Enterprise Policy as Code with Azure EPAC and DevOps

Enterprise Policy as Code with Azure EPAC and DevOps is a game-changer for organizations looking to streamline their IT operations.

By integrating Azure Enterprise Policy as Code (EPAC) with DevOps, you can automate the management of your IT policies, reducing the risk of human error and increasing compliance.

This approach allows you to write and manage policies in a code repository, making it easier to track changes and collaborate with team members.

With Azure EPAC, you can define policies as code, making it easier to manage and enforce compliance across your organization.

Take a look at this: Azure vs Azure Devops

To set up EPAC, you'll need to configure the global settings in the global-settings.json file. This file specifies the target Azure environment, tenant ID, deployment scope, managed identities location, and desired deployment state.

The global-settings.json file has several key settings, including pacSelector (name), cloud, tenantId, defaultSubscription, rootScope, managedIdentityLocation, globalNotScopes, and EPAC has additional settings to manage brownfield and distributed scenarios.

Broaden your view: Azure Auth Json Website Azure Ad Authentication

Here's a breakdown of some of the key settings in the global-settings.json file:

Before we begin configuring Azure EPAC, make sure you have the necessary prerequisites in place. Ensure you have access to at least one Azure subscription.

To work with Azure Policy as Code, you'll need to install the Git CLI and the Az PowerShell module. The EnterprisePolicyAsCode PowerShell module is also required, and you can find more information about it in the next step.

You'll also need to clone the Enterprise Azure Policy as Code repository using Git. This will give you access to the necessary code and resources for configuration.

A Code Editor like Visual Studio Code is recommended for ease of use.

Here are the specific prerequisites you need to meet:

Note that for small enterprises using ALZ, you should adjust connectivity, identity, and management to be deployed to Platform management group.

To configure DevOps for Azure EPAC, you'll need to create a global-settings.jsonc file that defines your environment and top-level management group where you want policies deployed.

The global-settings.jsonc file is where you'll specify the target Azure environment, tenant ID, deployment scope, managed identities location, and desired deployment state.

You'll need to replace placeholders in the global-settings.jsonc file with your actual values, such as your tenant ID and deployment scope ID.

Here's a breakdown of the key settings you'll need to configure:

Additionally, you'll need to configure the EPAC settings to manage brownfield and distributed scenarios.

To get started, ensure you have the necessary prerequisites in place, including access to at least one Azure subscription, the Git CLI, Az PowerShell module, and EnterprisePolicyAsCode PowerShell module.

Expand your knowledge: Azure Powershell vs Azure Cli

Deploying and managing Azure EPAC involves several key steps. You can deploy custom policies, initiatives, and assignments to Azure using the Build-AzPoliciesInitiativesAssignmentsPlan.ps1 script and the Deploy script.

To deploy a custom policy, you'll need to put the custom definition in a file in the "Policies" folder. This file should be in JSON format and contain the properties for the policy definition. You can then run the Build script to see what changes will be made to your Azure environment.

The script will generate a plan that shows you what policies will be added or removed, making it easier to troubleshoot and prevent deployment mistakes. Once you're satisfied with the plan, you can run the Deploy script to push the policy out to Azure. EPAC will take care of the rest, ensuring that your custom policy is deployed and assigned correctly.

To deploy a custom initiative, you'll need to create a JSON file with the initiative definition and place it in the initiative folder. You can then modify your assignment file to deploy just the initiative. Running the Build script will show you what changes will be made to your Azure environment, including the removal of any previous assignments.

EPAC also handles deployment scenarios involving DINE and Modify policies with RBAC permissions. In these cases, the script will generate a separate plan for role assignments, which you can then deploy to Azure. This ensures that the necessary role assignments are created to enable the policy effects to run correctly.

Here are the key steps to deploy and manage Azure EPAC:

To run the pipeline, you'll need to import it from Azure Repos Git. This involves navigating to your EPAC project, clicking on Create Pipeline, and selecting the single-tenant-pipeline.yml file.

First, log in to Azure DevOps and navigate to your EPAC project. Then, click on Pipelines and select Create Pipeline. Next, choose Azure Repos Git and select your repository. After that, select Existing Azure pipelines YAML file and choose the single-tenant-pipeline.yml file. Finally, click Save to import the pipeline.

As you run the pipeline for the first time, there may be delays due to the need to approve the pipeline to use Service Connections. To test this, you can deploy the pipeline into a New Branch, which will trigger the dev Plan.

Here are the steps to import and run the pipeline in a concise list:

Once the pipeline is imported and run, you can navigate to Azure Monitor to check the deployed resources.

To deploy AMBA definitions, download and copy the contents of the definitions folder from amba-export/Definitions at main · anwather/amba-export · GitHub to the definitions folder you created earlier.

These are the AMBA definitions, made especially for use by EPAC. They include five files: alerting-management-policySet.jsonc, alerting-servicehealth-policySet.jsonc, and three others.

Navigate to the folder policyAssignments under Definitions, and you should see these five files. Adjust the scope, managedIdentityLocations, and parameters in each file to fit your needs.

If you're using Enterprise Scale, adjust the assignments for each file accordingly, such as changing the scope to management management group for configuration alerting-management-policySet.jsonc.

For a custom archetype, just adjust the deployment scope to your preference and environment.

We're trying to install software agents on our VMs in Azure, similar to AWS Systems Manager and State Manager.

Azure Policy with VM application defined on it runs fine and completes with success, but the application isn't functioning properly.

We've encountered 932 questions with Azure Policy tags, which indicates a significant knowledge gap in this area.

The goal is to find a solution that works seamlessly with Azure, just like AWS Systems Manager and State Manager do with their respective platforms.

To establish a site to site VPN connection in Azure, you'll need to create a Vnet, Vnet Gateway, and Local network gateway.

You can configure these components as per Microsoft documentation, which is a great resource to follow.

Creating a site to site VPN connection involves setting up a connection between your local network and Azure, and it's essential to configure it with all the client's requirements in mind.

A connection status of "Unknown" indicates that there's an issue with the configuration, so double-check your setup and ensure everything is correct.

To troubleshoot, you can also create additional components, such as a connection, to help diagnose the problem.

The GitHub Flow and pipeline are crucial components of the EPAC solution. The starter kit contains a fully defined pipeline for Azure DevOps that implements GitHub flow.

The pipeline does not perform a build after a PR is created from the feature branch. This is intentional, as EPAC Production environment planning can be time-consuming and is often managed by a small team.

In a centralized single tenant scenario, three EPAC environments are defined: epac-dev, epac-test, and tenant. Each EPAC environment requires specific configuration.

The pipeline is designed to work with these EPAC environments, allowing for smooth development and testing of new policies, initiatives, and assignments. This setup enables teams to develop and test new policies in a controlled environment before deploying to production.

For your interest: Azure Tenancy