I am currently exploring the capabilities of Azure Update Manager and would like to clarify whether it supports minor version upgrades on individual virtual machines. Specifically: Can Azure Update Manager e.g., upgrade Ubuntu 20.04.x to 20.04.y (or similar minor upgrades for Windows)? If not natively supported, is there an alternative way to achieve this using Azure Update Manager? Thanks in advance for any help.

@Over9000Errors Azure Update Manager does not natively support minor version upgrades on individual virtual machines. It primarily focuses on major version updates and patch management. However, you can achieve minor version upgrades using a workaround. Here's how: Create a Custom Image : Start by creating a custom image of your virtual machine with the desired minor version upgrade applied. Deploy the Custom Image : Use the custom image to deploy new virtual machines or update existing ones. Use Azure Automation : You can automate the process of creating and deploying custom images using Azure Automation and Azure Resource Manager templates. See: azure documentation: https://docs.azure.cn/en-us/update-manager/support-matrix-updates?tabs=ci-win

Can Azure Update Manager perform minor version upgrades on individual VMs?

Over9000Errors 0

I am currently exploring the capabilities of Azure Update Manager and would like to clarify whether it supports minor version upgrades on individual virtual machines.

Specifically:

Can Azure Update Manager e.g., upgrade Ubuntu 20.04.x to 20.04.y (or similar minor upgrades for Windows)?
If not natively supported, is there an alternative way to achieve this using Azure Update Manager?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Vamsi Ram Annepu 0 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2025-02-03T07:17:39.2+00:00

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1 answer

Chiugo Okpala 75 Reputation points MVP

2025-02-02T16:37:01.9833333+00:00

@Over9000Errors

Azure Update Manager does not natively support minor version upgrades on individual virtual machines. It primarily focuses on major version updates and patch management.

However, you can achieve minor version upgrades using a workaround. Here's how:

Create a Custom Image: Start by creating a custom image of your virtual machine with the desired minor version upgrade applied.

Deploy the Custom Image: Use the custom image to deploy new virtual machines or update existing ones.

Use Azure Automation: You can automate the process of creating and deploying custom images using Azure Automation and Azure Resource Manager templates.

See: azure documentation: https://docs.azure.cn/en-us/update-manager/support-matrix-updates?tabs=ci-win
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Over9000Errors 0 Reputation points

2025-02-03T23:21:37.9233333+00:00

@Chiugo Okpala

Thank you for your response.

Regarding majorv version updates, could you clarify the context? Do you mean major version-preserving updates within the same OS version (such as significant kernel or feature updates), or are you referring to full OS upgrades (e.g., Ubuntu 18.04 to 20.04)?

If full OS upgrades are possible, how would one initiate and execute them using Azure Update Manager?

Appreciate your help!

Vamsi Ram Annepu 0 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2025-02-04T05:28:31.8633333+00:00

Hi @Chiugo Okpala, will you be able to guide Over9000Errors further on this query!

Chiugo Okpala 75 Reputation points MVP

2025-02-04T06:19:59.37+00:00

@Over9000Errors

When I refer to major version updates, I mean full OS upgrades (e.g., upgrading from Ubuntu 18.04 to Ubuntu 20.04). Azure Update Manager does support these types of upgrades.

Initiating and Executing Full OS Upgrades with Azure Update Manager

Navigate to Azure Update Manager: Go to the Azure Update Manager in the Azure portal.

Select the VM: Choose the virtual machine you want to upgrade

Check for Updates: Use the Update Manager to check for available updates.

Select the Update: Choose the specific major version upgrade you want to apply.

Schedule the Update: Schedule the update to be applied at a convenient time.

Monitor the Update: Monitor the update process to ensure it completes successfully.

Additional Considerations:

Automatic OS Image Upgrades: You can enable automatic OS image upgrades on your Azure Virtual Machine Scale Set, which will automatically upgrade the OS disk for all instances in the scale set.

Manual Upgrade: You can also manually initiate the upgrade process if you prefer more control over the timing and execution

See these Azure Documentation:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/support-matrix-updates?tabs=ci-win&pivots=azure-vm

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/deploy-updates?tabs=install-single-overview%2Cinstall-scale-overview

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/update-manager/updates-maintenance-schedules

Over9000Errors 0 Reputation points

2025-02-04T13:17:24.3233333+00:00

@Chiugo Okpala

I checked the major version upgrade possibility on a VM running RHEL 8.10, following your outlined steps. However, I did not see an option to upgrade to the latest OS version (RHEL 9.5). Instead, I could only update packages within the existing version by applying Critical, Security, and Other package updates.

A direct major version upgrade option was not available when selecting one-time update.

Could it be that this functionality is limited to specific OS versions? If not and major upgrades are generally supported, I can provide more details.
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Can Azure Update Manager perform minor version upgrades on individual VMs?

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