Azure Automanage for Windows Server
Azure Automanage for Windows Server brings new capabilities specifically to Windows Server Azure Edition. These capabilities include:
- Hotpatch
- SMB over QUIC
- Extended network for Azure
Automanage for Windows Server capabilities can be found in one or more of these Windows Server Azure Edition images:
- Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition (Desktop Experience)
- Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition (Core)
Capabilities vary by image, see getting started for more detail.
Automanage for Windows Server capabilities
Hotpatch
Hotpatch is available on the following images:
- Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition (Core)
Hotpatch gives you the ability to apply security updates on your VM without rebooting. Additionally, Automanage for Windows Server automates the onboarding, configuration, and orchestration of hot patching. To learn more, see Hotpatch.
SMB over QUIC
SMB over QUIC is available on the following images:
- Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition (Desktop experience)
- Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition (Core)
SMB over QUIC offers an "SMB VPN" for telecommuters, mobile device users, and branch offices, providing secure, reliable connectivity to edge file servers over untrusted networks like the Internet. QUIC is an IETF-standardized protocol used in HTTP/3, designed for maximum data protection with TLS 1.3 and requires encryption that cannot be disabled. SMB behaves normally within the QUIC tunnel, meaning the user experience doesn't change. SMB features like multichannel, signing, compression, continuous availability, and directory leasing work normally.
SMB over QUIC is also integrated with Automanage machine best practices for Windows Server to help make SMB over QUIC management easier. QUIC uses certificates to provide its encryption and organizations often struggle to maintain complex public key infrastructures. Automanage machine best practices ensure that certificates do not expire without warning and that SMB over QUIC stays enabled for maximum continuity of service.
To learn more, see SMB over QUIC and SMB over QUIC management with Automanage machine best practices.
Extended network for Azure
Extended Network for Azure is available on the following images:
- Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition (Desktop experience)
- Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition (Core)
Azure Extended Network enables you to stretch an on-premises subnet into Azure to let on-premises virtual machines keep their original on-premises private IP addresses when migrating to Azure. To learn more, see Azure Extended Network.
Getting started with Windows Server Azure Edition
It's important to consider up front, which Automanage for Windows Server capabilities you would like to use, then choose a corresponding VM image that supports all of those capabilities. Some of the Windows Server Azure Edition images support only a subset of capabilities, see the table below for more details.
Note
If you would like to preview the upcoming version of Windows Server Azure Edition, see Windows Server VNext Datacenter: Azure Edition.
Deciding which image to use
| Image | Capabilities |
|---|---|
| Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition (Desktop experience) | SMB over QUIC, Extended network for Azure |
| Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition (Core) | Hotpatch, SMB over QUIC, Extended network for Azure |
Creating a VM
To start using Automanage for Windows Server capabilities on a new VM, use your preferred method to create an Azure VM, and select the Windows Server Azure Edition image that corresponds to the set of capabilities that you would like to use.
Next steps
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