Explore hybrid management

  • 2 minutes

The Hybrid Runbook Worker feature of Azure Automation allows you to run runbooks that manage local resources in your private data center on machines located in your data center.

Azure Automation stores and manages the runbooks and then delivers them to one or more on-premises machines.

The Hybrid Runbook Worker functionality is presented in the following graphic:

Diagram of an Azure Automation Hybrid Runbook Worker workflow. The diagram is broken into two boxes. On the right, an Azure cloud box contains two separate boxes. The first box is labeled Azure Automation and contains Runbooks and DSC Configurations icons. The second box is labeled Azure Resources. On the left-hand side is a box labeled on-premises, which contains icons representing Local Server and Local Resources. Another box is labeled Hybrid Runbook Work group, which contains icons representing Windows Hybrid Runbook Worker and Linux Hybrid Runbook'

Hybrid Runbook Worker workflow and characteristics

The following list is characteristics of the Hybrid Runbook Worker workflow:

  • You can select one or more computers in your data center to act as a Hybrid Runbook Worker and then run runbooks from Azure Automation.
  • Each Hybrid Runbook Worker is a member of a Hybrid Runbook Worker group, which you specify when you install the agent.
  • A group can include a single agent, but you can install multiple agents in a group for high availability.
  • There are no inbound firewall requirements to support Hybrid Runbook Workers, only Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) 443 is required for outbound internet access.
  • The agent on the local computer starts all communication with Azure Automation in the cloud.
  • When a runbook is started, Azure Automation creates an instruction that the agent retrieves. The agent then pulls down the runbook and any parameters before running it.

To configure your on-premises servers that support the Hybrid Runbook Worker role with DSC, you must add them as DSC nodes.

For more information about onboarding them for management with DSC, see Onboarding machines for management by Azure Automation State Configuration.

For more information on installing and removing Hybrid Runbook Workers and groups, see: