Configure automatic updates for SQL Server instances enabled for Azure Arc

Applies to: SQL Server

You can configure automatic updates for SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc.

Automatic updates:

• Establishes a maintenance window for an Arc-enabled SQL Server instance

• Works at the host operating system level and applies to all installed SQL Server instances

• Only installs automated updates during this maintenance window

  For SQL Server, this restriction ensures that system updates and any associated restarts occur at the best possible time for the SQL Server instances and their hosted databases.

• Currently only works on Windows hosts

  It configures Windows Update/Microsoft Update which is the service that ultimately updates the service.

• Applies Windows and SQL Server updates marked as Important or Critical

Important

Only Windows and SQL Server updates marked as Important or Critical are installed. Other SQL Server updates, such as service packs and cumulative updates that are not marked as Important or Critical, must be installed manually.

Settings

To configure automatic updates, use:

• Azure portal
• ARM AP
• Azure Policy

The following table describes the options that you may configure for automatic updates.

Setting	Possible values	Description
Automatic updates	Enable | Disable	Enables or disables automatic updates.
Maintenance schedule	Daily | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday	The weekly schedule for downloading and installing Windows, SQL Server, and Microsoft updates.
Maintenance start hour	0:00-23:00	The local start time to apply updates.

Configure in the Azure portal

Use the Azure portal to configure automatic updates for existing Arc-enabled SQL Server instances.

1. In the portal, locate the Server - Azure Arc.
2. Under Operations, select SQL Server Configuration.
3. Under Update, you can enable or disable automatic updates and set a maintenance schedule.

When you enable or configure automatic updates, Azure configures the Azure Extension for SQL Server in the background.

Note

Automatic updates only applies to servers covered with Software Assurance or pay-as-you-go license type. If the server license type is license only, the option to automate updates is disabled.

To change the license type to license only, follow these steps:

1. Unsubscribe from automatic updates and ESU if it is enabled.
2. Save the change.
3. Wait approximately 5 minutes for the saved change to complete.
4. Set the new license type.

Next steps

Manage SQL Server license and billing options