Adding Windows Server 20H2 Core to Azure Arc Services with #WindowsAdminCenter #Winserv #Azure

Azure Arc Services

Azure Arc enabled servers allows you to manage your Windows and Linux machines hosted outside of Azure, on your On-premises network, or other cloud provider consistent with how you manage native Azure virtual machines. When a hybrid machine is connected to Azure, it becomes a connected machine and is treated as a resource in Azure. Each connected machine has a Resource ID, is included in a resource group, and benefits from standard Azure constructs such as Azure Policy and applying tags. Service providers who manage a customer’s on-premises infrastructure can manage their hybrid machines, just like they do today with native Azure resources, across multiple customer environments, using Azure Lighthouse with Azure Arc.

To deliver this experience with your hybrid machines hosted outside of Azure, the Azure Connected Machine agent needs to be installed on each machine that you plan on connecting to Azure. This agent does not deliver any other functionality, and it doesn’t replace the Azure Log Analytics agent. The Log Analytics agent for Windows and Linux is required when you want to proactively monitor the OS and workloads running on the machine, manage it using Automation runbooks or solutions like Update Management, or use other Azure services like Azure Security Center.

In earlier blogpost I wrote about Windows Admin Center and the Installation of Windows Server 20H2 Core version.

Now we have my Dark20H2.MVPLAB.LOCAL Windows Server Core managed by Windows Admin Center, I like to connect the Windows Server 20H2 Core to Azure Arc Services for Hybrid IT Management to get the benefits of the Cloud.

In the next step-by step guide we will enable Azure Arc Services by installing the agent on the Windows Server 20H2 Core.

Prerequisites

• If you don’t have an Azure subscription, create a free account before you begin.
• Deploying the Arc enabled servers Hybrid Connected Machine agent requires that you have administrator permissions on the machine to install and configure the agent. On Linux, by using the root account, and on Windows, with an account that is a member of the Local Administrators group.
• Before you get started, be sure to review the agent prerequisites and verify the following:
  • Your target machine is running a supported operating system.
  • Your account is granted assignment to the required Azure roles.
  • If the machine connects through a firewall or proxy server to communicate over the Internet, make sure the URLs listed are not blocked.
  • Azure Arc enabled servers supports only the regions specified here.

Open Azure Arc in the Portal.

Because I have already Azure Arc Active for my Azure Stack HCI Cluster in my MVPLAB.LOCAL, I will click on Servers on the left.

Click on Add

We will Generate a Script for the Single Windows Server 20H2 Core.
You can Add also Servers at Scale.

HTTPS Access to Azure Services is Needed
and
Local Administrator permissions, Click Next

Select the right Azure Subscription and the Resource Group.
Select the Azure Region and Operating System.
and the URL when you are behind a Proxy Server.
Click Next.

You can add Tags for Administrative tasks like Costs.
Click Next.

Here you can Copy and Paste the Script or Download it.
I downloaded the PowerShell Script.
Click on Close.

Windows Admin Center in action on Windows Server 20H2 Core

The Windows Server Dark20H2.mvplab.local is a basic installation and managed by Windows Admin Center

Now we have to do the following steps :

1. Copy the Azure Arc PowerShell Script to the Server with WAC.
2. Install Azure PowerShell on the Server
3. Run the Azure Arc PowerShell Script.

1. Copy the Azure Arc PowerShell Script to the Server with WAC

First we use Windows Admin Center to make a directory on the Server for uploading the Azure Arc PowerShell Script.

I have made a Azure Arc directory with Windows Admin Center.
Click on Upload.

Browse to your Azure Arc PowerShell Script.

Click on Submit.

The Azure Arc PowerShell Script is now on the Server.

2. Install Azure PowerShell on the Server

In the following steps we will install Microsoft Azure PowerShell on the Server via Windows Admin Center.

Type: $PSVersionTable.PSVersion
You need at least PowerShell 5.1

1. Install .NET Framework 4.7.2 or later.
2. Make sure you have the latest version of PowerShellGet. Run Install-Module -Name PowerShellGet -Force

Run the following script :

———————————————————————-

if ($PSVersionTable.PSEdition -eq ‘Desktop’ -and (Get-Module -Name AzureRM -ListAvailable)) {
Write-Warning -Message (‘Az module not installed. Having both the AzureRM and ‘ +
‘Az modules installed at the same time is not supported.’)
} else {
Install-Module -Name Az -AllowClobber -Scope CurrentUser
}

———————————————————————–

Type Y or A ( Yes or Yes to All)

Installing the Azure PowerShell Modules.

