With Azure Lab Services, you can create labs using both marketplace images and custom images from a Shared Image Gallery. There are several ways to create a custom image, such as:
1. Export the image from your lab’s template VM.
- For Windows images, this option will automatically create a specialized image which means that the image will retain machine-specific information (such as the SID) and user data.
2. Upload an image to Shared Image Gallery from your physical lab environment.
- With this option, you have the flexibility of using either specialized or generalized images to create your Windows-based labs. A generalized image uses Sysprep to remove all of the user’s data. Sysprep also clears the SID so that a new lab template VM created from the image will have a unique SID.
- Another benefit is that you can create the image in your physical lab environment with tools that you are already accustomed to using – such as SCCM or Endpoint Configuration Manager.
- This is also a great option if you need access to large installation\setup files in your physical lab environment that are difficult to copy to a lab's template VM.
We recently published the following article that shows the detailed steps for bringing an image from your physical lab environment to your lab account's Shared Image Gallery:
IMPORTANT: Please keep in mind that when you move from a physical lab environment to Azure Labs, that you should restructure your images. Refer to the following blog post that has more details: Moving from a Physical Lab to Azure Lab Services
Thanks for reading!
