How to connect Windows Server to Azure

Azure has different methods that can connect your Windows Server machines to the cloud. From a GUI in the form of the Windows Admin Center, used to ease the management of these onboarding processes, to PowerShell for the automation of more complex scenarios, and finally to Azure Arc, which extends Azure services to on-premise environments. This tutorial will walk you through how to onboard your Windows Server systems using these methods.

How to Connect Windows Server to Azure

Next, to integrate these on-premise Windows Server machines seamlessly in the Azure cloud, see the following options below:

• Azure Arc: This service is a very powerful hybrid cloud management offering that extends Azure's governance and management capabilities to your on-premises and edge environments. With Azure Arc, you can thus centralize management, apply policies in a consistent way, and get the detailed information into your hybrid infrastructure.

Windows Admin Center: This is a browser-based management experience that lets you manage your Windows Server environments, at no additional cost. Its unified interface allows you to do monitoring, configuration, and troubleshooting of your servers, whether on-premises or in the cloud, with just one console.

Microsoft PowerShell: Being one of the most versatile scripting languages, Microsoft PowerShell will give you a flexible and automated way of connecting and managing resources both on Azure and Windows Server. You can create scripts for automating repetitive tasks, streamlining workflows, and integrating with other tools and services using PowerShell.

By carefully considering your specific needs and preferences, you will be able to determine which option best meets them and maximizes Azure for your Windows Server environment."

1] Using Azure Arc

Onboard Windows Servers to Azure Arc with an Elegant Process

Integrate your Windows Servers into Azure Arc easily, using a built-in utility. This easy-to-consume wizard makes the onboarding experience seamless because it automates steps for onboarding, performs necessary checks, and downloads and installs the latest Azure Connected Machines (AzCM) agent. With this, you will be able to successfully manage your Windows Servers in the Azure portal just like any other resource in Azure Arc.

Here's how it would look for different versions of Windows Server:

• Azure Arc Setup is an optional component of Windows Server 2022. It may be uninstalled, if desired.

• Windows Server 2025 and later: This feature is a Feature on Demand.

Just before You Start, Set Up the Prerequisite Requirements on the Server:

1. Compatibility: Check compatibility at this link: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/servers/prerequisites

2. An Azure Account: Create one free of charge at.

3. Updated Browser: For a seamless experience, make sure that your chosen browser is updated to the latest version.

Time to onboard your Windows Server to Azure Arc!

Note: Even though Azure Arc might already be enabled by default on some systems, here is the step-by-step process for both scenarios:

1. Start Azure Arc Setup:

• Open Azure Arc Setup from the System Tray or via the Start Search menu.

2. Onboarding Wizard:

• Click "Next" on the initial "Get started" page.

•　 　　The wizard automatically checks the prerequisites.

•　 　　If confirmed, click "Configure."

•　 　　In the configuration window, click "Next."

3. Azure Authentication:

•　 　　Select your correct Azure cloud and then click "Sign in to Azure."

•　 　　When prompted, enter your Azure credentials.

4. Resource Details:

•　 　　Within Azure, specify your desired Subscription and Resource group.

•　 　　Click "Next" to continue.

5. Finalization:

• 　　　Click "Finish" to complete the onboarding process.

6. Verification:

•　 　　At Server Manager, open "Local Server."

• Look for the Azure Arc Management field. This should reflect "Enabled," meaning the onboarding successfully happened.

Congratulations! This way, you have successfully set up Azure Arc on your Windows Server. Your server is now seamlessly managed within the Azure portal.

2] Via Windows Admin Center

The Windows Admin Center simplifies registering the server. It offers the convenience of deploying the Connected Machine agent and registering your on-premises servers directly from within the tool without needing to resort to external steps. In fact, it is a one-stop deployment, hence most convenient.

Here's how it works:

1\. Open Windows Admin Center and sign in.

2\. In the Overview window, select the server you want.

3\. In Azure hybrid services, select Discover Azure services.

4. Under Leverage Azure policies and solutions to manage your servers with Azure Arc, click Set up.

5. On the Settings > Azure Arc for servers window, click Get started.

6. In the Connect server to Azure window:

o\tSelect your Azure subscription.

o\tChoose a resource group or select to create a new one.

o\tSelect an Azure region in which you'd like to store server metadata.

o\tEnable the "Use proxy server" check box if using a proxy. Insert address and port.

