Azure Update Manager Agent Skill

Expert knowledge for Azure Update Manager development including troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, limits & quotas, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. Use when onboarding VMs/Arc servers, configuring Automanage profiles, guest patching, DCRs/workspaces, or Update Manager APIs, and other Azure Update Manager related development tasks. Not for Azure Automation (use azure-automation), Azure Monitor (use azure-monitor), Azure Policy (use azure-policy), Azure Osconfig (use azure-osconfig).

3k tokens

context cost

the whole folder, loaded on every use

files

instructions only

copies elsewhere

how many repositories repackaged it

681

stars on the repo

on the repository, not the skill itself

Install

one command, takes just this skill from the repository

npx skills add https://github.com/MicrosoftDocs/Agent-Skills --skill azure-update-manager

The instruction itself

11 sections, as written by the author

Azure Update Manager Skill

This 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.

How to Use This Skill

> 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), use read_file on the linked reference file

> 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

This skill requires network access to fetch documentation content:

Preferred: Use mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch with query string from=learn-agent-skill. Returns Markdown.
Fallback: Use fetch_webpage with query string from=learn-agent-skill&accept=text/markdown. Returns Markdown.

Category Index

| Category | Lines | Description |

|----------|-------|-------------|

| Troubleshooting | L36-L42 | Diagnosing and fixing onboarding failures, extension/agent issues, and common errors when using Azure Update Manager, Automanage, and Change Tracking. |

| Best Practices | L43-L53 | 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. |

| Decision Making | L54-L59 | Planning patch strategies across subscriptions and guidance for migrating patch management from Configuration Manager to Azure Update Manager |

| Limits & Quotas | L60-L67 | OS, region, image, and workload support limits for Update Manager, including supported update sources/types, change tracking matrix, and unsupported scenarios. |

| Security | L68-L73 | Configuring disk encryption for Automanaged VMs and setting up RBAC roles/permissions to securely manage and control access to Azure Update Manager. |

| Configuration | L74-L93 | Configuring Update Manager: Automanage profiles, DCRs/workspaces, Windows Update/ESU setup, scopes/schedules, alerts/events, policy-based assessments, and reporting via workbooks/Resource Graph. |

| Integrations & Coding Patterns | L94-L106 | 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 |

| Deployment | L107-L120 | Deploying and managing Automanage/Update Manager at scale: onboarding VMs/Arc servers, upgrading profiles, cross-region moves, tenant repairs, Azure Policy deployment, and supported OS/update sources. |

Troubleshooting

| Topic | URL |

|-------|-----|

| Troubleshoot Azure Automanage onboarding failures and errors | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/common-errors |

| Resolve Azure Change Tracking extension issues | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-change-tracking-inventory/extension-version-details |

| Troubleshoot errors and issues in Azure Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/troubleshoot |

Best Practices

| Topic | URL |

|-------|-----|

| Apply Automanage best practices to Azure Arc-enabled servers | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/automanage-arc |

| Apply Automanage best practices to Linux VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/automanage-linux |

| Manage SMB over QUIC using Automanage best practices | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/automanage-smb-over-quic |

| Apply Automanage best practices to Windows Server VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/automanage-windows-server |

| 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 |

| Handle Ubuntu security and Ubuntu Pro in Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/security-awareness-ubuntu-support |

| Configure automatic guest patching for Azure VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/support-matrix-automatic-guest-patching |

Decision Making

| Topic | URL |

|-------|-----|

| Plan cross-subscription patching with Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/cross-subscription-patching |

| Plan migration from Configuration Manager to Azure Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/guidance-migration-azure |

Limits & Quotas

| Topic | URL |

|-------|-----|

| Understand Change Tracking support matrix and limitations | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-change-tracking-inventory/change-tracking-inventory-support-matrix |

| Manage customized images in Azure Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/manage-updates-customized-images |

| Check supported Azure regions for Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/supported-regions |

| Identify unsupported workloads in Azure Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/unsupported-workloads |

Security

| Topic | URL |

|-------|-----|

| Configure Azure disk encryption for Automanaged VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/overview-azure-disk-encryption |

| Assign RBAC roles for Azure Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/roles-permissions |

Configuration

| Topic | URL |

|-------|-----|

| Create and configure custom Automanage profiles for VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/virtual-machines-custom-profile |

| Create data collection rules for Azure Change Tracking | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-change-tracking-inventory/create-data-collection-rule |

| 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 |

| Configure Windows Update client for Azure Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/configure-wu-agent |

| Set up cross-subscription patching in Azure | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/enable-cross-subscription-patching |

| Enroll Windows Server ESU with Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/extended-security-updates |

| Enable and configure alerts in Azure Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/manage-alerts |

| Configure and manage dynamic scopes for patching | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/manage-dynamic-scoping |

| Manage existing pre and post maintenance events | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/manage-pre-post-events |

| Configure update settings for Azure Update Manager machines | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/manage-update-settings |

| Create custom Update Manager reports with workbooks | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/manage-workbooks |

| Enable periodic assessment via Azure Policy | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/periodic-assessment-at-scale |

| Create pre and post maintenance events in Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/pre-post-events-schedule-maintenance-configuration |

| Access Update Manager data via Azure Resource Graph | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/query-logs |

| Use sample Resource Graph queries for Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/sample-query-logs |

| Configure recurring update schedules in Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/scheduled-patching |

Integrations & Coding Patterns

| Topic | URL |

|-------|-----|

| Use Go SDK to assign Automanage configuration profiles | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/quick-go-sdk |

| Use Java SDK to assign Automanage configuration profiles | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/quick-java-sdk |

| Use JavaScript SDK to assign Automanage configuration profiles | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/quick-javascript-sdk |

| Use Python SDK to assign Automanage configuration profiles | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/quick-python-sdk |

| Choose and use Automanage SDKs across languages | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/reference-sdk |

| Use REST API for Arc-enabled server updates | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/manage-arc-enabled-servers-programmatically |

| Use Azure REST API to manage VM updates | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/manage-vms-programmatically |

| Implement pre/post maintenance using Azure Functions | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/tutorial-using-functions |

| Trigger pre/post maintenance via webhooks and runbooks | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/tutorial-webhooks-using-runbooks |

Deployment

| Topic | URL |

|-------|-----|

| Onboard VMs to Automanage with ARM templates | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/arm-deploy |

| Onboard Arc-enabled servers to Automanage with ARM templates | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/arm-deploy-arc |

| Upgrade existing Automanage machines to the latest version | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/automanage-upgrade |

| Move Automanage configuration profiles between Azure regions | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/move-automanaged-configuration-profile |

| Move Automanaged virtual machines across Azure regions | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/move-automanaged-vms |

| Repair Automanage accounts after subscription tenant moves | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/repair-automanage-account |

| Enable Automanage for VMs using Azure Policy | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/virtual-machines-policy-enable |

| 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 |

| 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 |

| Supported update sources and types in Azure Update Manager | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/support-matrix |

| Azure Update Manager OS and feature support matrix | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/support-matrix-updates |

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17k tokens

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