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Azure Arc-enabled servers delivers a modern server management experience for Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (MECM) and Systems Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) customers. Analogous to Microsoft Intune for client endpoints, Azure delivers the next iteration of Microsoft’s server management capabilities.
Tip
For more details about modernizing your server management, see our Cloud-native server management guide.
Benefits of Azure Arc for server management
Azure Arc offers key modernization advantages across pricing, Linux support, and Copilot and Migrate integrations.
- Pricing: Azure Arc-enabled server customers with Windows Server Software Assurance, Windows Server Pay-as-you-go licensing, or those running workloads on Azure VMs benefit from these management services at no additional cost (excluding associated log data ingestion). Other servers connected to Azure Arc use pay-as-you-go pricing plans.
- Linux Support: Unlike SCCM and MECM, Azure server management natively supports Linux (including Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Ubuntu, Oracle Linux, and Debian), allowing for consistent management of Windows and Linux servers.
- Copilot in Azure: Integrated natively across key management and operational scenarios, Copilot in Azure delivers an AI-enhanced server management experience for querying and remediating across Azure VMs and Azure Arc-enabled servers.
- Migration: Azure Arc offers assessment capabilities that ease customer migration and modernization to Azure. You can use the same Azure management capabilities across Azure Arc and Azure VMs, reducing operational overhead.
Functionality mapping
The table below provides a functional comparison of Configuration Manager and Azure Arc-enabled servers capabilities.
| Core Functionality | Azure Management Experience |
|---|---|
| OS Patching | Azure Update Manager provides a centralized solution for update assessment and management across Windows and Linux:
|
| Configuration | Azure Machine Configuration (formerly Azure Policy Guest Configuration) aligns with SCCM's desired state configuration features, enabling:
|
| Reporting | Azure Change Tracking and Inventory delivers unified reporting of software, registries, applications, and daemons across Azure VMs and Azure Arc-enabled servers, including a history of their changes and out-of-box logging. Azure Resource Graph can be used for custom queries and reporting across a fleet of Azure Arc-enabled servers. The Azure portal offers at-scale and granular visualizations for Azure VMs and Azure Arc-enabled servers. |
| Scripting | Run Command allows administrators to remotely and securely execute scripts for various server management tasks, including application management, security enforcement, and diagnostics:
|
| Software Distribution | Virtual Machine Applications (VM Applications) allows administrators to safely package and distribute software to their Azure VMs. You can upload VM Application images to their Azure Compute Gallery and specify the target scope of Azure VMs. Azure Arc-enabled servers don't currently support VM Applications. You can use Run Command scripts and customized Machine Configuration for software distribution. |
We continue to enhance Azure Arc-enabled servers with new capabilities for even greater parity and functionality in areas such as software distribution, app patching, and unified operations, and distribution points.
Modernization guidance for SCCM customers
Following are some key guidance recommendations to help define your SCCM modernization strategy:
- Onboarding: Connect servers to Azure Arc using a Scheduled Task with Configuration Manager. This installs the Azure Connected Machine agent and establishes connectivity to Azure. Customers with active Windows Server Software Assurance should attest to their coverage.
- Gradual management: Deploy Azure Arc in phases to evaluate specific capabilities over time. Popular evaluation services include Microsoft Defender for Servers, Microsoft Sentinel, and Azure Monitor for security and monitoring.
- Joint management: Manage servers using both Configuration Manager and Azure Arc-enabled servers simultaneously. Customers often separate tasks across solutions (for example, SCCM for software distribution, Azure Update Manager for OS patching, and Azure Machine Configuration for OS configuration).
- SCVMM: For organizations using System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM), Azure Arc offers integration capabilities with Azure Arc-enabled SCVMM, facilitating VM lifecycle management and connection of SCVMM environments through Azure Arc.
- SCOM: For organizations using Systems Center Operations Manager (SCOM), Azure Arc and Azure VMs support Azure Monitor, enabling logging, alerting, and visualization of application and infrastructure performance. Azure Monitor includes robust reporting with Azure Workbooks and Azure Dashboards. You can use SCOM Managed Instance.
Azure Arc offers a cloud-native approach to hybrid and multicloud environments. While it might not fully replicate all SCCM functionalities, its advantages in pricing flexibility, Linux support, and AI integrations make it a compelling option for organizations looking to modernize their infrastructure management. As Azure Arc continues to evolve, it's poised to become an increasingly powerful tool for unified server management across diverse environments.