Windows Azure Configuration Manager: A Comprehensive Guide

The Windows Azure Configuration Manager is a powerful tool that helps you manage and configure your Azure resources with ease. It provides a centralized platform to manage your Azure subscriptions, resources, and services from a single location.

With the Configuration Manager, you can easily onboard new resources, manage tags, and monitor usage across your organization. This makes it an essential tool for anyone managing multiple Azure resources.

The Configuration Manager is designed to simplify the process of managing Azure resources, reducing the complexity and overhead of manual configuration. By automating many of the tasks, you can focus on more strategic activities.

To create a Windows Azure Configuration Manager lab, you'll need an active subscription that can create specific virtual machines. This includes two Standard_B2s virtual machines for a Domain Controller, Management Point, and distribution point combined together on one server.

You'll also need one Standard_B2ms virtual machine for a primary site server and SQL Server database server. Optionally, if you're creating a hierarchy, you'll need another Standard_B2ms virtual machine for a Central Administration Site.

To give you a better idea of the costs involved, you can use the Azure pricing calculator. This will help you determine potential costs based on your specific configuration.

Here's a summary of the virtual machines you'll need:

Note that the number of virtual machines for client devices can vary depending on your specific needs.

The Configuration process in Windows Azure Configuration Manager is a crucial step to connect your apps. You'll specify the web and native apps on the Apps page.

The Azure Services Wizard will then take you to either a Configuration or Discovery page, depending on the service you're connecting. For example, if you're connecting to the Cloud Management service, you'll go to the Discovery page to configure Microsoft Entra user Discovery.

To complete the configuration, you'll go through the Summary, Progress, and Completion pages. This will finalize the configuration of an Azure service in Configuration Manager.

Note: Starting in version 2006, the Configuration Manager console displays notifications for specific circumstances, including when you complete the configuration of an Azure service.

With Microsoft SCCM, you get a tool to help manage computers and servers.

It can install software and updates, making it easier to keep your devices running smoothly.

Security and compliance are also within reach, thanks to its features.

SCCM can help you stay on top of security and compliance, giving you peace of mind.

Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager is a powerful tool that can handle a lot of tasks, making it a great asset for any company.

To create a Configuration Manager lab in Azure, you'll need to have an active subscription. This will create the necessary virtual machines, including two Standard_B2s for a Domain Controller, Management Point, and distribution point combined on one server, and one Standard_B2ms for a primary site server and SQL Server database server.

The script will run on the Configuration Manager server, which will be created with the name MBps01. This server will initially be workgroup joined and will install SQL Server, ADK, Configuration Manager setup, and all required components.

You'll need to have an Azure subscription to create the necessary objects, including two Standard_B2s virtual machines for a domain controller, management point, and distribution point, and one Standard_B2ms virtual machine for the primary site server and SQL Server database server.

To help determine potential costs, use the Azure pricing calculator. This will give you an estimate of the costs associated with creating and running your Configuration Manager lab in Azure.

If you choose to create a hierarchy, you'll need to create an additional Standard_B2ms virtual machine for the central administration site. This will allow you to create a more complex configuration for your Configuration Manager lab.

Here's a list of the virtual machines you'll need to create:

To configure the Log Analytics Connector, you'll need to give your newly registered web app contributor permission on the resource group that contains the relevant workspace. This permission allows Configuration Manager to access that workspace.

DC01 is a key part of our configuration. It's an Active Directory domain controller.

This server is running on a Standard_B2s virtual machine, which offers a decent balance of processing power and memory. Two processors and 4 GB of memory should be sufficient for our needs.

The operating system of choice is Windows Server 2022 Datacenter edition, a reliable and secure option for a domain controller.

The DPMP01 configuration is a great starting point for many systems. It's based on the Standard_B2s template, which comes with two processors and 4 GB of memory.

This template is a good balance of performance and cost. The Standard_B2s is a popular choice among IT professionals.

The DPMP01 configuration also includes the Windows Server 2019 Datacenter edition. This operating system is designed for businesses that need a reliable and secure server environment.

Windows Server 2019 Datacenter edition offers advanced features and tools for managing and maintaining servers. It's a great choice for organizations with complex IT infrastructure.

A DPMP01 configuration typically includes a distribution point and a management point. The distribution point is responsible for distributing software and updates to clients, while the management point handles the overall management of the system.

Here are the key components of a DPMP01 configuration:

You can configure multiple service instances for each service, but each instance must be a distinct Microsoft Entra tenant.

The number of tenants supported by each service varies, with some services supporting multiple tenants and others supporting only one.

Some services support private clouds, such as the Azure US Government cloud, while others only support the global Azure cloud.

Web apps and native apps are used by some services, but not all, and the type of app used by a service determines the actions you can take with it.

Here's a table summarizing the service details:

The services use different types of apps, and some services require specific permissions to Azure resources.

To create a server application in Configuration Manager, you'll need to fill out the Create Server Application dialog. This dialog automates the creation of a web app in Microsoft Entra ID.

Specify the Application Name, a friendly name for the app. The HomePage URL isn't used by Configuration Manager, but is required by Microsoft Entra ID, and defaults to https://ConfigMgrService.

The App ID URI needs to be unique in your Microsoft Entra tenant and is used in the access token to request access to the service. By default, this value is also https://ConfigMgrService, but you should change it to one of the recommended formats: 10617402.

You can choose the Secret Key validity period from a drop-down list, either 1 year or 2 years, with 1 year being the default value. Note that Microsoft Entra no longer supports the option for Never, so if you previously selected it, the expiration date is now set for 99 years from the date you created it.

To authenticate to Azure, select Sign in with your administrative user credentials. These credentials aren't saved by Configuration Manager, and don't need to be the same account that runs the Azure Services Wizard.

After successfully authenticating, the page shows the Microsoft Entra tenant Name for reference. Select OK to create the web app in Microsoft Entra ID and close the Create Server Application dialog.

If you have a Microsoft Entra Conditional Access policy defined and applies to All Cloud apps, you must exclude the created Server Application from this policy.

A Native Client App is a type of app that's classified as Microsoft Entra ID type Native in Configuration Manager. This is also referred to as a client app.

This type of app is used for authentication and authorization purposes, and it's a crucial component in the Configuration Manager setup. It's designed to handle user identity and access control.

Native Client Apps are typically used for on-premises deployments, where users need to authenticate and access resources within the organization's network. They're also used for hybrid deployments, where users need to access both on-premises and cloud-based resources.

In Configuration Manager, Native Client Apps are managed through the console, where administrators can configure and deploy them to users and devices. This allows for centralized management and control over user identities and access rights.

Settings play a crucial role in Configuration Manager, allowing you to control various aspects of device management. Client settings control hardware inventory frequency, software metering, and power management policies.

To manage client settings, you can specify how often hardware inventory is taken, which can help you keep track of device updates and changes. You can also enable software metering to monitor software usage on your devices.

Remote control functionality is another important setting that allows administrators to troubleshoot client devices directly from the SCCM console. This feature streamlines support processes and reduces downtime.

The Configuration Manager console displays notifications for certain circumstances, starting in version 2006. These notifications can alert you to potential issues, such as expired or soon-to-expire Microsoft Entra app secret keys.

To renew a secret key, you need to have at least the "Cloud Application Administrator" Microsoft Entra role assigned. You can then renew the key before it expires to prevent connected Azure services from stopping working.

Here's a summary of the supported client platforms: