How to install .net 4.6.1 on compute node in azure batch

Question

I am stuck on creating an azure batch pool with .net 4.6.1.

I went through those very good resources:

• Compute Node - Install .NET 4.6.1

• How to get the Windows 2016 Preview OS

and I found out that there is a way to use .net 4.6.1 without installing it manually on a node. There is a programmatic way to set up Windows Ghost image with the latest .net version which is .net 4.6.1 but my node is defined in advance.

I need to have .net 4.6.1 because we use Data Factory and custom activities that are run on azure batch nodes. We upgraded .net version manually on that node but Microsoft doesn't guarantee that the state will preserve and we noticed a few times that node was reset to its original state.

My questions are:

• do you know if there is any way on an azure portal to choose OS family set to Windows Server 2016 with installed .net 4.6.1 version already?

• does anybody know when there will be any os with .net 4.6.1 available?

• or should I go with the StartTask feature and try to install .net 4.6.1 manually? However, that option sounds like some workaround and not the correct solution.

Answer 1

Do you know if there is any way on azure portal to choose OS family set to Windows Server 2016 with installed .net 4.6.1 version already?

Yes, "Image type" can be changed to Marketplace and you can select 2016 Datacenter.

Does anybody know when there will be any os with .net 4.6.1 available?

Now it is available for Marketplace(IaaS) under 2016 Datacenter. This batch team is currently working to support OS Family 5 as guest Operating system for cloud services.

or should I go with the StartTask feature and try to install .net 4.6.1 manually? However, that option sounds like some workaround and not the correct solution.

You can install it as part of a start task and is considered as the solution for Azure Batch for computing nodes with Windows Server < 2016.