Azure DevTest labs (https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/devtest-lab/) are intended for exactly this purpose; they simplify management of Dev/Test VMs, allow stopping and starting VMs on schedule (without writing any code) and so on.
Comments
Azure DevTest Labs would make more sense as it provides so many other features to control access, security, costs, etc...
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devtest-labs/devtest-lab-overview
Category: Lifecycle Services
I think this needs to be integrated into DevTest Labs. Not just for the start/stop function but for the spawning from an image function.
This is especially helpful in ensuring that developers have up to date data sets to work with, and third-party models which are not part of ADO.
Category: Lifecycle Services
Many of larger organizations have often restrictions on the administrative access to the Azure Portal. Which means using Azure Hosted DEV/TEST boxes in this situation will slow down the project working. Using Azure DevTest Labs, we will be able to give the project implementation team the required access and avoid slowing down the project working by long wait times which can be caused by the internal support desks to perform simple tasks. In addition, the automatic start/shutdown features of the Azure DevTest Labs is very interesting to have from a cost cutting and efficiency point of view.
Category: Lifecycle Services
+ Create a D365FFO Dev VM from DevTest Image store
Category: Lifecycle Services
It is also somewhat cheaper than normal Azure VMs so of course our customers are enquiring how they utilise DevTest labs
Category: Lifecycle Services
Manali Dongre (administrator) on 6/24/2019 11:18:48 PM
Hello
Thank you for your feedback.
This is a great suggestion! We are planning on making APIs available externally for customers to start and stop VMs that can then be orchestrated through Flow or Logic Apps. It might not be through Azure DevTest Labs
Sincerely,
Manali
Microsoft.