Azure DevTest Labs: Artifacts

Artifacts allow you to install applications after you provision your Virtual Machine. In this article, I will discuss how you can use a storage account to install applications that may not be suitable to be published on the internet.

Create File Share

1. From the Azure portal
2. Find and select the resource group that is associated with your lab.
3. Click on Files.
4. Click on File Share.
5. Provide the new file share with a Name and Quota. Click Ok.
6. Select the file share you just created and click on Connect.
7. Copy the powershell code into VScode and make note of the Username and Password.

Add secrets to KeyVault

1. Go to your Lab and select My secrets
2. Under name type: SAname and for value add the username of the file share (ex:azure\DTLinstalls5597) and hit enter.
3. Under name type: SApassword and for the value add the password.
4. Create another secret for the Storage Account UNC file share.

Create Artifacfile.json

User the following sample to create the Artifactfile.json to provide the username and password from the KeyVault.

{
    "$schema": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Azure/azure-devtestlab/master/schemas/2016-11-28/dtlArtifacts.json",
    "title": "Sample App",
    "description": "Sample app for DTL demo ",
    "tags": [
        "Windows"
    ],
    "iconUri": "",
    "targetOsType": "Windows",
    "parameters": {
        "Username": {
            "type": "securestring",
            "displayName": "Username",
            "description": "Azure storage file share user account"
          },
          "Password": {
            "type": "securestring",
            "displayName": "Password",
            "description": "Azure storage file share user password"
          },
          "StorageAccount": {
            "type": "securestring",
            "displayName": "Storage Account Name",
            "description": "Azure storage account name"
          }
    },
    "runCommand": {
        "commandToExecute": "[concat('powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy bypass \"& ./installSampleApp.ps1', ' -Username ', parameters('Username'), ' -Password ''', parameters('Password'), ''' -storageaccount ', parameters('storageaccount')']"
      }
}

Create PowerShell script to install application

User the following sample to create the installSampleApp.ps1

[CmdletBinding()]       
param
(
    [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
    [string] $Username,

    [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
    [string] $Password,

    [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
    [string] $SAaccount
)

$sampleAPP = "Z:\sample.exe"

try
{
    $acctKey = ConvertTo-SecureString -String "$password" -AsPlainText -Force
    $credential = New-Object System.Management.Automation.PSCredential -ArgumentList "$username", $acctKey
    New-PSDrive -Name Z -PSProvider FileSystem -Root "$SAaccount" -Credential $credential
}
catch
{
    Write-Error "Failed to map network drive to Azure Storage Account"
}

try
{
    Start-Process -FilePath $sampleAPP -ArgumentList "/SILENT"
}
catch
{
    Write-Error 'Failed to install application'
}

Once you have created the sample application, add it to your custom repository in DevTest Labs and test the installation of the artifact.