1---2name: azure-update-manager3description: Expert knowledge for Azure Update Manager development including troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, limits & quotas, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. Use when managing VM/Arc patching, Automanage profiles, hotpatch/ESU schedules, change tracking, or SDK/REST automation, and other Azure Update Manager related development tasks. Not for Azure Automation (use azure-automation), Azure Monitor (use azure-monitor), Azure Osconfig (use azure-osconfig), Azure Virtual Machines (use azure-virtual-machines).4---5# Azure Update Manager Skill67This skill provides expert guidance for Azure Update Manager. Covers troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, limits & quotas, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. It combines local quick-reference content with remote documentation fetching capabilities.89## How to Use This Skill1011> **IMPORTANT for Agent**: Use the **Category Index** below to locate relevant sections. For categories with line ranges (e.g., `L35-L120`), use `read_file` with the specified lines. For categories with file links (e.g., `[security.md](security.md)`), use `read_file` on the linked reference file1213> **IMPORTANT for Agent**: If `metadata.generated_at` is more than 3 months old, suggest the user pull the latest version from the repository. If `mcp_microsoftdocs` tools are not available, suggest the user install it: [Installation Guide](https://github.com/MicrosoftDocs/mcp/blob/main/README.md)1415This skill requires **network access** to fetch documentation content:16- **Preferred**: Use `mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch` with query string `from=learn-agent-skill`. Returns Markdown.17- **Fallback**: Use `fetch_webpage` with query string `from=learn-agent-skill&accept=text/markdown`. Returns Markdown.1819## Category Index2021| Category | Lines | Description |22|----------|-------|-------------|23| Troubleshooting | L36-L41 | Diagnosing and fixing Azure Update Manager and Automanage onboarding issues, including common error codes, connectivity problems, and remediation steps for failed update operations. |24| Best Practices | L42-L52 | Best practices for configuring Automanage and guest patching on Windows/Linux/Arc VMs, handling SQL Server and Ubuntu/Ubuntu Pro updates, and managing SMB over QUIC in Update Manager. |25| Decision Making | L53-L58 | Planning patch strategies across subscriptions and guidance for migrating patch management from Configuration Manager to Azure Update Manager |26| Limits & Quotas | L59-L68 | OS, region, image, and workload support limits for Update Manager, including supported update sources/types, change tracking matrix, and unsupported scenarios. |27| Security | L69-L74 | Configuring disk encryption for Automanaged VMs and setting up RBAC roles/permissions to securely manage and control access to Azure Update Manager. |28| Configuration | L75-L95 | Configuring Update Manager: update schedules, scopes, alerts, policies, ESU, hotpatching, change tracking, workspaces/DCRs, reports, Resource Graph, and cross-subscription patching. |29| Integrations & Coding Patterns | L96-L108 | Using SDKs (Go/Java/JS/Python) and REST APIs to assign Automanage profiles, manage VM/Arc server updates, and implement pre/post maintenance with Functions, webhooks, and runbooks |30| Deployment | L109-L121 | Deploying and managing Automanage/Update Manager at scale: onboarding VMs/Arc servers, upgrading/moving profiles and VMs across regions/tenants, and using Policy plus extension release/issue tracking. |3132### Troubleshooting33| Topic | URL |34|-------|-----|35| Troubleshoot Azure Automanage onboarding failures and errors | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/common-errors |36| Troubleshoot errors and issues in Azure Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/troubleshoot |3738### Best Practices39| Topic | URL |40|-------|-----|41| Apply Automanage best practices to Azure Arc-enabled servers | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/automanage-arc |42| Apply Automanage best practices to Linux VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/automanage-linux |43| Manage SMB over QUIC using Automanage best practices | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/automanage-smb-over-quic |44| Apply Automanage best practices to Windows Server VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/automanage-windows-server |45| Apply patching best practices for SQL Server on Azure VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/guidance-patching-sql-server-azure-vm |46| Handle Ubuntu security and Ubuntu Pro in Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/security-awareness-ubuntu-support |47| Configure automatic guest patching for Azure VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/support-matrix-automatic-guest-patching |4849### Decision Making50| Topic | URL |51|-------|-----|52| Plan cross-subscription patching with Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/cross-subscription-patching |53| Plan migration from Configuration Manager to Azure Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/guidance-migration-azure |5455### Limits & Quotas56| Topic | URL |57|-------|-----|58| Understand Change Tracking support matrix and limitations | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-change-tracking-inventory/change-tracking-inventory-support-matrix |59| Manage customized images in Azure Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/manage-updates-customized-images |60| Understand supported update sources and types | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/support-matrix |61| Review OS support matrix for