Azure App Service Managed Instances: What IT/Ops Teams Need to Know

Microsoft

Mar 04, 2026

Azure App Service has long been one of the most reliable ways to run web apps on Azure, giving teams a fully managed platform with built‑in scaling, deployment integration, and enterprise‑grade security. But for organizations that need more control, expanded flexibility, or the ability to run apps that have additional dependencies, the new Azure App Service Managed Instance (preview) brings a powerful new option.

Vinicius Apolinario recently sat down with Andrew Westgarth, Product Manager for Azure App Service to talk through what Managed Instances are, why they matter, and how IT/Ops teams can take advantage of the new capabilities.

What Managed Instances Bring to the Table

Managed Instances (MI) deliver the App Service experience you know with added flexibility for additional scenarios. You get the same PaaS benefits—patching, scaling, deployment workflows—but with the control typically associated with IaaS.

Some of the highlights we discussed:

App Service and App Service Managed Instance — What are the main differences and what scenarios MI is focusing on.
Consistent App Service experience — Same deployment model, same runtime options, same operational model.
App service experience for different audiences — How IT/Ops teams can leverage MI and what does it mean for development teams.

Features IT/Ops Teams Will Appreciate

Beyond the core architecture, MI introduces capabilities that make day‑to‑day operations easier:

Configuration (Install) Script — A new way to customize the underlying environment with scripts that run during provisioning. This is especially useful for installing dependencies, configuring app and OS settings, installing fonts, or preparing the environment for the workload.
RDP Access for Troubleshooting — A long‑requested feature that gives operators a secure way to RDP into the instance for deep troubleshooting. Perfect for diagnosing issues that require OS‑level visibility.