Automate Agent Deployment
Implementation Effort: Medium – Requires scripting, onboarding package management, and integration with deployment tools like Azure Arc, Microsoft Intune, or custom automation.
User Impact: Low – Deployment is handled by IT and security teams; end users are not directly affected.
Overview
Automating agent deployment in Microsoft Defender for Servers ensures consistent protection across hybrid and multicloud environments. Defender for Servers relies on the Microsoft Defender for Endpoint agent and the Azure Monitor Agent (AMA) to collect telemetry and enforce security policies. Automation reduces manual errors, speeds up onboarding, and ensures that all machines are protected from the moment they are provisioned.
For Linux servers, Microsoft provides an installer script that detects the OS distribution, configures the appropriate repository, installs the latest agent version, and onboards the device using a downloaded onboarding package. This script can be executed manually or integrated into configuration management tools like Ansible, Chef, or Puppet 1.
For Windows and hybrid environments, automation can be achieved using Group Policy, Microsoft Intune, or Azure Arc. These tools allow centralized deployment and policy enforcement, ensuring that agents are installed and configured as part of the server provisioning process 2.
This capability supports the "Verify Explicitly" principle of Zero Trust by ensuring that all machines are onboarded and monitored from the start, reducing the risk of unmanaged or unmonitored assets.