Now we are ready for the Azure Arc PowerShell Script.

3. Run Azure Arc PowerShell Script on the Server.

From here we are going to install the Microsoft Azure Arc PowerShell Script to join this server to Azure Arc Services with an Agent.

Run   .\OnboardingScript (1).ps1
It will ask for a Device login to Azure with a Code.
I did that on the Windows Admin Center Server.

When you Login to Azure with your Account you will see this Screen.

The Next screen is the completion in Windows Admin Center PowerShell of the Windows Server 20H2 Core.

This Dark20H2.mvplab.local Server is now connected with Azure Arc Services.
Azure Arc Enabled Server.

Here we see the Windows Server 202H2 Core in Azure Arc.

Azure Arc Services

Installing Azure Arc Insights

Here we start with one of the Azure Arc Services on the On-Premises Windows Server 20H2 Core called Azure Arc Insights.

Click on Insights on the Left of the Azure Arc Server.
Click on Enable.

Select your Azure Subscription and Log Analytics Workspace.
Click on Enable.

Installation of Azure Arc Insights in progress……

It’s Ready and waiting for data in Azure.

Performance View of On-Prem Servers.

Azure Arc Service Map will come available

Conclusion

With Microsoft Azure Arc Services you get the Azure Cloud Management services connected with On-Premises Servers. You get Azure Security Center, Log Analytics, Azure Monitoring and Alerting, Update Management, Change tracking and Automation tasks. This is the power of Hybrid IT Management and get the best of Tools there is like Windows Admin Center supporting me with Windows Server 20H2 Core. Azure Arc Services with Kubernetes and Azure Stack HCI Management is powerful and with a Single pain of Glass in IT Management. Hope this helpful for you, and Go for it yourself. 😉

 

 

Azure Arc Security remediation on Azure Stack HCI Cluster #Azure #Security #ASC #AzureStackHCI

Azure ARC Services

Microsoft Azure Arc enables you to manage your entire environment, with a single pane of glass, by projecting your existing resources into Azure Resource Manager. You can now manage virtual machines, Kubernetes clusters, and databases as if they are running in Azure. Regardless of where they live, you can use familiar Azure services and management capabilities. Azure Arc enables you to continue using traditional ITOps, while introducing DevOps practices to support new cloud native patterns in your environment.

IT Management with Azure ARC

With Microsoft Windows Admin Center I Build a Microsoft Azure Stack HCI Cluster and the Nodes are connected with Azure Arc Services. In the following steps you will see a security feature of Microsoft Azure Arc Services with remediation of the Risks on the Azure Stack HCI Cluster On-premises.

Azure Arc Security Remediation

Here you see the Azure Arc Servers with Azure Stack HCI

On Skywalker01 Node we have two Security Risks

When you click on the risk, you see the description and the remediation steps to solve this risk issue. Here you can also see the remediation script:

Automatic Remediation Script. 

Select the Azure workspace ID and when you don’t have one you can Create new Workspace in Azure.
Select the resource, in my case Skywalker01
Click on remediate resource.

Remediation in progress

The Microsoft Azure Monitor Agent extension in Azure Arc is successfully installed.

Done.

I did the same for Skywalker02 Azure Stack HCI Cluster Node.

The Next Medium Risk is a Vulnerability assessment on the Azure Stack HCI Cluster nodes. Just follow the steps of the wizard.

Azure Arc Security Vulnerability Assessment with Azure Defender

Click on remediate.

This one will use Qualys in Azure Defender.

Click on remediate resource.

The vulnerability scanner included with Azure Security Center is powered by Qualys. Qualys’ scanner is one of the leading tools for real-time identification of vulnerabilities. It’s only available with Azure Defender for servers. You don’t need a Qualys license or even a Qualys account – everything’s handled seamlessly inside Security Center.

Here you find more information about Azure Defender’s integrated vulnerability assessment solution for Azure and hybrid machines

Azure Arc Insights Monitor

Azure Arc Insights of the Azure Stack HCI Cluster Node

Because we have installed the Microsoft Azure Monitor extension in Azure Arc on this Azure Stack HCI Node Server, telemetry and analytics will do his job for Monitoring in Azure and data will be collected. In Azure maps you see the connectivity of the Server.

