Request Resources
Once you have lab access, you can provision resources using the Azure portal's Automation Account runbooks or the ACX Lab Power App.
Method 1: Azure Portal — Automation Runbooks
The ACX Lab provides pre-built runbooks for common resource provisioning tasks.
Steps
- Open the Azure portal and switch to the ACX Lab tenant
- Navigate to Automation Accounts → select ACX-Automation
- Click Runbooks in the left menu
- Select the runbook for the resource you want to create
- Click Start and fill in the required parameters
- Click OK to submit
Available Runbooks
| Runbook | Description | Parameters |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy-SmallVM | Deploys a D2s_v3 VM (2 vCPU, 8 GB RAM) | vmName, os (Win2022/Ubuntu2204), owner |
| Deploy-LargeVM | Deploys a D8s_v3 VM (8 vCPU, 32 GB RAM) | vmName, os, owner |
| Deploy-GPUVM | Deploys a GPU-enabled VM (NC8_A2 or NC16_A16) | vmName, gpuType (A2/A16), owner |
| Create-AKSNamespace | Creates a namespace in a shared AKS Arc cluster | namespaceName, owner, cpuLimit, memoryLimit |
| Deploy-AVDHost | Adds a session host to your AVD pool | hostName, owner, poolName |
| Cleanup-Resources | Removes expired or orphaned resources | owner, olderThanDays |
Resource Templates
Templates define the VM size and configuration. Choose based on your workload:
| Template | VM Size | vCPU | RAM | Storage | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SmallVM | D2s_v3 | 2 | 8 GB | 128 GB | Dev/test, light workloads |
| MediumVM | D4s_v3 | 4 | 16 GB | 256 GB | Moderate workloads, small databases |
| LargeVM | D8s_v3 | 8 | 32 GB | 512 GB | Heavy workloads, large builds |
| SmallGPU | NC8_A2 | 8 | 16 GB + A2 GPU | 256 GB | ML inference, light training |
| LargeGPU | NC16_A16 | 16 | 64 GB + A16 GPU | 512 GB | ML training, rendering |
| AKSNamespace | — | 4 (limit) | 8 GB (limit) | — | Container workloads |
!!! warning "Required tags" All resources must have the following tags or they will be flagged for deletion:
- `owner`: Your Microsoft alias (e.g., `youralias`)
- `expires`: Expiration date in `YYYY-MM-DD` format
The runbooks set these tags automatically. If you create resources manually, you must add them yourself.
Method 2: ACX Lab Power App
For a guided experience, use the ACX Lab Power App:
- Open the ACX Lab Self-Service Power App (search for it in https://make.powerapps.com or find the link in the ACX Lab Teams channel)
- Click New Resource Request
- Fill in the form:
- Resource type: VM, AKS Namespace, AVD Host
- Template: Select from the dropdown
- Name: Give your resource a name
- Duration: How long you need it (default: 90 days)
- Justification: Brief description of your use case
- Click Submit
- Track your request in the My Requests tab
Provisioning Times
| Resource | Expected Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Small/Medium VM | 5–10 minutes | Fastest to deploy |
| Large VM | 10–15 minutes | Larger disk allocation |
| GPU VM | 15–30 minutes | Subject to GPU availability |
| AKS Namespace | 5 minutes | Namespace + RBAC setup |
| AVD Session Host | 15–20 minutes | Includes domain join |
After Provisioning
Once your resource is ready:
- You'll receive an email notification with resource details
- The resource appears in your resource group in the Azure portal
- Connect using the methods described in Connecting to Resources
Resource Limits
Each user is subject to the following default limits:
| Resource | Limit |
|---|---|
| VMs | 5 concurrent |
| AKS namespaces | 2 concurrent |
| GPU VMs | 1 concurrent |
| Total vCPU | 32 |
| Total RAM | 128 GB |
Need more? Contact the ACX Lab team with your business justification.