Release notes for Hotpatch on Windows Server 2025 Datacenter Azure Edition

Windows Server 2025 Datacenter Azure Edition overview

Hotpatch gives you the ability to apply security updates without restarting a device. This keeps virtual machines up to date and secure. By reducing the number of Patch Tuesday restarts, these devices are also more available. Hotpatch is enabled by default on Azure for Windows Server 2025 Datacenter Azure Edition. To learn more, see Hotpatch for virtual machines. You can manage and apply updates using Azure Update Manager, the Azure portal, or the Azure command-line interface. Some of the benefits include:

Higher availability and fewer restarts
Faster deployment of updates because the packages are smaller, install faster, and have easier patch orchestration using Azure Update Management
Better protection because the hotpatch packages are scoped to Windows security updates and you do not have to restart