Tutorial / Cram Notes
Unlocking a support session is an essential task when administering the Microsoft Azure Stack Hub. This procedure grants temporary permissions to Microsoft Support Engineers, allowing them to engage directly with your Azure Stack Hub instance to troubleshoot and resolve issues.
To initiate a support session on the Azure Stack Hub, you need to use the privileged endpoint (PEP). This secured, pre-configured remote PowerShell interface gives you access to internal Azure Stack Hub components for advanced operations.
Invoking a Support Session
Before attempting to unlock a support session, ensure you have sufficient administrator permissions. Then execute the following steps:
- Open a remote PowerShell session to the privileged endpoint from a system that has network connectivity to the Azure Stack Hub.
- To connect to the PEP, use the following command:
Enter-PSSession -ComputerName <PrivilegedEndpoint> -ConfigurationName PrivilegedEndpoint -Credential (Get-Credential)
Replace <PrivilegedEndpoint> with the IP address or DNS name of the privileged endpoint. - After connecting to the privileged endpoint, request a support session token from Microsoft Support. This token is unique and time-limited for security purposes.
- Once you have the token, you can initiate the support session by running:
Start-SupportSession -SessionToken “<Token>”
Replace <Token> with the actual support session token provided by Microsoft Support. - Now, the Microsoft Support Engineer has the permissions needed to troubleshoot the system. Throughout the support session, you can monitor actions taken by the support staff.
- When the support session ends or troubleshooting is complete, terminate the session to restore the original permissions. This step is critical for maintaining the security and integrity of your Azure Stack Hub deployment. To end the support session, use:
Stop-SupportSession
Considerations during a Support Session
- Security: Only unlock a support session with a valid token obtained from Microsoft Support and terminate the session once support activities conclude. This prevents unauthorized access or potential vulnerabilities.
- Monitoring: Although Microsoft Support will perform actions on your behalf, you should always monitor the activity for record-keeping and security purposes.
- Documentation: Keep track of the support session ID and any changes or recommendations provided by the Support Engineer, which will help in future troubleshooting and maintenance.
Support Session Limitations
The operations that Microsoft Support can perform during a support session are scoped to tasks required for addressing the specific support case. Some limitations to the support session capabilities include:
- Access Restriction: Support Engineers cannot interact with tenant resources; their actions are limited to the Azure Stack Hub administrative plane.
- Time-Bound: Support sessions are time-limited, often set to the duration agreed upon when the support token is issued.
- Scope of Work: The scope of work for which the support session is locked should be clear and agreed upon to avoid unexpected changes or actions.
Summary Table: Unlocking and Ending a Support Session
| Action | PowerShell Cmdlet | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Connect PEP | Enter-PSSession |
Establishes a connection to the Privileged Endpoint. |
| Start Session | Start-SupportSession |
Begins a support session using the provided session token. |
| Monitor Activity | Standard PS Session Tools | Enables monitoring of the Support Engineer’s actions. |
| End Session | Stop-SupportSession |
Ends the support session and revokes the temporary permissions. |
In conclusion, unlocking a support session is a straightforward but critical procedure in managing your Azure Stack Hub. By respecting the security and operational guidelines, you ensure that only authorized users can perform sensitive administrative tasks, thus maintaining the integrity and security of your hybrid cloud environment.
Practice Test with Explanation
T/F: Azure Stack Hub operators can unlock a support session directly from the Azure Stack Hub user portal.
- Answer: False
Explanation: The support session can be unlocked only from the administrator portal or through PowerShell, not through the Azure Stack Hub user portal.
T/F: The ‘New-AzsSupportSession’ PowerShell cmdlet can be used to unlock a support session in Azure Stack Hub.
- Answer: True
Explanation: The ‘New-AzsSupportSession’ PowerShell cmdlet is used to unlock a support session allowing operators to perform certain troubleshooting tasks.
Which of the following steps are necessary to unlock a support session? (Select all that apply)
- A) Log in to the Azure Stack Hub administrator portal
- B) Use the Azure portal to unlock the session
- C) Run the ‘New-AzsSupportSession’ PowerShell cmdlet
- D) Provide the unlocking key to Microsoft Support
Answer: A, C, D
Explanation: To unlock a support session, an Azure Stack Hub operator needs to log into the administrator portal or use PowerShell cmdlets and work with Microsoft Support to receive an unlocking key.
T/F: After unlocking the support session, Azure Stack Hub operators are allowed to make any changes to the system without restrictions.
- Answer: False
Explanation: Even after unlocking the support session, operators are limited to actions supported by Microsoft Support, and the environment should not be modified without guidance to prevent potential system issues.