7. Click Set up to start setup.

The rest of the work will be performed by Windows Admin Center: it will connect your server to Azure, install and download the agent, and register it with Azure Arc-enabled servers. You can track the progress in the Notifications menu. When it is all done, open the Events section and check MsiInstaller events in the Application Event Log to be sure that the agent has been installed successfully.

Improvements:

• Better opening-emphasizes the ease of use of Windows Admin Center.

• Smarter instructions: It breaks the steps down with clear, concise labels.

• Combined redundant information: It combined "go to" with follow-up actions.

• Removed unnecessary reminder to learn about environment preparation. That link may be provided elsewhere to Microsoft Learn.

• More simplicity at conclusion: confirmation steps streamlined.

Overall, this revision will yield a more focused, user-friendly guide to deploying the Connected Machine agent via Windows Admin Center.

3] Using Microsoft PowerShell

Expanding on previous response: A Full Guide on Azure Configuration Using PowerShell

Introduction

PowerShell is a dynamic and powerful scripting language that is available in Windows. It can be used to interact with Azure in the most powerful and efficient way. You will be able to conduct your management tasks on Azure much more productively by using the automation features that PowerShell has to offer. Further explanations, with examples of how to configure Azure resources with PowerShell, including necessary tips and recommendations, will follow in this tutorial. 

Prerequisites

•  Microsoft PowerShell: Ensure it is up-to-date.

• Azure Management Module Install the Az.ConnectedMachine module with the following command. To understand this code, you need to notice that this is a PowerShell code. Install-Module -Name Az.ConnectedMachine Use Code carefully. • Azure Account First, you have to create or sign in to your Azure account. Connect to Azure 1. Log In The cmdlet Connect-AzAccount will connect to your Azure subscription. PowerShell Connect-AzAccount Use Code carefully. 2. Select Subscription If you have more than one subscription, then use the Set-AzContext cmdlet to select one. PowerShell Set-AzContext -SubscriptionId <your_subscription_id> Use Code carefully.

Onboarding Windows Server Machine

1. Connect-AzConnectedMachine: The following cmdlet will onboard a Windows Server machine to Azure:

PowerShell

Connect-AzConnectedMachine -ResourceGroupName <your_resource_group> -Name <your_machine_name> -Location <your_location> -Proxy <your_proxy_address>:<your_proxy_port>

Use the code above with care.

o.Resource Group: The resource group this machine should be associated with in Azure.

o.Machine Name: Unique name for this machine.

o.Location: Will select an Azure region that will deploy this machine.

o Proxy: If your machine is behind a proxy, enter its address and port.

Multiple Machines Management

1. Create Session: For each machine, create a session using New-PSSession in PowerShell.

PowerShell

$sessions = New-PSSession -ComputerName <machine_name1>, <machine_name2>, .

Run the above code with discretion.

2. Onboard Machines: In each session, run Connect-AzConnectedMachine.

PowerShell

Invoke-Command -Session $sessions -ScriptBlock {

    Connect-AzConnectedMachine -ResourceGroupName <your_resource_group> -Name <your_machine_name> -Location <your_location>

}

Run the above code with discretion.

Additional Considerations

• Error Handling: Implement try-catch blocks to handle the anticipated type of errors with informative messages.

 • Automate: Make use of PowerShell scripts or functions to help automate repetitive tasks and make things easier.

 • Azure Resource Manager: ARM templates should be used for declarative infrastructure deployments.

 • Azure CLI: Consider using the Azure CLI for a command-line interface.

 • Security: Follow security best practices that can ensure the security of your Azure resources.

Sample Script

PowerShell

# Define variables

 $resourceGroupName = "myResourceGroup"

 $machineName = "myMachine"

 $location = "eastus"

 $proxyAddress = "http://myproxy:8080"

# Connect to Azure

 Connect-AzAccount

AZ Connected Machine onboarding Connect-AzConnectedMachine -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroupName -Name $machineName -Location $location -Proxy $proxyAddress

# Connect to the remote machine

$session = New-PSSession -ComputerName $machineName

Invoke-Command -Session $session -ScriptBlock {

    # Run commands on the remote machine

    Get-AzureRmVM

}

Use the code at your discretion.

With these conventions in place, taking advantage of PowerShell's functionality helps to simplify your Azure resource management tasks, automate processes, and ultimately allow you to have a smoother work environment.

This does conclude our guide on How to Connect Windows Server to Azure, so we hope we have been of as much help as possible.