Azure Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/support-matrix-updates |62| Check supported Azure regions for Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/supported-regions |63| Identify unsupported workloads in Azure Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/unsupported-workloads |6465### Security66| Topic | URL |67|-------|-----|68| Configure Azure disk encryption for Automanaged VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/overview-azure-disk-encryption |69| Assign RBAC roles for Azure Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/roles-permissions |7071### Configuration72| Topic | URL |73|-------|-----|74| Create and configure custom Automanage profiles for VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/virtual-machines-custom-profile |75| Create data collection rules for Azure Change Tracking | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-change-tracking-inventory/create-data-collection-rule |76| Configure workspaces and data collection rules for Change Tracking | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-change-tracking-inventory/tutorial-change-workspace-configure-data-collection-rule |77| Configure Windows Update client for Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/configure-wu-agent |78| Set up cross-subscription patching in Azure | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/enable-cross-subscription-patching |79| Enroll Windows Server ESU with Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/extended-security-updates |80| Enable and configure alerts in Azure Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/manage-alerts |81| Configure and manage dynamic scopes for patching | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/manage-dynamic-scoping |82| Configure hotpatching on Azure Arc-enabled machines | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/manage-hot-patching-arc-machines |83| Manage existing pre and post maintenance events | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/manage-pre-post-events |84| Manage update configuration settings in Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/manage-update-settings |85| Create custom Update Manager reports with workbooks | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/manage-workbooks |86| Enable periodic assessment via Azure Policy | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/periodic-assessment-at-scale |87| Create pre and post maintenance events in Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/pre-post-events-schedule-maintenance-configuration |88| Access Update Manager data via Azure Resource Graph | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/query-logs |89| Use sample Resource Graph queries for Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/sample-query-logs |90| Configure recurring update schedules in Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/scheduled-patching |9192### Integrations & Coding Patterns93| Topic | URL |94|-------|-----|95| Use Go SDK to assign Automanage configuration profiles | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/quick-go-sdk |96| Use Java SDK to assign Automanage configuration profiles | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/quick-java-sdk |97| Use JavaScript SDK to assign Automanage configuration profiles | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/quick-javascript-sdk |98| Use Python SDK to assign Automanage configuration profiles | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/quick-python-sdk |99| Choose and use Automanage SDKs across languages | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/reference-sdk |100| Use REST API for Arc-enabled server updates | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/manage-arc-enabled-servers-programmatically |101| Use Azure REST API to manage VM updates | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/manage-vms-programmatically |102| Implement pre/post maintenance using Azure Functions | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/tutorial-using-functions |103| Trigger pre/post maintenance via webhooks and runbooks | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/tutorial-webhooks-using-runbooks |104105### Deployment106| Topic | URL |107|-------|-----|108| Onboard VMs to Automanage with ARM templates | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/arm-deploy |109| Onboard Arc-enabled servers to Automanage with ARM templates | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/arm-deploy-arc |110| Upgrade existing Automanage machines to the latest version | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/automanage-upgrade |111| Move Automanage configuration profiles between Azure regions | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/move-automanaged-configuration-profile |112| Move Automanaged virtual machines across Azure regions | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/move-automanaged-vms |113| Repair Automanage accounts after subscription tenant moves | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/repair-automanage-account |114| Enable Automanage for VMs using Azure Policy | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/virtual-machines-policy-enable |115| Deploy Change Tracking at scale using Azure Policy | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-change-tracking-inventory/enable-change-tracking-at-scale-policy |116| Review Change Tracking extension versions and known issues | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-change-tracking-inventory/extension-version-details |117| Track Arc-enabled VM extension releases and issues for Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/overview-arc-enabled-vm-extensions |