Update SKU size on next reboot.

Question

Is there a way to write a script that I can run that will update the SKU size of a virtual server on its next scheduled reboot? I am wanting to upgrade SKU from version 3 to version 5, an example would be E4s_v3 to E4ds_v5, is there a way I can automate this? There are several hundred servers that I want to update but don't want to do it manually 1 at a time. These servers also cannot be randomly shut off to accommodate the SKU upgrade, they are on a set reboot schedule scattered throughout the month. My ultimate goal is to get a script together that will see when the server is rebooting and apply the SKU update. Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Hi @Victor Day

You can create a scheduled Runbook in the Azure Automation Account and set the schedule to match the server's known reboot time. This way, the Runbook will trigger the script at the same time. If the VM state matches "deallocated", it will automatically update the SKU.

This approach helps avoid unnecessary reboots for VM SKU changes across all VMs.

$resourceGroup = "MyRG"
$targetSku = "E4ds_v5"
# Get all VMs in the resource group
$vms = Get-AzVM -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroup
foreach ($vm in $vms) {
    $vmStatus = Get-AzVM -Name $vm.Name -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroup -Status
    if ($vmStatus.PowerState -eq "VM deallocated") {
        if ($vm.HardwareProfile.VmSize -ne $targetSku) {
            Write-Output "Resizing VM '$($vm.Name)' to SKU '$targetSku'..."
            $vm.HardwareProfile.VmSize = $targetSku
            Update-AzVM -VM $vm -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroup
            Write-Output "VM '$($vm.Name)' resized successfully."
        } else {
            Write-Output "VM '$($vm.Name)' already has the desired SKU '$targetSku'. Skipping."
        }
    } else {
        Write-Output "VM '$($vm.Name)' is not deallocated. Skipping."
    }
}

This way you avoid rebooting for VM SKU changes for all the VMs.

Reference: Create a standalone Azure Automation account
Change the size of a virtual machine

I hope this helps to resolve your query.

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