Solution Builder Extension updates for your Azure Local

Applies to: Azure Local, version 23H2

This article provides an overview of the Solution Builder Extension updates and explains how to identify and install them on your Azure Local, version 23H2 systems. Additionally, it offers insights into the extension’s advanced capabilities.

About the extension

The Solution Builder Extension (referred to as SBE in the Azure CLI) allows you to apply updates from your hardware vendor to your Azure Local, version 23H2 system. In addition to Microsoft Azure Local solution updates, many hardware vendors release regular updates for your Azure Local hardware. These updates may include driver and firmware updates, hardware monitoring enhancements, and diagnostic tools. Additionally, you can receive updates related to supplemental policies for Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) and validation logic integrated into Azure Local pre-update health checks.

Starting with Azure Local, version 23H2, these types of updates are packaged into Solution Builder Extension or Solution Builder Extension packages.

Solution Builder Extension package updates

Solution Builder Extension package updates are integrated into the solution update process for Azure Local, version 23H2. You can install these updates as part of a combined (full solution) update with other Azure Local updates using orchestration within Azure Local. For example, if a Solution Builder Extension update that matches your system's hardware becomes available, it appears as an update option in the Azure portal or can be retrieved using the Get-SolutionUpdate PowerShell cmdlet. For more information, see About updates for Azure Local, version 23H2.

By installing such combined updates, you can keep your entire solution up to date with less impact and minimal effect on running workloads.

Advanced Solution Builder Extension capabilities

In addition to installing hardware updates, Solution Builder Extension may also provide optional advanced capabilities, as described in the following table. To determine if advanced Solution Builder Extension capabilities are implemented, refer to your hardware vendor’s Azure Local documentation.

Identify a Solution Builder Extension update for your hardware

Starting with Azure Local, version 23H2, any new Integrated Systems or Premier Solution hardware added to the Azure Local catalog must implement a Solution Builder Extension that supports firmware and driver updates. Microsoft recommends purchasing newer Integrated Systems and Premier Solutions to fully utilize the update-at-scale capabilities enabled by the Solution Builder Extension.

If your hardware doesn't support a Solution Builder Extension update experience, the process for updating your hardware is like that of Azure Local, version 22H2. This means that your hardware updates may be available using Windows Admin Center. For more information, see Update Azure Local, version 22H2.

Here's an example of the Windows Admin Center updates tool for systems running Azure Local, version 23H2.

Your firmware and driver updates may need to be performed separately, if your hardware doesn't support hardware updates using Solution Builder Extension packages or Windows Admin Center. Follow the recommendations of your hardware vendor.

The following table provides the hardware update method for different hardware vendors along with their respective platform series and generations.

Discover Solution Builder Extension Updates

The Azure Local Lifecycle Management orchestration integrates Solution Builder Extension updates, which include both Solution Builder Extension (hardware-only) updates and full solution updates for Azure Local and Solution Builder Extension. These updates can be managed using the same update management tools for the Azure portal and PowerShell. This means that you can install an urgent Solution Builder Extension update by itself or a combined "Solution" update using the same process.

Check to see if you have SBE installed on your registered Azure Local system by running the following command:

$Update = Get-SolutionUpdateEnvironment
$Update | ft SbeFamily, HardwareModel, CurrentSbeVersion

Here's a sample output

PS C:\Users\lcmuser> $Update = Get-SolutionUpdateEnvironment
PS C:\Users\lcmuser> $Update | ft SbeFamily, HardwareModel, CurrentSbeVersion

SbeFamily             HardwareModel       CurrentSbeVersion
---------             -------------       -----------------
Gen A                 Contoso680          4.0.0.0

To discover and install SBE or your SBE updates, use one of the methods in the next sections.

Discover Solution Builder Extension updates via the Azure portal

To discover and select updates via the Azure portal, see Use Azure Update Manager to update your Azure Local, version 23H2.

Discover Solution Builder Extension updates via PowerShell

Before you can install your SBE updates, sign in to the client with the domain user credentials that you provided during the deployment of the system.

