Azure Devtest Labs

microsoftdocs/azure-devtest-labs

Expert knowledge for Azure DevTest Labs development including troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, architecture & design patterns, limits & quotas, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. Use when managing lab VM images, ARM/CI-CD automation, RBAC/Key Vault security, hub-spoke networking, or quotas, and other Azure DevTest Labs related development tasks. Not for Azure Lab Services (use azure-lab-services), Azure Dev Box (use azure-dev-box), Azure Virtual Machines (use azure-virtual-machines), Azure Virtual Desktop (use azure-virtual-desktop).

3k tokens

context cost

the whole folder, loaded on every use

files

instructions only

copies elsewhere

how many repositories repackaged it

681

stars on the repo

on the repository, not the skill itself

Install

one command, takes just this skill from the repository

npx skills add https://github.com/MicrosoftDocs/Agent-Skills --skill azure-devtest-labs

The instruction itself

12 sections, as written by the author

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), 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-L44 | 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 | L45-L49 | Guidance on organizing and collaborating on DevTest Labs infrastructure as code across teams, including branching, environments, and distributed resource development workflows |

| Decision Making | L50-L58 | 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 | L59-L63 | Enterprise-scale DevTest Labs architectures: hub-spoke design, network/security layout, governance, cost management, and best practices for large org lab deployments. |

| Limits & Quotas | L64-L68 | Managing DevTest Labs limits and quotas, viewing current usage, and requesting or configuring quota increases for labs, VMs, and related resources. |

| Security | L69-L86 | Securing DevTest Labs: identities, RBAC and granular policy permissions, secrets/Key Vault, disk/storage encryption, secure VM access (RDP Gateway, Bastion, browser), Trusted Launch, and security alerts. |

| Configuration | L87-L108 | Configuring DevTest Labs environments and VMs: images, networks, policies, costs, tags, ARM templates, artifacts, activity logs, alerts, IPs, and resource groups. |

| Integrations & Coding Patterns | L109-L128 | Automating DevTest Labs with ARM, PowerShell, CLI, Functions, and Automation: creating/importing VMs, managing images/VHDs, environments, users, VM start/stop, and cross-lab usage reporting. |

| Deployment | L129-L135 | 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 |

| 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 |

| View and respond to DevTest Labs environment security alerts | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/environment-security-alerts |

| Configure managed identities for 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 |

| Configure activity log alerts for DevTest Labs events | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/create-alerts |

| 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 |

| 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 |

| 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 |

| Create DevTest Labs environments from ARM templates | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-create-environment-from-arm |

| 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 |

How to use it

Copy the folder

Take microsoftdocs/azure-devtest-labs from the repository into ~/.claude/skills for personal use, or into .claude/skills inside a project.

Check the name does not clash

The agent identifies a skill by the name field in its header. Two skills with the same name cannot sit side by side — one of them will be ignored.