microsoftdocs/azure-devtest-labs

Azure DevTest Labs Skill

This skill provides expert guidance for Azure DevTest Labs. Covers troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, architecture & design patterns, limits & quotas, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. It combines local quick-reference content with remote documentation fetching capabilities.

How to Use This Skill

IMPORTANT for Agent: Use the Category Index below to locate relevant sections. For categories with line ranges (e.g., L35-L120), use read_file with the specified lines. For categories with file links (e.g., [security.md](security.md)), use read_file on the linked reference file

IMPORTANT for Agent: If metadata.generated_at is more than 3 months old, suggest the user pull the latest version from the repository. If mcp_microsoftdocs tools are not available, suggest the user install it: Installation Guide

This skill requires network access to fetch documentation content:

• Preferred: Use mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch with query string from=learn-agent-skill. Returns Markdown.
• Fallback: Use fetch_webpage with query string from=learn-agent-skill&accept=text/markdown. Returns Markdown.

Category Index

| Category | Lines | Description | |----------|-------|-------------| | Troubleshooting | L37-L45 | Diagnosing and fixing DevTest Labs VM and environment creation/deployment issues, artifact application failures, connectivity problems, and handling Defender for Cloud security alerts. | | Best Practices | L46-L50 | Guidance on organizing and collaborating on DevTest Labs infrastructure as code across teams, including branching, environments, and distributed resource development workflows | | Decision Making | L51-L59 | Guidance on planning PoCs and enterprise-scale deployments, choosing images and Gen1 vs Gen2 VMs, and setting governance for organization-wide DevTest Labs use. | | Architecture & Design Patterns | L60-L64 | Enterprise-scale DevTest Labs architectures: hub-spoke design, network/security layout, governance, cost management, and best practices for large org lab deployments. | | Limits & Quotas | L65-L69 | Managing DevTest Labs limits and quotas, viewing current usage, and requesting or configuring quota increases for labs, VMs, and related resources. | | Security | L70-L86 | Securing DevTest Labs: identities, RBAC and granular policy permissions, secrets/Key Vault, encrypted storage/disks, Trusted Launch, and secure VM access via Bastion, RD Gateway, or browser | | Configuration | L87-L111 | Configuring DevTest Labs environments and VMs: images, networks, policies, costs, tags, ARM templates, artifacts, activity logs, alerts, IPs, and resource groups. | | Integrations & Coding Patterns | L112-L131 | Automating DevTest Labs with ARM, PowerShell, CLI, REST, and Functions: user/VM management, VHD/custom image workflows, cross-lab import, reporting, and VM start/stop/start-order control. | | Deployment | L132-L139 | Guides for deploying and migrating DevTest Labs: ARM templates, CI/CD and Azure Pipelines integration, region moves, and handling Azure Basic Load Balancer retirement. |

Troubleshooting

| Topic | URL | |-------|-----| | Fix DevTest Labs VM connectivity by redeploying | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-redeploy-vm | | Troubleshoot DevTest Labs artifact application failures | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-troubleshoot-apply-artifacts | | Handle Defender for Cloud security alerts in DevTest Labs environments | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/environment-security-alerts | | Troubleshoot DevTest Labs VM deployment failures | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/troubleshoot-vm-deployment-failures | | Troubleshoot DevTest Labs VM and environment creation failures | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/troubleshoot-vm-environment-creation-failures |

Best Practices

| Topic | URL | |-------|-----| | Set up distributed DevTest Labs resource development | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/best-practices-distributive-collaborative-development-environment |

Decision Making

| Topic | URL | |-------|-----| | Plan and execute a DevTest Labs proof of concept | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/deliver-proof-concept | | Choose between custom images and formulas in DevTest Labs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-comparing-vm-base-image-types | | Choose and use Gen1 vs Gen2 VMs in DevTest Labs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-gen2-vm | | Govern Azure DevTest Labs resources across an organization | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-guidance-governance-resources | | Plan DevTest Labs deployment at enterprise scale | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-guidance-scale |

Architecture & Design Patterns

| Topic | URL | |-------|-----| | Enterprise reference architecture for Azure DevTest Labs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-reference-architecture |

Limits & Quotas

| Topic | URL | |-------|-----| | View and increase Azure DevTest Labs quotas and limits | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-scale-lab |

