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Patching

Azure Update Manager centralizes compliance tracking and deployment of operating system updates. It handles security, critical, and other patch categories across both Linux and Windows environments.

Update Management Flow

graph TD
    A[Azure Update Manager] --> B[Assess VM Compliance]
    B --> C{Missing Patches?}
    C -- Yes --> D[Update Policy]
    D --> E[Schedule Maintenance]
    E --> F[Deploy Updates]
    F --> G[Confirm Compliance]
    C -- No --> B

Patch Orchestration Modes

Orchestration modes define how Azure manages the timing and execution of update installations.

Orchestration Mode Control Level Description Use Case
Automatic by OS Low OS handles scheduling autonomously Dev/Test or simple VMs
Automatic by Platform High Azure schedules based on policy Critical production workloads
Manual Full Admin triggers updates via API/Portal Complex cluster environments

Update Policies

Maintenance configurations allow you to group multiple VMs and apply updates during predefined time windows.

Note

Azure Update Manager does not store update data itself. It uses the native OS update mechanisms like Windows Update or APT/YUM.

Warning

Some updates require a system reboot. Configure maintenance windows to include enough time for post-patch restarts.

Tip

Use "Assess Now" to get immediate visibility into any new vulnerabilities released since the last scheduled assessment.

See Also

Sources