Create an Azure VM from an ISO stored in a blob

azure blob virtual-machine storage bootable
CBrown picture CBrown · Jan 29, 2016 · Viewed 12.9k times · Source

I have an ISO file from MSFT that is a bootable DVD. I uploaded it to a storage account and stored it in a blob in Azure. Now I want to use it to create a VM. When I select to create a VM, I do not see that as an option. Any ideas how I can provision this? My laptop does not have enough resources to create a Hyper-V VM to then upload the disk.

Thanks!

Answer

Peter Kirchner picture Peter Kirchner · Jan 29, 2016

In Azure you do not have console access to a VM. The only way to access a VM is some kind of remote access like RDP, PowerShell Remoting, or SSH.

I do not know what your ISO contains, but I assume that it is some kind of installation ISO in which state you do not have remote access but would need console access (which is not possible in Azure).

If I am wrong and you have an ISO file that directly boots into an operating system like many Linux distributions do then you could use an ISO to VHD converter (see e.g. https://mcloudinfo.wordpress.com/2014/02/03/convert-a-wim-or-iso-file-to-vhdx/). If that is the case I would download that ISO file inside from a VM, convert it to VHD, and put it back into your BLOB storage in Azure. After that you have to create a new VM via PowerShell.

But remember, your ISO should then contain an operating system that directly gets an IP address via DHCP and has open ports for remote access. Otherwise you cannot access it.

Also to note, Azure currently supports only VHD, not VHDX.

Related questions

AzureStorage Blob Server failed to authenticate the request. Make sure the value of Authorization header is formed correctly including the signature

I'm trying to upload a image in Windows Azure Blob and I'm geting the following error which I can't handle. Server failed to authenticate the request. Make sure the value of Authorization header is formed correctly including the signature. The …

Read More
Mount a Blob Storage as Drive on VM

I need to somehow uploads files and access them on the VM, how can I do this? Specifically, how can I get access to files I've uploaded as a blob from within the VM? I tried to access a file …

Read More
Get-AzureStorageBlob : Could not get the storage context. Please pass in a storage context or set the current storage context

I am using powershell with Azure cmdlets to try and simply see items in blob storage $StorageContext = New-AzureStorageContext -StorageAccountName 'myblobname' -StorageAccountKey '2341231234asdff2352354345==' $Container = Get-AzureStorageContainer -Name 'mycontainer' -Context $StorageContext $blobs = Get-AzureStorageBlob -Container $Container Error: Get-AzureStorageBlob : Could not get the …

Read More