Azure Automation Updates July 2026

Andres Bohren

2026-08-06

Hi All,

Did you notice that there has been an Update to Azure Automation in July 2026?

What’s new in Azure Automation

Language Support by Azure Automation has been changed

PowerShell 5.1 supported
PowerShell 7.1 retired by Sept 30 2026
PowerShell 7.2 retired by Sept 30 2026
PowerShell 7.4 supported
PowerShell 7.6 supported
Python 2.7 retired by Sept 30 2026
Python 3.8 retired by Sept 30 2026
Python 3.8

Runbooks and Runtime Environment

These are my Azure Runbooks and they are scattered around all diffrent Runtime Environments.

With the AZ PowerShell Modules you can get the Runbook Type, but not the Runtime Environment.

Get-AzAutomationRunbook -ResourceGroupName "RG_DEV" -AutomationAccountName "icewolfautomation" | Sort-Object RunbookType | ft RunbookType, Name

You can get the Runtime Environment with the following API Call

###############################################################################
# Get Runtime Environments
###############################################################################
#https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/automation/runtime-environments?view=rest-automation-2024-10-23
$SubscriptionID = "42ecead4-eae9-4456-997c-1580c58b54ba"
$ResourceGroupName = "RG_DEV"
$AutomationAccountName = "IcewolfAutomation"

#Invoke AzRestMethod
$Result = Invoke-AzRestMethod -Method "GET" -Path "/subscriptions/$SubscriptionID/resourceGroups/$ResourceGroupName/providers/Microsoft.Automation/automationAccounts/$AutomationAccountName/runtimeEnvironments?api-version=2024-10-23" 

#List Names Convert frm JSON and select Name
($result.Content | convertFrom-Json).Value | Select-Object Name

When you list the Runbooks via API you can get the Runtime Environment too

###############################################################################
# Get Runbooks
###############################################################################
#https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/automation/runbook/get?view=rest-automation-2024-10-23&tabs=HTTP
$SubscriptionID = "42ecead4-eae9-4456-997c-1580c58b54ba"
$ResourceGroupName = "RG_DEV"
$AutomationAccountName = "IcewolfAutomation"

$Response = Invoke-AzRestMethod -Method "GET" -Path "/subscriptions/$SubscriptionID/resourceGroups/$ResourceGroupName/providers/Microsoft.Automation/automationAccounts/$AutomationAccountName/runbooks/?api-version=2024-10-23"

($Response.Content | ConvertFrom-Json).value |
    Select-Object `
        Name,
        @{Name='RunbookType';Expression={$_.properties.runbookType}},
        @{Name='RuntimeEnvironment';Expression={$_.properties.runtimeEnvironment}} `
| Sort-Object RuntimeEnvironment`

Migrate Runbooks to a Runbook Environment

With the following Script i update all Azure Runbooks from an Automation Account to PowerShell 7.6 Runtime Environment

###############################################################################
# Update Runbook to another Runtime Environment
###############################################################################
# https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/automation/runbook/update?view=rest-automation-2024-10-23&tabs=HTTP
$SubscriptionID = "42ecead4-eae9-4456-997c-1580c58b54ba"
$ResourceGroupName = "RG_DEV"
$AutomationAccountName = "IcewolfAutomation"
$RuntimeEnvironment = "PowerShell-76"

$body = @"
{
    "properties": {
        "runtimeEnvironment": "$RuntimeEnvironment",
        "runbookType": "PowerShell"
    }
}
"@

# Get Runbooks
$Runbooks = ($Response.Content | ConvertFrom-Json).value
Foreach ($Item in $Runbooks)
{
    $Runbook = $Item.Name
    Write-Host "Update Runbook: $Runbook to > $RuntimeEnvironment"
    $Null = Invoke-AzRestMethod -Method "PATCH" -Path "/subscriptions/$SubscriptionID/resourceGroups/$ResourceGroupName/providers/Microsoft.Automation/automationAccounts/$AutomationAccountName/runbooks/$Runbook/?api-version=2024-10-23" -Payload $Body
}

Let’s check the Azure Runbooks again

###############################################################################
# Get Runbooks
###############################################################################
#https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/automation/runbook/get?view=rest-automation-2024-10-23&tabs=HTTP
$SubscriptionID = "42ecead4-eae9-4456-997c-1580c58b54ba"
$ResourceGroupName = "RG_DEV"
$AutomationAccountName = "IcewolfAutomation"

$Response = Invoke-AzRestMethod -Method "GET" -Path "/subscriptions/$SubscriptionID/resourceGroups/$ResourceGroupName/providers/Microsoft.Automation/automationAccounts/$AutomationAccountName/runbooks/?api-version=2024-10-23"

