Azure virtual machine users: Be prepared, as there are less than three months before Microsoft fundamentally changes how VMs connect to the Internet, with default outbound access set to be retired.
First added to the Azure roadmap back in 2023, from the end of September, new virtual networks will default to requiring explicit outbound connectivity methods instead of having a fallback to default outbound access connectivity.
Previously, VMs were assigned a default public IP address that provided them with public endpoint connectivity.
Existing virtual machines that use default outbound access will continue to work, but Microsoft wants users to transition to an explicit outbound method, such as Azure NAT Gateway or a directly attached Azure public IP address.
Microsoft cited security as the reason behind the change, with Azure moving toward what it described as a “secure-by-default model.”
The firm said that explicit outbound connectivity methods “provide greater control over how and when they connect to the Internet” and that traceable IP address resources that users own would be “beneficial for measurement and troubleshooting.”
The cloud giant urged existing VM users to be prepared to make the change to avoid any potential headaches.
The changes likely impact millions of Azure virtual machines globally, with Microsoft confirming it plans to send out periodic updates via email to Azure subscription owners impacted by the change.
Businesses employing VMs will likely have to audit their deployments and update their VM provisioning processes – a concept Chris McHenry, chief product officer of Aviatrix, described to The Register as “not quite a Y2K moment, but things will break.”
Source: Azure VM users have just over 90 days to prepare for Internet access overhaul
