azure-automation

# Azure Automation Skill

This skill provides expert guidance for Azure Automation. Covers troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, limits & quotas, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. It combines local quick-reference content with remote documentation fetching capabilities.

## How to Use This Skill

> **IMPORTANT for Agent**: Use the **Category Index** below to locate relevant sections. For categories with line ranges (e.g., `L35-L120`), use `read_file` with the specified lines. For categories with file links (e.g., `[security.md](security.md)`), use `read_file` on the linked reference file

> **IMPORTANT for Agent**: If `metadata.generated_at` is more than 3 months old, suggest the user pull the latest version from the repository. If `mcp_microsoftdocs` tools are not available, suggest the user install it: [Installation Guide](https://github.com/MicrosoftDocs/mcp/blob/main/README.md)

This skill requires **network access** to fetch documentation content:
- **Preferred**: Use `mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch` with query string `from=learn-agent-skill`. Returns Markdown.
- **Fallback**: Use `fetch_webpage` with query string `from=learn-agent-skill&accept=text/markdown`. Returns Markdown.

## Category Index

| Category | Lines | Description |
|----------|-------|-------------|
| Troubleshooting | L36-L45 | Diagnosing and fixing Azure Automation issues: runbook failures, DSC/State Configuration, Hybrid Runbook Workers, managed identities, shared resources, and collecting logs for support. |
| Best Practices | L46-L55 | Best practices for structuring and running Automation runbooks: modular parent-child design, execution patterns, error handling, stream/output usage, and avoiding context/locking issues. |
| Decision Making | L56-L63 | Guidance on choosing runbook types and planning migrations: Orchestrator to Automation, Log Analytics to AMA, agent to extension workers, and Run As accounts to managed identities. |
| Limits & Quotas | L64-L71 | Limits, quotas, and version details for Azure Automation: DSC extension history, Automation account capacity, job/runbook limits, and Change Tracking/Inventory support matrix with AMA. |
| Security | L72-L92 | Securing Automation accounts: identities (system/user-assigned), Entra auth, RBAC, encryption, credentials/certs, private endpoints, policies, and security best practices. |
| Configuration | L93-L134 | Configuring Azure Automation runbooks, DSC/State Configuration, Hybrid Runbook Workers, schedules, modules/packages, alerts, policies, and integrations (VS Code, source control, ARM, Azure Monitor). |
| Integrations & Coding Patterns | L135-L147 | Patterns for integrating runbooks with AWS, ARM/SQL/Office 365, webhooks, email (SendGrid), Azure Monitor logging, and using the graphical runbook SDK with managed identities |
| Deployment | L148-L152 | Guides for deploying Automation resources: setting up DSC continuous deployment with Chocolatey and installing/configuring Windows and Linux Hybrid Runbook Worker agents (agent- and extension-based). |

### Troubleshooting
| Topic | URL |
|-------|-----|
| Collect diagnostic data for Azure Automation support cases | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automation/troubleshoot/collect-data-microsoft-azure-automation-case |
| Troubleshoot Azure Automation State Configuration problems | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automation/troubleshoot/desired-state-configuration |
| Troubleshoot extension-based Hybrid Runbook Worker failures | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automation/troubleshoot/extension-based-hybrid-runbook-worker |
| Troubleshoot managed identity issues in Azure Automation | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automation/troubleshoot/managed-identity |
| Diagnose and fix Azure Automation runbook issues | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automation/troubleshoot/runbooks |
| Troubleshoot Azure Automation shared resource problems | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automation/troubleshoot/shared-resources |

### Best Practices
| Topic | URL |
|-------|-----|
| Design modular parent-child runbooks in Azure Automation | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automation/automation-child-runbooks |
| Design and manage Azure Automation runbook execution | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automation/automation-runbook-execution |
| Implement error handling in Azure Automation graphical runbooks | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automation/automation-runbook-graphical-error-handling |
| Configure output and message streams in Automation runbooks | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automation/automation-runbook-output-and-messages |
| Avoid context switching issues in Azure Automation runbooks | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automation/context-switching |
| Manage Azure Automation runbooks with recommended design patterns | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automation/manage-runbooks |

### Decision Making
| Topic | URL |
|-------|-----|
| Migrate System Center Orchestrator runbooks to Azure Automation | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automation/automation-orchestrator-migration |
| Choose appropriate Azure Automation runbook type | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automation/automation-runbook-types |
| Migrate Change Tracking from Log Analytics agent to AMA | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automation/change-tracking/guidance-migration-log-analytics-monitoring-agent |
| Plan and execute migration from Run As to managed identities | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automation/migrate-run-as-accounts-managed-identity |

### Limits & Quotas
| Topic | URL |
|-------|-----|
| Reference Azure DSC extension version history details | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automation/automation-dsc-extension-history |
| View and manage Azure Automation limits and quotas | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automation/automation-limits-quotas |
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