 

Here you can see the Fired Alerts by severity and Investigate 🙂

You can monitor the Traffic

Here you find more information about Insights and Maps for your Servers

Conclusion

Here you see the power of Hybrid IT management via Microsoft Azure Arc services and get Azure Cloud services for your On-premises Servers. You have the Free Microsoft Windows Admin Center Tool and integration with Azure Arc for all the innovative tools like Azure Monitor, Azure Security Center, Azure Defender, Update management and more. I hope you see the benefits too, Get started Today !

JOIN the Microsoft Azure Monitor & Security for Hybrid IT Community

 

Manage Servers On-premises with Microsoft Azure Cloud Services #Azure #Arc #Security #Cloud #AzureMonitor #ASC

Microsoft Azure Arc Servers On-Premises and Azure Cloud Services

Earlier I wrote a blogpost about Microsoft Azure Arc services installation to manage on-premises Servers with Azure Cloud Services, like Azure Monitor and Azure Security Centre from the Cloud.
Here in this post you will see the Newest Microsoft Azure Cloud Services to Manage and Monitor your Servers on-premises with security and compliance included.

Azure Arc Extensions settings of the Server.

Here you can see we have installed the Microsoft Monitoring Agent for Azure Monitor and log analytics, second we have installed the dependency Agent for Windows for
insights, Performance and Service maps. Here you find more information about Virtual machine extension management with Azure Arc for servers (preview)  

After initial deployment of the Azure Arc for servers (preview) Connected Machine agent for Windows or Linux, you may need to reconfigure the agent, upgrade it, or remove it from the computer if it has reached the retirement stage in its lifecycle. You can easily manage these routine maintenance tasks manually or through automation, which reduces both operational error and expenses.

Managing and maintaining the Connected Machine agent

Azure Arc Insights Performance monitor

The Azure Arc Insights Performance monitor is there by default and installed with the following dashboards :

• CPU Utilization
• Available Memory
• Logical disk IOPS
• Logical disk MB/s
• Logical disk Latency
• Max logical disk used %
• Bytes Sent Rate
• Bytes Received Rate

Azure Arc Logs Analytics

Of course you can make your own custom Dashboards in the Azure Portal with your own triggers, so in this way you get the same Azure Monitor Innovative Tools for your On-Premises Servers. 😉

Within Microsoft Azure Arc Insights, you can also see a Service Map of the Server

Here is were the dependency agent comes in, you get a service map of the Server and see the communication lines with other resources. In this picture you see Server Yoda01 a Domain Controller of my MVPLAB.
You can see that there are three Clients are logged on the domain controller.

Microsoft Azure Security Center for Azure Arc Servers

 

One of the most powerful and important features of Microsoft Azure Cloud platform is Security! Microsoft Azure Security Center (ASC) is a unified infrastructure security management system that strengthens the security posture of your data centers, and provides advanced threat protection across your hybrid workloads in the cloud – whether they’re in Azure or not – as well as on premises.

Here you see my Azure Arc Servers (On-Premises) in Azure Security Center.

Azure Arc Server in Azure Security Center recommendations Summary

Five security assessments passed the test, but Azure Security assessment has two recommendations one is Medium Risk and one low.

Here you see the Security advise and the Remediation to take action on your Server.

Microsoft Azure Security Center Overview with the Overall Secure Score.

Security controls – Each control is a logical group of related security recommendations, and reflects your vulnerable attack surfaces. A control is a set of security recommendations, with instructions that help you implement those recommendations. Your score only improves when you remediate all of the recommendations for a single resource within a control.

To immediately see how well your organization is securing each individual attack surface, review the scores for each security control.

 Here you find More information about Azure Security Center Secure Score

To get your Azure Arc Servers (On-premises) complaint for the business and security, you can use Microsoft Azure Arc Policies

Azure Arc Policies to meet your Compliance state.

Conclusion

Microsoft is bringing Azure Cloud Power tools everywhere with Azure Arc Services to give you modern tools like Azure Monitor and Azure Security Center to keep you in control, Secure and Compliant for your business. Keep following Microsoft for Hybrid IT Management, because more awesome features are added every day in Microsoft Azure Cloud Services. Let’s start to get your Azure Security Score UP and UP 😉