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Azure Arc Blog
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Announcing General Availability: Windows Server Management enabled by Azure Arc

Aurnov_Chattopadhyay's avatar
Aurnov_Chattopadhyay
Icon for Microsoft rankMicrosoft
Nov 19, 2024

Azure's expanded set of modern server management capabilities including Azure Update Manager, Machine Configuration, and Change Tracking and Inventory are now available for free to customers enrolled in Windows Server Pay as you Go or with active Software Assurance coverage for their Azure Arc-enabled servers.

Windows Server Management enabled by Azure Arc offers customers with Windows Server licenses that have active Software Assurances or Windows Server licenses that are active subscription licenses the ...
Updated Nov 19, 2024
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jllio_Consultancy's avatar
jllio_Consultancy
Copper Contributor
Nov 19, 2024

Not happy to see these features disappear behind the Software Assurance/PAYG paywall. So what is it that we are actually getting for that per machine Arc resource cost?

psinnathurai's avatar
psinnathurai
MVP
Nov 19, 2024

If you onboard your Windows Server to Azure Arc only, there is no additional cost. With this announcement we have even additional Features if using Software Assurance or Windows Server Pay-As-You-Go. Lot of customer especially Enterprise Customer already having Software Assurance only benefit from this Announcement.  

  • jllio_Consultancy's avatar
    jllio_Consultancy
    Copper Contributor
    Nov 19, 2024

    These 'additional features' were up until now available without additional licensing requirements. Granted, Windows Admin Center was in preview and thus 'subject to changes', however most of the other features now being moved behind this paywall were not, e.g. Azure Update Manager, Machine Configuration...!

    • jpigott's avatar
      jpigott
      Icon for Microsoft rankMicrosoft
      Nov 19, 2024

      Azure Update Manager and Inventory or Policy is still available as it was previously at the normal monthly rates per machine $5/$6. This announcement just includes them without the extra cost if customers use Windows Software Assurance. 

      • jllio_Consultancy's avatar
        jllio_Consultancy
        Copper Contributor
        Nov 19, 2024

        Still, with these new features coming to GA, introducing a new licensing model is very unpractical imho, to say the least. I have customers with a large installed base of Standard Windows Server licenses without SA. Why move these features in a different licensing model than the pay-per-use experience that works for everything else in Azure? 

    • psinnathurai's avatar
      psinnathurai
      MVP
      Nov 19, 2024

      Azure Update Manager were costing 5$ per Server per Month as of now. The same as for Machien Configuration. If you had Microsoft Defender for Server Plan 2 or using a Azure VM or using Azure Stack HCI then those two Features were free.

      • Karl-WE's avatar
        Karl-WE
        MVP
        Nov 25, 2024

        " were free." > included, not free. Before someone will hit that wording. :)
        It's up to everyone to do the math before purchase which licensing approach delivers the best ROI,let it be CSP Subscription or SA or a PAYG model.