Default network connections for environment snapshots made using Lab Center

Question

Hi All,

 

We've implemented SCVMM and visual studio test/lab center, and are running into issues where on restoring back to an environment snapshot (through Lab Center) the network connections are restoring to different virtual networks than those applied to the VM's at the time of the snapshot.

 

Altering the connection that is being used from 'internal' to public causes the restore to default to a different virtual connection.

Answer 1

Hi,

 

TFS Lab Management may change the network connection after restore snapshot to ensure that the Virtual Machine remains connected to an external network after a restore operation.

The network to which a VM is connected, both after VM creation and snapshot restore, is determined by the "Network Location" setting. This setting is configured in TFS, you can view or edit this property by using the following command on the TFS machine. TFS Lab Management connects the VM to a network which matches this network location in SCVMM.

Command: TfsLabConfig Lab /Settings

 

Internal Networks cannot have network locations in SCVMM. So, you cannot target an internal network as the network to which the VM will be connected by Lab Management. Actually, there is a way, but "network location" setting is TFS server wide setting, and I will not suggest you to do so. If interested, you can read something similar being done here:

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/lab_management/archive/2010/02/08/configuring-network-location-for-vs-lab-management-2010-rc-one-box-setup.aspx

 

One thing that you can do is to use an external network without external connectivity to make it behave like an internal network, i am not sure if that would work for you. If required, for an external network adapter, you can also over-ride the network location in SCVMM by going to Host Properties -> Hardware -> Network Adapters.

Answer 2

Hi,

I have several VMs in my environment and I am using two private virtual networks to connect these machines and form an internal network (a network that does not communicate with outside). When I revert a lab center snapshot, it changes all virtual networks including all private networks. Is there a way to keep it from changing private networks?

Thanks