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Access, claim, and connect to a DevTest Labs VM

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When you create a virtual machine (VM) in Azure DevTest Labs, you automatically own the VM. You can connect to the VM and see it listed in My VMs on the Azure portal lab page.

As a lab user, you can also claim ownership of existing claimable lab VMs. Once you claim a VM, you see it listed in My VMs and can connect to and manage it as your own VM.

In this tutorial, you learn to:

  • Claim an available lab VM.
  • Connect to the VM.
  • Unclaim or delete the VM when no longer needed.

Prerequisites

You need:

  • At least DevTest Labs User access to a lab that has a claimable VM.
  • The URL to access the lab in the Azure portal, and the username and password to access the VM.

Claim a lab VM

To claim a lab VM, follow these steps. For more information about claiming VMs, see Use claim capabilities in Azure DevTest Labs.

  1. Go to the URL for your lab in the Azure portal.

  2. On the lab Overview page, select Claimable virtual machines under My Lab in the left navigation.

  3. On the Claimable virtual machines page, select the ellipsis ... next to the listing for an available VM, and select Claim machine.

    Screenshot showing Claim machine in the context menu.

    The VM is claimed and started. You can select the Notifications icon at the top of the portal to see progress.

  4. When the process finishes, return to the lab Overview page and confirm that you now see the VM listed under My virtual machines.

    Screenshot showing the claimed VM in the My virtual machines list.

Connect to a lab VM

To connect to a VM, it must be running. An unclaimed VM is stopped. When you claim the VM, it starts automatically. To connect to the VM, make sure the VM Status is still Running, or select Start at the top of the VM's page to start it.

  1. On the lab Overview page, select the VM from the list under My virtual machines.

  2. On the VM's Overview page, select Connect from the top menu.

    Screenshot of selecting Connect in the top menu of the VM.

  3. If available, select Connect via Bastion from the context menu. In the Connect via Bastion pane, enter the VM username and password, select whether to open the VM in a new window, and then select Connect.

    Screenshot of selecting Connect via Bastion and connecting through Bastion.

  4. If Connect via Bastion isn't available:

Once you connect to the VM, you can use it to do your work. You have Owner role on all lab VMs you claim or create, unless you unclaim them.

Unclaim a lab VM

After you're done using the VM, you can unclaim it so someone else can claim it, by following these steps:

  1. On the lab Overview page, select the VM from the list under My virtual machines.

  2. On the VM's Overview page, select Unclaim from the top menu.

    Screenshot of Unclaim on the VM's Overview page.

    The VM is shut down and unclaimed. To claim or reclaim this VM, you can select Claim machine from the top menu.

    Screenshot of Claim machine on the VM's Overview page.

  3. Return to the lab Overview page and confirm that the VM no longer appears under My virtual machines.

  4. Select Claimable virtual machines in the left navigation and confirm that the VM is now available to be claimed.

Delete a lab VM

When you're done using a VM, you can delete it unless someone else claims it. To delete an individual lab VM, follow these steps:

  1. Select the ellipsis ... next to the VM in the My virtual machines list or on the Claimable virtual machines page, and select Delete from the context menu.
  2. On the Are you sure you want to delete it page, select Delete.

The lab owner can also delete the entire lab when it's no longer needed, which deletes all lab VMs and resources.

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