AZ-800 Administering Windows Server Hybrid Core Infrastructure Exam

Configure remote management for Windows Servers in a hybrid environment

Remote management is key when you run Windows Servers both on-premises and in Azure. Administrators use PowerShell remoting or Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to connect without visiting the data center. Ensuring secure connectivity between environments helps keep systems safe and compliant.

To start, you configure Windows Remote Management (WinRM) on each server. You must open specific ports (5985 for HTTP, 5986 for HTTPS) and adjust firewall rules or network security groups. Proper network setup prevents unauthorized access and reduces the attack surface.

Many organizations use Azure Arc-enabled servers to centralize management. By registering on-premises servers with Azure Arc, you can apply Azure policies, monitor health, and deploy updates from a single pane of glass. This unified approach saves time and ensures consistency across environments.

Authentication and authorization are critical for remote tasks. You can choose certificate-based authentication or Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) authentication for WinRM. Role-based access control (RBAC) in Azure further restricts who can perform remote commands, following the principle of least privilege.

Finally, tracking remote sessions and auditing changes helps maintain security and compliance. You can forward logs to Azure Monitor or a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solution. Regular audits ensure you catch any misconfigurations or suspicious activities early.

Manage Windows Servers and workloads by using Azure services

Azure offers several services to keep your Windows Servers and workloads healthy and protected. Azure Monitor, Azure Backup, and Update Management are popular options for hybrid environments. Automating routine tasks frees administrators to focus on more strategic work.

With Azure Monitor, you collect metrics and logs from both on-premises and Azure servers. You can set up:

• Alerts to notify you when performance thresholds are crossed
• Dashboards to visualize server health and resource usage
• Log queries to troubleshoot issues quickly
  Understanding trends helps prevent problems before they impact users.

Azure Update Management lets you schedule patch deployments across all your servers. It supports Windows and Linux systems, so you maintain a consistent patch level. You can define maintenance windows and view compliance reports to verify that updates are applied correctly.

Protecting data is vital, and Azure Backup provides automated, offsite backups for on-premises and Azure workloads. It uses the Recovery Services vault to store backups securely and supports full or incremental backup modes. Regular backup tests ensure you can recover quickly from failures.

For disaster recovery, Azure Site Recovery replicates on-premises servers to Azure. It orchestrates failover and failback, enabling near-zero downtime during outages. Testing failover plans in Azure ensures business continuity with minimal disruption.

Conclusion

In this section, you learned how to configure remote management for Windows Servers in a hybrid setup by using WinRM, Azure Arc, and secure authentication methods. You also saw how to manage servers and workloads with Azure services like Azure Monitor, Update Management, Backup, and Site Recovery. Together, these practices ensure secure connectivity, automate routine tasks, and protect your data across both on-premises and cloud environments.