Azure Connected Machine agent deployment options
Connecting machines in your hybrid environment directly with Azure can be accomplished using different methods, depending on your requirements and the tools you prefer to use.
Onboarding methods
The following table highlights each method so that you can determine which works best for your deployment. For detailed information, follow the links to view the steps for each topic.
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| Interactively | Manually install the agent on a single or small number of machines by connecting machines using a deployment script. From the Azure portal, you can generate a script and execute it on the machine to automate the install and configuration steps of the agent. |
| Interactively | Connect machines from Windows Admin Center |
| Interactively or at scale | Connect machines using PowerShell |
| At scale | Connect machines using a service principal to install the agent at scale non-interactively. |
| At scale | Connect machines by running PowerShell scripts with Configuration Manager |
| At scale | Connect machines with a Configuration Manager custom task sequence |
| At scale | Connect Windows machines using Group Policy |
Important
The Connected Machine agent cannot be installed on an Azure virtual machine. The install script will warn you and roll back if it detects the server is running in Azure.
Be sure to review the basic prerequisites and network configuration requirements before deploying the agent, as well as any specific requirements listed in the steps for the onboarding method you choose. To learn more about what changes the agent will make to your system, see Overview of the Azure Connected Machine Agent.
Next steps
- Learn about the Azure Connected Machine agent prerequisites and network requirements.
- Review the Planning and deployment guide for Azure Arc-enabled servers
- Learn about reconfiguring, upgrading, and removing the Connected Machine agent.
- Try out Arc-enabled servers by using the Azure Arc Jumpstart.