/azure-automation

name: azure-automation
description: Expert knowledge for Azure Automation development including troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, limits & quotas, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. Use when building runbooks, DSC/Hybrid Workers, Entra/RBAC auth, webhooks/email integrations, or AMA-based tracking, and other Azure Automation related development tasks. Not for Azure Functions (use azure-functions), Azure Logic Apps (use azure-logic-apps), Azure DevOps (use azure-devops), Azure Resource Manager (use azure-resource-manager).
compatibility: Requires network access. Uses mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch or fetch_webpage to retrieve documentation.
metadata:
  generated_at: "2026-08-09"
  generator: "docs2skills/1.0.0"

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-L46 | 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 | L47-L56 | 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 | L57-L65 | 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 | L66-L73 | 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 | L74-L94 | Securing Automation accounts: identities (system/user-assigned), Entra auth, RBAC, encryption, credentials/certs, private endpoints, policies, and security best practices. | | Configuration | L95-L136 | 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 | L137-L149 | 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 | L150-L156 | 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 agent-based Hybrid Runbook Worker issues | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automation/troubleshoot/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