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Azure DevTest Labs

4 posts · Aug 2015 – Jun 2016

What this trail covers

Azure DevOps Lab Management is evolving to integrate with modern cloud platforms and deployment technologies. The focus is shifting from building platform-specific features within TFS/VSO to integrating with existing platforms like Azure, VMware, and Docker through service endpoints and provisioning/deployment tasks. This includes dynamic provisioning of Azure resources, support for various authentication methods, and extensibility for custom platform integrations. Machine groups will serve as a catch-all for addressable machines. Deployment capabilities are expanding for .NET, Windows, Java, and Linux applications, with integrations for third-party systems like Octopus Deploy, Chef, and Docker. Release Management is being enhanced to model formal pipelines for test, staging, and production environments, as well as less structured, self-service environments for manual workflows. Traceability of releases and activities on environments is also being improved. The goal is to make Lab Management an integral part of Build and Release Management, simplifying consumption of platform features and enabling custom integrations.

All Microsoft trails
  1. General availability of Azure DevTest Labs – VSTS extensionAnnounces the general availability of the Azure DevTest Labs – VSTS extension, which consists of three tasks to integrate VSTS build or release pipelines with Azure DevTest Labs for creating testing environments and golden images.
  2. Announcing General Availability of Azure DevTest LabsAnnounces the general availability of Azure DevTest Labs, highlighting its ability to provide self-service sandbox environments in Azure for developers and testers. It addresses challenges like delays in environment delivery, time-consuming configuration, production fidelity issues, and high cloud resource management costs. Key features include flexible VM base definition (Marketplace images, custom images, formulas), reusable artifacts for VM extensions and tool installation, worry-free self-service through lab policies and RBAC, ARM template support for cross-lab resource deployment, and integration with existing toolchains via Azure DevTest Labs Tasks in Visual Studio Team Services for creating, saving, and deleting lab VMs.
  3. Getting Started with DevTest Labs for AzureThis post introduces Azure DevTest Labs, detailing its capabilities for creating test environments with reusable templates and artifacts. It highlights cost management features like spending limits and scheduled shutdowns. The post also provides a step-by-step guide to creating a lab and a VM, including adding the Chocolatey artifact to install Azure PowerShell. It mentions future integrations with build and release pipelines and more advanced spend controls.
  4. Lab Management EvolutionThis post announces a significant shift in Azure DevOps Lab Management strategy. Instead of building platform-specific features within TFS/VSO, the focus is moving towards integration with external platforms like Azure, VMware, and Docker. Key changes include: 1. Dynamic provisioning of Azure resources (websites, cloud services, resource groups) via Build and Release Management tasks, supporting various authentication methods (certificates, user credentials, service principals) and leveraging Azure's infrastructure-as-code. 2. A service endpoint extensibility model allowing customers and partners to define new endpoint types for different platforms and run provisioning/deployment tasks. 3. Planned integrations with VMware and Docker. 4. Introduction of 'Machine Groups' as a catch-all for addressable machines, replacing the older 'Standard environments' concept. 5. Enhanced deployment capabilities for .NET/Windows applications (IIS, SQL Server, Windows services) and Java/Linux applications (Tomcat, shell scripts, Maven/Ant scripts), with integrations for third-party systems. 6. Evolution of 'Environments' within Release Management to model formal pipelines and support less structured, self-service environments for manual workflows. 7. Improved traceability of release activities. The post explicitly states a move away from building platform-style features within TFS/VSO and a focus on integrating those platforms into ALM workflows.