Azure Arc Management Tools

Azure Arc Management Tools

Managing Azure Arc-enabled servers at scale requires efficient tooling. The native azcmagent.exe utility provides local agent management capabilities, but its command syntax and output formats can be cumbersome for daily operations. These free PowerShell modules simplify Arc agent management with consistent command structures and improved user experience.

This guide covers two production-ready PowerShell modules built for enterprise Arc operations:

• AzureArcConnectedAgentManagement - 15 commands for local agent operations (7,000+ downloads)
• AzureArcReOnboardingAssistant - Configuration backup and restoration for re-onboarding scenarios

AzureArcConnectedAgentManagement Module

Built on top of the azcmagent.exe utility, this module wraps native commands with PowerShell-friendly interfaces. Instead of memorizing complex command syntax like azcmagent show --output json --verbose, you use intuitive commands like Get-AzureArcNodeAgentInformation.

Installation

Install-Module -Name AzureArcConnectedAgentManagement

Get-Command -Module AzureArcConnectedAgentManagement

Available Commands

The module provides 15 commands organized by function:

Agent Information & Status

Get-AzureArcNodeAgentInformation

Retrieve agent details with JSON or RAW output

Get-AzureArcNodeAgentInformation -OutPutType JSON
Get-AzureArcNodeAgentInformation -OutPutType RAW

Get-AzureArcNodeServiceStatus

Check Azure Hybrid Instance Metadata Service status

Get-AzureArcNodeServiceStatus

Test-AzureArcNodeConnection

Verify current agent connection status

Test-AzureArcNodeConnection

Configuration Management

Get-AzureArcNodeConfiguration

Read agent configuration settings

Get-AzureArcNodeConfiguration -ConfigurationName extensions.allowlist -OutPutType JSON
Get-AzureArcNodeConfiguration -ConfigurationName extensions.allowlist -OutPutType RAW

Set-AzureArcNodeConfiguration

Configure agent settings like proxy configuration

Set-AzureArcNodeConfiguration -ConfigurationName proxy.url -ConfigurationValue "http://myproxy:443" -OutPutType JSON

Clear-AzureArcNodeConfiguration

Remove configuration settings

Clear-AzureArcNodeConfiguration -ConfigurationName proxy.bypass -OutPutType JSON

Configuration File Access

Get-AzureArcNodeAgentConfigurationFileContent

Read agent configuration from C:\ProgramData\AzureConnectedMachineAgent\Config\agentconfig.json

Get-AzureArcNodeAgentLocalConfigurationFileContent

Read local configuration from C:\ProgramData\AzureConnectedMachineAgent\Config\localconfig.json

Extension Management

Get-AzureArcNodeAgentInstalledExtensions

List installed extensions from C:\ProgramData\GuestConfig\extension_logs

Get-AzureArcNodeAgentInstalledExtensions | Format-Table -AutoSize -Property ExtensionName, ExtensionState, ExtensionVersion

Connection Operations

Connect-AzureArcNode

Connect machine to Azure Arc with three authentication methods:

• Access Token
• Service Principal
• Device Login

Disconnect-AzureArcNode

Disconnect node from Azure Arc service

Network & Troubleshooting

Test-AzureArcNodeNetworkConnectivity

Verify network connectivity requirements

Test-AzureArcNodeNetworkConnectivity -OutPutType JSON -Location "West Europe"

Save-AzureArcNodeLogs

Export agent logs to desktop for troubleshooting

Service Management

Restart-AzureArcNodeService

Restart Azure Hybrid Instance Metadata Service

Install-AzureArcAgent

Download and install Azure Arc Connected Agent

AzureArcReOnboardingAssistant Module

When Arc extensions become stuck in permanent "Installing" or "Updating" states and normal removal operations fail, re-onboarding becomes necessary. This module automates configuration backup and restoration, preserving tags, data collection rule associations, and endpoint configurations across the re-onboarding process.

The Problem It Solves

Arc agent re-onboarding typically results in loss of:

• Resource tags (including maintenance window schedules)
• Data Collection Rule associations
• Data Collection Endpoint associations
• Agent configuration settings

Manual restoration of these configurations across multiple servers is error-prone and time-consuming.

How It Works

The assistant creates two backup files during operation:

Master Backup File: [SubscriptionId]_[ServerName]_info_master.json

• Created once during first run
• Original untouched backup of server configuration
• Used to revert to initial saved state

Current Backup File: [SubscriptionId]_[ServerName]_info.json

• Created or overwritten each run
• Most recent configuration backup
• Used for tracking changes over time

Restoration Scope

The module restores:

• Tags
• Data Collection Rule Associations
• Data Collection Endpoint Associations
• Notes AgentConfigurationConfigMode setting

Installation

Install-Module -Name AzureArcReOnboardingAssistant

Usage Examples

Full Offboarding and Re-onboarding Process:

Invoke-AzureArcNodeOffboarding -ServerName SERVER1 -ResourceGroupName "MYARCSERVERS" -SubscriptionId "XXXXXXXXX" -OutputLocation "C:\AzureArcServerBackups"

Restore-Only Operation Using Specific Backup:

Invoke-AzureArcNodeOffboarding -ServerName SERVER1 -ResourceGroupName "MYARCSERVERS" -SubscriptionId "XXXXX" -RestoreOnly -RestoreFile "C:\AzureArcServerBackups\XXXXXXXX_SERVER1_info_master.json" -OutputLocation "C:\AzureArcServerBackups"

Additional Resources

These tools complement a comprehensive Arc management strategy:

• Azure Arc for Servers Implementation Guide - Architecture planning and deployment strategies
• Azure Arc Data Sources Reference - Understanding Arc data across Resource Graph, Log Analytics, and Defender XDR
• Azure Arc Solutions Catalog - Done-for-you automation solutions for Arc management

For advanced Arc automation including tag compliance monitoring, MDE integration, and service principal expiry tracking, explore our Azure Arc solutions catalog.