An updated overview?

There are, however, other options and direct alternatives to WSUS – and they are easy to access, says Jesper Graff Ebbesen, Senior Cloud Architect at Danoffice IT.
"The recommendation, both from Microsoft and from us, is to switch to update tools such as Windows Autopatch and Intune for client update management. And for managing server updates, Azure Update Manager is recommended," he explains and continues:
"The key here is Azure Update Manager because it simply offers more than WSUS. The core of it all is visibility, monitoring, and management. It’s about gaining insight. And about having an overview over your updates. There are several parameters where it is better than WSUS. It comes with visibility, monitoring, and flexible patching options. And you get many opportunities to set up efficient automation."

Get an Overview of Updates

We don’t need to say it out loud: A secure IT environment requires having a clear overview of your updates at all times. "We continue to see that people don’t have a good overview of their server updates, and with WSUS, you're limited in your options – at least with a present and future-oriented perspective. That’s why it makes sense to switch to Azure Update Manager, where you have a tool that is up-to-date and future-proof. The monitoring that comes with it is a huge advantage, as it provides completely new insights for the customer," says Jesper Graff Ebbesen.

"Update practices vary widely. We often see that it’s done sporadically. Unfortunately, many don’t have the proper overview, and it can be an eye-opener for them to see the possibilities that actually exist with the Update Manager, as there is a high degree of automation, which means they can avoid manual processes," he adds.

A New Link

Azure Update Manager uses an agent, Azure Arc, which is installed on the servers that the company wants to include in Azure. From Microsoft's side, it is meant to act as a link. But according to Jesper, there is an important point of attention here. "If you have deployed Azure Arc in your environment, you actually already have Azure Update Manager available, but it needs to be set up correctly," emphasizes Jesper Graff Ebbesen.

"Azure Arc is a platform that allows you to manage, secure, and control resources across on-premises environments, edge, and multiple cloud environments by extending Azure services. However, many are not fully aware of what the Azure Arc agent has access to. Therefore, it’s important to decide what Arc should be used for and configure it for that purpose. If you don’t do that, Azure may be able to perform elevated actions against the local OS. In other words, there could be gaps if you have deployed Azure Arc at some point, and you need to get control over that – our specialists can help with that."

Proactive Security

The automated processes that are part of Azure Update Manager create new efficiency within the company. "We know of companies that update all their servers at once, once a month, outside of working hours. Not particularly efficient. So, if your WSUS or update process is manual, then Update Manager is an obvious solution," explains Jesper.

"This product has so many benefits, and the common denominator is being proactive and efficient. In Update Manager, we push updates virtually hour by hour. All updates that do not require a reboot of the customer's system – and which the customer doesn't have to handle manually," he adds. However, since no two starting points are the same, he emphasizes that there are many customization options. "We can set up a wide range of dynamic rules for both manual and automatic updates. And because Azure Update Manager provides both us and the customer with a much better overview of errors and missing updates, this solution puts you in a very strong position," concludes Jesper Graff Ebbesen, Senior Cloud Architect at Danoffice IT.