Upcoming Breaking Change in Az SSH for Arc Connections Extension

The Az SSH extension is a vital tool for developers and IT professionals who use Azure DevOps. It allows users to securely connect to Azure virtual machines (VMs) using SSH (Secure Shell) and Entra ID, making remote management and deployment tasks more streamlined and efficient. The extension is widely used for its ease of integration with various Azure services and its ability to simplify the process of establishing secure connections.

The Upcoming Breaking Change

This breaking change affects all customers who use Az SSH extension for connecting to Azure Arc Machines. By May 21^st, all versions of the Az SSH extension prior to 2.0.4 will become unusable upon installation for connecting to Arc resources. This breaking change is due to deprecation of a storage blob used during installation.

Versions of the Az SSH extension prior to 2.0.4 will still be functional, but if there is corruption of the extension files, you will not be able to reinstall the extension. To check what version of the extension you have installed, run this command

az extension list --output table

This change does not impact versions beginning with 2.0.4.

Action Items

To minimize the potential breaking of the Az SSH extension for connecting to Arc machines, we encourage you to take the following steps:

• Update the Az SSH Extension: Ensure that you update the Az SSH extension to the latest version (2.0.6). This can be done using the Azure CLI extension update command:

az extension update --name ssh

• Review and Update Scripts: If you have scripts or automated processes that install a pinned version of Az SSH extension prior to 2.0.4, make necessary adjustments to install a later version.
• Stay Informed: Keep an eye on official documentation and blogs for additional updates or guidance related to the Az SSH extension. Staying informed will help you stay ahead of any future changes.

The breaking change in the Az SSH extension is a critical security update. Follow the steps above for a smooth transition and secure management of Azure Arc Machines. Stay proactive, informed, and keep your tools updated to maintain security and efficiency. 

Thanks!

Steven Bucher

Product Manager for SSH CLI Extension