanced Windows Server Management Enabled by Azure Arc: A Game-Changer

At Microsoft Ignite 2024 we just announced the general availability of Windows Server Management enabled by Azure Arc. This provides Windows Server customers with Software Assurance, Pay-as-you-go, or CSP licensing with Azure management services at no extra cost and adds some additional management features which are only available through this offering.

* Disclaimer: Check licensing details with your licensing specialist :)

The introduction of Windows Server Management enabled by Azure Arc brings a suite of advanced management capabilities to Windows Server customers, enhancing their ability to manage, monitor, and secure their server infrastructure seamlessly.

Key Features and Benefits for Windows Server Management enabled by Azure Arc

• Azure Update Manager: This feature allows administrators to assess the update status and deploy updates to machines, ensuring they are always up-to-date with the latest security patches and improvements.
• Azure Change Tracking and Inventory: This tool provides comprehensive visibility into changes across software, services, files, and registries, helping organizations maintain compliance and quickly identify any unauthorized changes.
• Azure Machine Configuration: With this feature, administrators can configure machine properties for operating systems, applications, and environment settings using Azure Policy, ensuring consistent configurations across all servers.
• Windows Admin Center in Azure for Arc: This powerful tool enables secure management of hybrid machines from anywhere, without the need for VPNs or public IP addresses. It includes capabilities such as RDP, Hyper-V management, and event viewer.
• Remote Support: This feature offers professional support with just-in-time access, detailed execution transcripts, and revocation rights, ensuring that support is both secure and efficient.
• Advanced Windows Server 2025 Networking – Network HUD: A host networking diagnostics and operational tool that runs spot checks, health checks, and cluster-wide checks to ensure optimal network setup.
• Best Practices Assessment: This tool collects and analyzes server data to generate issues and remediation guidance, helping organizations optimize performance, security, and adhere to best practices.
• Azure Site Recovery (Configuration Only): Ensures business continuity by providing replication and data resilience for critical workloads running on Hyper-V.

Seamless Integration and Cost Efficiency

One of the standout aspects of this announcement is that these advanced management capabilities are available at no additional cost to customers with active Software Assurance or Pay-as-you-go licensing. This makes it an incredibly cost-effective solution for organizations looking to enhance their server management capabilities without incurring extra expenses.

Make sure you select the licensing details. Ether confirming that you have Windows Server with an active Software Assurance, active subscription license or a Pay-as-you-go liecense through Azure.

If you don’t have SA or a subcription based license, you can still purchace some of the services such as Azure Update Manager and Machine Configuration individually per server as pay-as-you-go through Microsoft Azure.

Getting Started

To take advantage of these new features, organizations need to connect their servers to Azure Arc, attest for the benefits, and deploy the management services. This integration not only modernizes server management but also leverages Azure’s AI-enabled capabilities to provide robust governance, configuration, and remote management across hybrid, multi-cloud, and edge infrastructures.

You can learn more about Windows Server Management enabled by Azure Arc on Microsoft Learn.

There is also a new preview feature which allows you to enable Azure Management services enabled by Azure Arc at scale.

Simply head to the list of Azure Arc-enabled servers in the Azure Portal.

Select Enable services (preview)

Select and configure the Azure management services you want to enable.

Conclusion

The announcement of Windows Server Management enabled by Azure Arc at Microsoft Ignite 2024 marks a significant milestone in server management and the Azure Adaptive cloud approach. By providing a comprehensive suite of tools and capabilities, Microsoft is empowering organizations to manage their server environments more effectively, securely, and efficiently. This development underscores Microsoft’s commitment to innovation and customer-centric solutions in the ever-evolving landscape of IT infrastructure management across hybrid, mutlicloud, and edge.