($Response.Content | ConvertFrom-Json).value |
    Select-Object `
        Name,
        @{Name='RunbookType';Expression={$_.properties.runbookType}},
        @{Name='RuntimeEnvironment';Expression={$_.properties.runtimeEnvironment}} `
| Sort-Object RuntimeEnvironment`

In the Azure Portal is the same view

If you look at the Runtime Environments, there are “System-generated Runtime Environements”

System-generated Runtime Environements can’t be deleted

Custom created Runtime Environments can be deleted

PowerShell 7.6 Version

Let’s check the Version of PowerShell 7.6 - it’s still the 7.6.0-preview5

Write-Output "PSVersionTable"
Write-Output "$($PSVersionTable.PSVersion.ToString())"

Packages / PowerShell Modules

Now that i have migrated all Azure Runbooks to PowerShell 7.6 Runtime Environment, i need to make sure, i have all the required Packages (PowerShell Modules) in there

###############################################################################
# Variables
###############################################################################
$SubscriptionID = "42ecead4-eae9-4456-997c-1580c58b54ba"
$ResourceGroupName = "RG_DEV"
$AutomationAccountName = "icewolfautomation"
$RuntimeEnvironment = "PowerShell-76"

###############################################################################
# Array of Modules
###############################################################################
$Modules = @()
$Modules += "Microsoft.PowerShell.PSResourceGet"
$Modules += "PackageManagement"
$Modules += "Az.Accounts"
$Modules += "Az.Automation"
$Modules += "Az.Storage"
$Modules += "Microsoft.Graph.Authentication"
$Modules += "Microsoft.Graph.Applications"
$Modules += "Microsoft.Graph.Beta.Security"
$Modules += "Microsoft.Graph.Groups"
$Modules += "Microsoft.Graph.Identity.DirectoryManagement"
$Modules += "Microsoft.Graph.Mail"
$Modules += "Microsoft.Graph.Users"
$Modules += "Microsoft.Graph.Users.Actions"
$Modules += "MicrosoftTeams"
$Modules += "ExchangeOnlineManagement"
$Modules += "MSIdentityTools"
$Modules += "Microsoft.Online.SharePoint.PowerShell"
$Modules += "PnP.PowerShell"
$Modules += "PSMSALNet"

###############################################################################
# Connect to Azure
###############################################################################
Write-Output "Connect-AzAccount"
Connect-AzAccount -Identity

###############################################################################
# Add Powershell Package
###############################################################################
Foreach ($Module in $Modules)
{
    Write-Output "Module: $Module"
    $PSGallery = Find-PSResource -Name $Module
    $Version = $PSGallery.Version.ToString()
    #$NupkgURI = ("https://psg-prod-eastus.azureedge.net/packages/$Module.$Version.nupkg").ToLower()
    $NupkgURI = "https://www.powershellgallery.com/api/v2/package/$Module/$Version"
    Write-Output "NupkgURI: $NupkgURI"

#Create NuGetURL
$body = @"
{
"properties": {
    "contentLink": {
    "uri": "$NupkgURI"
    }
  }
}
"@

    #Invoke Package Installation
    $Result = Invoke-AzRestMethod -Method "PUT" -Path "/subscriptions/$SubscriptionID/resourceGroups/$ResourceGroupName/providers/Microsoft.Automation/automationAccounts/$AutomationAccountName/runtimeEnvironments/$RuntimeEnvironment/packages/$Module/?api-version=2023-05-15-preview" -Payload $Body
}

###############################################################################
# Get PowerShell Packages
###############################################################################
Do {
Write-Host "Checking Packages..."
$Result = Invoke-AzRestMethod -Method "GET" -Path "/subscriptions/$SubscriptionID/resourceGroups/$ResourceGroupName/providers/Microsoft.Automation/automationAccounts/$AutomationAccountName/runtimeEnvironments/$RuntimeEnvironment/packages/?api-version=2023-05-15-preview"

$Object = ($Result.Content | convertFrom-Json).Value
$Array = $Object | select name, @{Name="Version";Expression={$_.properties.version}},@{Name="provisioningState";Expression={$_.properties.provisioningState}}
$Packages = $Array | where {$_.provisioningState -ne "Succeeded" -and $_.provisioningState -ne "Failed"}
Start-Sleep -Seconds 15
}
While ($Null -ne $Packages)
Write-Output "No installation pending"

###############################################################################
# Disconnect from Azure
###############################################################################
Write-Output "Disconnect-AzAccount"
Disconnect-AzAccount