T/F: An unlocked support session in Azure Stack Hub will automatically lock itself after a predefined amount of time.
- Answer: True
Explanation: Unlocked support sessions have a timeout for security reasons and will automatically lock after the predefined time expires.
Once an Azure Stack Hub support session is unlocked, what is the validity time period for the session?
- A) 30 minutes
- B) 1 hour
- C) 8 hours
- D) The session does not expire
Answer: B
Explanation: A support session once unlocked is typically valid for 1 hour. Operators should complete their tasks within this timeframe.
T/F: Unlocking a support session in Azure Stack Hub provides access to the same privileges as the Azure Stack Hub owner role.
- Answer: False
Explanation: Unlocking a support session provides elevated permissions to perform specific troubleshooting tasks, but it does not equate to the owner role’s comprehensive privileges for managing all aspects of Azure Stack Hub.
What is the primary reason for unlocking a support session in Azure Stack Hub?
- A) To provide operators with full control over the system
- B) To perform troubleshooting and diagnostics with elevated permissions
- C) To permanently change the system configuration
- D) To install third-party software
Answer: B
Explanation: The main purpose of unlocking a support session is to allow Azure Stack Hub operators to perform troubleshooting and diagnostics that require elevated permissions.
Who can provide the unlocking key to access a support session in Azure Stack Hub?
- A) Any Azure Stack Hub user
- B) Azure technical support engineers
- C) The Azure Stack Hub system administrator
- D) Third-party vendors
Answer: B
Explanation: Only Azure technical support engineers can provide the unlocking key that operators need to access a support session for security and compliance reasons.
T/F: To unlock a support session, internet connectivity is always required for Azure Stack Hub.
- Answer: True
Explanation: Since the unlocking key must be obtained from Microsoft Support, internet connectivity is necessary unless operating in a disconnected scenario where alternative communication with support is arranged.
How many support sessions can be unlocked simultaneously on an Azure Stack Hub?
- A) Only one
- B) Up to three
- C) Up to five
- D) An unlimited number
Answer: A
Explanation: Only one support session can be unlocked at a time to ensure security and control.
T/F: Once a support session has been unlocked in Azure Stack Hub, system performance and user operations can continue without disruption.
- Answer: True
Explanation: Unlocking a support session does not disrupt system performance or user operations, as it is intended for troubleshooting while the system remains fully operational.
Interview Questions
What is a support session in Azure Stack?
A support session is a mechanism in Azure Stack that allows Microsoft support personnel to remotely access and troubleshoot issues with a customer’s Azure Stack deployment.
Who can unlock a support session in Azure Stack?
A privileged user in Azure Stack can unlock a support session.
What is the “Support Session Unlock” extension in Azure Stack?
The “Support Session Unlock” extension is an Azure Stack Marketplace extension that can be used to create a support session.
What information is required to create a support session unlock in Azure Stack?
To create a support session unlock in Azure Stack, you need to provide a name for the support session, a description of the issue or problem, the Microsoft support engineer’s email address, and an expiration date and time for the support session.
How is the support session unlock extension accessed in Azure Stack?
The support session unlock extension can be found in the Azure Stack Marketplace.
What is the purpose of copying the unique URL that is generated when creating a support session in Azure Stack?
The unique URL is used by the Microsoft support engineer to initiate the support session and remotely access the Azure Stack environment.
How can the Azure Stack administrator delete a support session?
The Azure Stack administrator can click on the “Delete” button in the support session blade to delete the session.
What are some important considerations to keep in mind before unlocking a support session in Azure Stack?
Only unlock a support session for authorized Microsoft support personnel. Limit the duration of the support session to the minimum required time. Ensure that you have a backup of your Azure Stack environment before unlocking a support session. Monitor the support session to ensure that only authorized actions are performed.
What is the role of Microsoft support personnel in a support session?
Microsoft support personnel use the support session to remotely access and troubleshoot issues with a customer’s Azure Stack deployment.
How can an Azure Stack administrator ensure the security and integrity of their environment when unlocking a support session?
By only unlocking a support session for authorized Microsoft support personnel, limiting the duration of the support session, ensuring backups are in place, and monitoring the support session to ensure only authorized actions are performed.
Great article! It really helped me understand the prerequisites for the AZ-600 exam.
How essential is prior experience with Azure for this exam?
Does anyone have tips for managing Azure Stack Hub deployments more efficiently?
Thanks for the detailed breakdown. It cleared up a lot of confusion for me.
What are the most challenging topics to focus on for the AZ-600 exam?
Amazing resource, much appreciated!
How often does Microsoft update the exam content for AZ-600?
I think the blog post missed diving deep into the network security aspects.