Azure Machine Configuration provides a built-in way to evaluate and enforce operating system settings by using code-based definitions. The definitions are created using PowerShell Desired State Configuration (DSC) and delivered to Azure virtual machines through the Machine Configuration extension. Both Windows and Linux operating systems are supported. It supports both native Azure virtual machines and Azure Arc–enabled servers, extending governance beyond Azure resources into the guest OS itself.
Azure Machine Configuration integrates with Azure Policy to provide continuous assessment and enforcement of the desired state. This allows administrators to define policies that ensure virtual machines remain compliant with organizational standards and automatically remediate any deviations from the defined configurations. Azure Policy includes built-in guest configurations for common scenarios, and it also allows for the creation of custom configurations to meet specific requirements.
In this hands-on lab, you will walk through onboarding a VM for configuration management with Azure Machine Configuration and apply a custom DSC configuration to install and configure a web server.
Upon completion of this beginner-level lab, you will be able to:
Familiarity with the following will be beneficial but is not required:
The following labs can be used to fulfill the prerequisites:
December, 16th, 2025 - Updated lab to use Azure Machine Configuration which replaces Azure Automation State Configuration