Implementing system update management for VMs

Update management is one of the most important security processes in any environment. Unpatched operating systems or software puts organizations at risk of serious security breaches. This is further complicated by the unpredictable nature of updates for different software. Updates can come quickly and frequently when newly discovered security flaws or attack vectors are addressed.

Azure has a service called Azure Automation that we can use to manage operating system updates for Windows and Linux systems, regardless of where they are hosted – in Azure, in other public cloud environments, or in on-premises data centers.

The update management feature of Azure Automation supports multiple OS platforms, including Windows Server (2008 and newer), CentOS 6 and 7 (x64), Red Hat Enterprise 6 and 7 (x64), SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12, 15, and 15.1 (x64), Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, 16.04 LTS, and 18.04 LTS (x64). At the time of writing this...