Managing Virtual Machines Windows Azure monitors the health of the hardware and network that the virtual machine instance is running on. It will automatically move the VHD when there is a failure. Windows Azure does not force operating system updates to running virtual machine instances. After the Windows Azure Virtual Machine instances are deployed, you are responsible for patching, configuring and maintaining the operating system and other software within your virtual machine instance. Because a Windows virtual machine instance is a Hyper-V image, you can use the same processes and tools to manage the virtual machine as you would on-premise. You are in complete control of the monitoring and patching process and are able to use familiar tools like Microsoft System Center and Windows Update to keep the operating system and other software running properly. It is recommended that you use published best practices information when determining the approach to take for managing the Windows Azure Virtual Machines. The virtual machines containing the Microsoft Dynamics GP components should be set up to have updates applied during pre-determined maintenance windows to avoid service interruptions for users. By default the virtual machine instances created from the Windows Azure Platform Image Gallery are configured with Windows Update set to automatically install important Windows updates during a maintenance window configured for 3:00 AM on the virtual machine’s clock. It is recommended you evaluate this setting to verify that it fits into your desired maintenance process and adjust accordingly. You may also want to change the virtual machine instance size as usage patterns change. Follow these steps to change the size of a virtual machine instance. In the Windows Azure Management Portal, select the virtual machine, and then click the CONFIGURE tab. Select the desired size from the Virtual Machine Size drop-down. On the bottom of the screen, click Save. Changing the size of a virtual machine will result in a re-deployment of the virtual machine. You will want to perform this procedure when no users are logged in and using Microsoft Dynamics GP or other software on the virtual machine. Updating Microsoft Dynamics GP Updating Microsoft Dynamics GP on Windows Azure uses the same process as on-premise deployments. The Microsoft Dynamics GP product documentation and download site provides step-by-step instructions for performing the update. The following is a high-level checklist of the update process for Microsoft Dynamics GP. Review the latest upgrade documentation and plan your upgrade. Download the update from PartnerSource or CustomerSource.
Managing Virtual Machines Windows Azure monitors the health of the hardware and network that the virtual machine instance is running on. It will automatically move the VHD when there is a failure. Windows Azure does not force operating system updates to running virtual machine instances. After the Windows Azure Virtual Machine instances are deployed, you are responsible for patching, configuring and maintaining the operating system and other software within your virtual machine instance. Because a Windows virtual machine instance is a Hyper-V image, you can use the same processes and tools to manage the virtual machine as you would on-premise. You are in complete control of the monitoring and patching process and are able to use familiar tools like Microsoft System Center and Windows Update to keep the operating system and other software running properly. It is recommended that you use published best practices information when determining the approach to take for managing the Windows Azure Virtual Machines. The virtual machines containing the Microsoft Dynamics GP components should be set up to have updates applied during pre-determined maintenance windows to avoid service interruptions for users. By default the virtual machine instances created from the Windows Azure Platform Image Gallery are configured with Windows Update set to automatically install important Windows updates during a maintenance window configured for 3:00 AM on the virtual machine’s clock. It is recommended you evaluate this setting to verify that it fits into your desired maintenance process and adjust accordingly. You may also want to change the virtual machine instance size as usage patterns change. Follow these steps to change the size of a virtual machine instance. In the Windows Azure Management Portal, select the virtual machine, and then click the CONFIGURE tab. Select the desired size from the Virtual Machine Size drop-down. On the bottom of the screen, click Save. Changing the size of a virtual machine will result in a re-deployment of the virtual machine. You will want to perform this procedure when no users are logged in and using Microsoft Dynamics GP or other software on the virtual machine. Updating Microsoft Dynamics GP Updating Microsoft Dynamics GP on Windows Azure uses the same process as on-premise deployments. The Microsoft Dynamics GP product documentation and download site provides step-by-step instructions for performing the update. The following is a high-level checklist of the update process for Microsoft Dynamics GP. Review the latest upgrade documentation and plan your upgrade. Download the update from PartnerSource or CustomerSource.
MicrosoftDynamicsGP2013onWindowsAzure.docx