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

aurnovcy's avatar
aurnovcy
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 following key benefits:

  • Azure Update Manager
  • Azure Change Tracking and Inventory
  • Azure Machine Configuration
  • Windows Admin Center in Azure for Arc
  • Remote Support
  • Network HUD
  • Best Practices Assessment
  • Azure Site Recovery (Configuration Only)

Upon attestation, customers receive access to the following at no additional cost beyond associated networking, compute, storage, and log ingestion charges. These same capabilities are also available for customers enrolled in Windows Server 2025 Pay as you Go licensing enabled by Azure Arc.  

Learn more at Windows Server Management enabled by Azure Arc - Azure Arc | Microsoft Learn or watch Video: Free Azure Services for Non-Azure Windows Servers Covered by SA Powered by Azure Arc! To get started, connect your servers to Azure Arc, attest for these benefits, and deploy management services as you modernize to Azure's AI-enabled set of server management capabilities across your hybrid, multi-cloud, and edge infrastructure!

Updated Nov 19, 2024
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  • thx1200's avatar
    thx1200
    Bronze Contributor
    Nov 21, 2024

    If SA or CSP is required, it's not free.  You are paying for it.  Considering how much has been removed from SA over the last several years, adding this back is barely a concession.  I came here from the "WSUS is deprecated" thread, where this was posted as "great news" for existing server users.  Hogwash, this is still me having to pay extra for what was once an included feature.  You can't sugar coat it.  You are pushing away your core users.  Like seriously, what little good will is left with Windows Server, why would I ever invest in that when Linux management has gotten so good?  And why would I go to a cloud platform from a company that is pushing away existing user bases?  You are ruining trust to count beans.

  • dgoble's avatar
    dgoble
    Copper Contributor
    Nov 21, 2024

    Do the Benefits of CSP Subscription based Licensing qualify for this ARC hybrid use rights?

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

      dgoble yes according to Product Terms they do.
      https://www.microsoft.com/licensing/terms/productoffering/MicrosoftAzure/MCA

      See: Windows Server and SQL Server management capabilities enable by Azure Arc

      I agree though that the wording could be improved on CSP subscription and other areas. Filed that feedback to aurnovcy during Ignite and I hope that we will have more clarity in future on the Product Terms.

      currently it is making the math MCA = CSP, CSP Sub offering SA equivalency rights.
      Does it help you?

  • 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...!