How to Use Windows Admin Center with Azure Integration

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If you see an error message indicating an authorization issue in Windows Admin Center within the Azure portal, it usually means that your signed-in account doesn’t have the proper permissions, not that there’s a problem with installation or connectivity.

Here’s what you can do to fix the issue when managing Azure Local clusters through Windows Admin Center:

First, make sure your Azure Local cluster is correctly connected to Azure using Azure Arc. Also, verify that it’s running a supported Arc agent version, which should be 1.13.21320.014 or newer. Avoid using broken versions like 1.35 or 1.36, as they may cause issues.

Next, check if the Windows Admin Center extension is installed correctly on all the nodes in your Azure Local cluster. You can do this by going to the cluster settings, then selecting Windows Admin Center, and choosing the install option. Ensuring the extension is installed from the cluster blade helps prevent conflicts that can happen if it’s installed per node separately.

It’s also important to confirm that your Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) account has enough permissions. You’ll need the right role assignments on the Azure Local cluster, and if certain actions require local admin rights, make sure you have those on each node.

Be aware that Windows Admin Center doesn’t support guest accounts for Microsoft Entra ID tenants. If your account is a guest user, you won’t be able to connect to Azure or use Azure services through Windows Admin Center.

If you’ve recently changed permissions or roles, wait a few minutes before trying again. Sometimes it takes a little time for these changes to take effect, and refreshing the page can resolve the “not authorized” message.

If everything seems correct but the message persists, gather logs to troubleshoot further. You can find extension logs in the Azure portal under your cluster settings (Extensions → AdminCenter → View Detailed Status). For logs from each node, run the command azcmagent logs. If you’re still unable to resolve the issue, opening a support request with these logs will help the technical team assist you better.

Following these steps should help you resolve authorization issues and regain control of your Azure Local clusters through Windows Admin Center.