As a lab owner, you now have the option to configure all your lab virtual machines (VMs) to be created in a single resource group. This helps prevent you from reaching resource group limits on your Microsoft Azure subscription. The feature will also help by enabling you to consolidate all your lab resources within a single resource group. In result this will simplify tracking those resources and applying policies to manage them at the resource group level. This article will discuss improving governance of your development and test environments by using Azure polices that you can apply at the resource group level.
This feature allows you to use a script to either specify a new or existing resource group within your Azure subscription for all your lab VMs to be created in. It is important to note that currently we support this feature through an API, however we will soon be adding an in-product experience for you to configure this setting for your lab.
Now let’s walk through the options you have as a lab owner while using this API:
- You can choose the lab’s resource group for all VMs to be created in going forward.
- You can choose an existing resource group other than the lab's resource group for all VMs to be created in going forward.
- You can enter a new resource group name for all VMs to be created in going forward.
- You can also continue with the existing behavior.
This setting will apply to new VMs created in the lab. This means older VMs in your lab that are created in their own resource groups will continue to remain unaffected. However, you can migrate these VMs from their individual resource groups to the common resource group you selected initially, allowing all your lab VMs to be in one common resource group going forward. You can learn more about migrating resources across resource groups by visiting our documentation, “Move resources to new resource group or subscription.” ARM environments created in your lab will continue to remain in their own resource groups and will not be affected by any option you select while working with this API.
You can also learn more about how to use this API along with an example script by visiting our documentation, “About Azure DevTest Labs.” We hope you find this feature useful!
Got an idea to make it work better for you? Submit your feedback and ideas, or vote for others at Azure DevTest Labs UserVoice forum. Have a question? Check out the answers or ask a new one at our MSDN forum.