Azure VM's Desired state configuration extension for Linux is retiring on September 30th, 2023

[azure-deprecation-automation]

Azure VM's Desired state configuration extension for Linux is retiring on September 30th, 2023

Deprecation ID: fce0e0dd-cbc9-47f1-b695-ef745e2a9751
Deadline: Sep 30, 2023
Impacted Services:

• Azure Virtual Machine

More information:

• Announcement
• Migration Guide

Notice

Here's the official report from Microsoft:

On 30 September 2023, we’ll retire desired state configuration (DSC) extension for Linux virtual machines and support for Linux machines in Azure Automation DSC.Before that date, please migrate to Azure Automanage's machine configuration feature and explore new DSC scenarios.

Azure provides built-in capability to deliver configuration as code using PowerShell desired state configuration (DSC). To address top customer requests, this capability is evolving from the DSC VM extension to the machine configuration feature of Azure Automanage, which is now generally available in Azure, including the remediation feature.

Azure Automanage's machine configuration feature makes desired state configuration a native component of Azure, to audit or configure operating system settings as code. The solution is available both for machines running in Azure and as Arc-enabled machines in your own datacenters or multicloud environments. The feature can be used directly per-machine, or at-scale orchestrated by Azure Policy.

Key new features in machine configuration based on customer feedback:

1. Advanced reporting through Azure Resource Graph including resource ID and state
2. Manage multiple configurations for the same machine
3. When machines drift from the desired state, you control when remediation occurs
4. Available for all VMs (Linux and Windows) that consume PowerShell-based desired state configuration (DSC) resources

The DSC extension for Linux machines in Azure, and Azure Automation DSC support for Linux, will no longer be supported after 30 September 2023. This announcement doesn’t apply to support for the DSC extension for Windows or Azure Automation DSC support for Windows.

Timeline

Phase	Date	Description
Announcement	Oct 07, 2022	Deprecation was announced
Deprecation	Sep 30, 2023	Feature will no longer work.

Impact

Azure VM's Desired state configuration extension for Linux is retiring on September 30th, 2023 and migration to Azure Automanage's machine configuration feature is required.

Required Action

A migration guide is provided here.

Here's the official report from Microsoft:

Begin planning your migration strategy to the machine configuration feature of Azure Automanage. Start using the new machine configuration feature of Azure Automanage as soon as possible to prevent business impact and to take advantage of the new capabilities.

Contact

You can get in touch through the following options:

• Contact Azure support (link).
• Get answers from Microsoft Q&A (link).

[azure-deprecation-automation]

This issue is automatically managed and suggest to use GitHub Discussions to discuss this deprecation.