Managing Upgrades to the Windows Azure Guest OS
Updated: May 16, 2012
The following topics describe how to manage Windows Azure guest operating systems (OS) upgrades for your hosted services; explain which Windows Azure SDK versions are compatible with each Windows Azure guest OS version; and provide a reference to Windows Azure guest OS releases.
The Windows Azure guest OS is the operating system that runs on the virtual machines (VMs) that host your services in Windows Azure. The guest operating system is updated monthly. You can choose to upgrade the guest OS for your service automatically each time an update is released, or you can perform upgrades manually at a time of your choosing. All role instances defined by your service will run on the guest operating system version that you specify.
In most situations, it is recommended to upgrade the guest OS automatically. The updates are applied using a new OS image to prevent any possible configuration drift and, as long your service has at least two instances, the update will not cause any service downtime.
 Note |
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| Your service may be subject to upgrades to the underlying Windows Azure root operating system from time to time. These upgrades are mandatory and cannot be postponed. An upgrade to the Windows Azure root operating system recycles your running role instances, taking them through their shutdown sequences and then restarting them. |
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