To understand if an update is a standalone Solution Builder Extension or combined "Solution" update, use the properties PackageType and SbeVersion.

$Update = Get-SolutionUpdate
$Update | ft DisplayName, PackageType, Version, SbeVersion, State

Here's a sample output:

PS C:\Users\lcmuser> $Update = Get-SolutionUpdate 
PS C:\Users\lcmuser> $Update | ft DisplayName, PackageType, Version, SbeVersion, State

DisplayName                      PackageType Version      SbeVersion     State
-----------                      ----------- -------      ----------     -----
SBE_Contoso_Gen3_4.1.2312.5      SBE                      4.1.2312.5     Ready
Azure Local 2311 bundle      Solution    10.2311.0.26 4.1.2312.5     Ready 

In the sample output, you can see that two updates are ready to be installed: the standalone SBE_Contoso_Gen3_4.1.2312.5 update and the combined Azure Local 2311 bundle update, which includes the same Solution Builder Extension as identified by the SbeVersion number 4.1.2312.5.

To determine which update to install, use the ComponentVersions and AdditionalProperties values from Get-SolutionUpdate.

$Update = Get-SolutionUpdate
$Update | select -ExpandProperty ComponentVersions

Here's a sample output:

PS C:\Users\lcmuser> $Update = Get-SolutionUpdate 
PS C:\Users\lcmuser> $Update | select -ExpandProperty ComponentVersions

PackageType Version      LastUpdated
----------- -------      -----------
Services    10.2311.0.26
Platform    10.2311.0.26
SBE         4.1.2312.5

$Update | Where-Object {$_.PackageType -eq "Solution" } | select -ExpandProperty AdditionalProperties

Here's a sample output:

PS C:\Users\lcmuser> $Update | Where-Object {$_.PackageType -eq "Solution" } | select -ExpandProperty AdditionalProperties

Key                Value
---                -----
SBEReleaseLink     https://contoso.com/SBE/4.1.2312.5/ReleaseNotes.pdf
SBENotifyMessage   URGENT! Includes firmware updates that impact system reliability. See release notes!
SBEFamily          Gen3
SBEPublisher       Contoso
SupportedModels    Contoso550G3,Contoso320G3
SBEPackageSizeInMb 4
SBECopyright       Copyright (C) Contoso. All rights reserved.
SBELicenseUri      https://contoso.com/SBE/EULA.pdf 

As provided in the example, SBEReleaseLink and SBENotifyMessage may contain important information about the urgency of installing the Solution Builder Extension update, as opposed to deferring the update for a later update maintenance window.

The AdditionalContentRequired update state

While Azure Local can automatically discover Solution Builder Extension updates, in many cases, Solution Builder Extension packages must be downloaded from the hardware vendor’s support site and then imported into the system.

The AdditionalContentRequired state is used to identify files that must be imported before the update can be installed.

$Update = Get-SolutionUpdate 
$Update | ft DisplayName, PackageType, Version, SbeVersion, State

Here's a sample output:

PS C:\Users\lcmuser> $Update = Get-SolutionUpdate 
PS C:\Users\lcmuser> $Update | ft DisplayName, PackageType, Version, SbeVersion, State

DisplayName                      PackageType Version      SbeVersion     State
-----------                      ----------- -------      ----------     -----
SBE_Contoso_Gen3_4.1.2312.5      SBE                      4.1.2312.5     AdditionalContentRequired
Azure Local 2311 bundle          Solution    10.2311.0.26 4.1.2312.5     AdditionalContentRequired

To view information on the Solution Builder Extension update such as its release notes (via the SBEReleaseLink) and determine how to download the Solution Builder Extension files from your hardware vendor, use the updates AdditionalProperties property of the updates.

For more information, see Discover Solution Builder Extension updates. You should download the Solution Builder Extension files following the hardware vendor's recommendations and license agreements.

Next steps

• Import and discover solution updates.
• Understand update phases of Azure Local, version 23H2.