Security

| Topic | URL | |-------|-----| | Configure managed identity for Azure DevTest Labs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/configure-lab-identity | | Secure DevTest Labs access with Remote Desktop Gateway | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/configure-lab-remote-desktop-gateway | | Secure DevTest Labs VM access via Azure Bastion | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/connect-virtual-machine-through-browser | | Configure DevTest Labs RBAC roles and user access | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-add-devtest-user | | Configure DevTest Labs lab-level secrets securely | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-configure-lab-secrets | | Grant granular permissions to DevTest Labs policies | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-grant-user-permissions-to-specific-lab-policies | | Use Azure Key Vault secrets in DevTest Labs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-store-secrets-in-key-vault | | Enable Trusted Launch for DevTest Labs Gen2 VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-trusted-launch | | Enable secure browser-based access to DevTest Labs VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/enable-browser-connection-lab-virtual-machines | | Enable user-assigned managed identities on DevTest Labs VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/enable-managed-identities-lab-vms | | Configure customer-managed key disk encryption in DevTest Labs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/encrypt-disks-customer-managed-keys | | Manage DevTest Labs storage accounts and encryption settings | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/encrypt-storage | | Use managed identities to deploy DevTest Labs environments | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/use-managed-identities-environments |

Configuration

| Topic | URL | |-------|-----| | View and interpret DevTest Labs activity logs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/activity-logs | | Add and configure artifacts on DevTest Labs VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/add-artifact-vm | | Configure Azure Compute Gallery for DevTest Labs images | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/configure-shared-image-gallery | | Connect DevTest Labs environments to lab virtual networks | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/connect-environment-lab-virtual-network | | Configure activity log alerts for DevTest Labs events | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/create-alerts | | Use nested ARM templates for DevTest Labs environments | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/deploy-nested-template-environments | | Add and manage tags on Azure DevTest Labs resources | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-add-tag | | Author custom DevTest Labs VM artifact definitions | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-artifact-author | | Configure autoshutdown policies for DevTest Labs VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-auto-shutdown | | Configure autostart policies for DevTest Labs virtual machines | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-auto-startup-vm | | Configure cost tracking for Azure DevTest Labs with tags | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-configure-cost-management | | Configure allowed Azure Marketplace images in DevTest Labs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-configure-marketplace-images | | Add and configure virtual networks for DevTest Labs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-configure-vnet | | Create DevTest Labs environments from ARM templates | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-create-environment-from-arm | | Enable and manage licensed images in DevTest Labs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-enable-licensed-images | | Configure and use formulas for DevTest Labs VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-manage-formulas | | Configure Azure DevTest Labs policies for cost control | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-set-lab-policy | | Configure shared public IP addresses for DevTest Labs VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-shared-ip | | Define DevTest Labs VMs with ARM templates | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-use-resource-manager-template | | Configure network isolation for Azure DevTest Labs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/network-isolation | | Configure resource groups for DevTest Labs virtual machines | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/resource-group-control |

Integrations & Coding Patterns

| Topic | URL | |-------|-----| | Automate adding DevTest Labs users via ARM, PowerShell, and CLI | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/automate-add-lab-user | | Provision Service Fabric cluster environments in DevTest Labs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/create-environment-service-fabric-cluster | | Create DevTest Labs custom images from VHD with PowerShell | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-create-custom-image-from-vhd-using-powershell | | Upload VHDs to DevTest Labs storage using AzCopy | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-upload-vhd-using-azcopy | | Upload VHDs to DevTest Labs with PowerShell | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-upload-vhd-using-powershell | | Upload VHDs to DevTest Labs via Storage Explorer | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-upload-vhd-using-storage-explorer | | Automate DevTest Labs VM creation with PowerShell | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-vm-powershell | | Manage DevTest Labs VMs using Azure CLI | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-vmcli | | Extend DevTest Labs automation using Azure Functions | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/extend-devtest-labs-azure-functions | | Import DevTest Labs VMs between labs via REST/PowerShell | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/import-virtual-machines-from-another-lab | | Report DevTest Labs usage across labs and subscriptions | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/report-usage-across-multiple-labs-subscriptions | | Automate DevTest Labs with Azure CLI scripts | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/samples-cli | | Use Azure PowerShell scripts for DevTest Labs automation | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/samples-powershell | | Control DevTest Labs VM start order with Automation | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/start-machines-use-automation-runbooks | | Publish Visual Studio apps to DevTest Labs VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/test-app-azure | | Script DevTest Labs VM start/stop with CLI and PowerShell | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/use-command-line-start-stop-virtual-machines |

Deployment

| Topic | URL | |-------|-----| | Integrate DevTest Labs with enterprise CI/CD pipelines | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-dev-ops | | Handle Azure Basic Load Balancer retirement in DevTest Labs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-standard-load-balancer | | Deploy DevTest Labs resources with ARM templates | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-use-arm-and-powershell-for-lab-resources | | Move Azure DevTest Labs to another region | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/how-to-move-labs | | Use DevTest Labs in Azure Pipelines build and release | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/use-devtest-labs-build-release-pipelines |