This is an automated lab environment build tool to support authors, trainers, educators and students in designing and building a virtual lab environment.

The configurations and control scripts for the Hyper-V virtual machine's are written in Microsoft PowerShell DSC and deployed using VirtualEngine Lability. This tool will completely build a lab environment from scratch, however if you want to build your own environment and have the VMs configured for you, see the section on StandAlone.

This tool is provided 'as is' with no warranties or guarantees.

Current Release is v3.0.2

Master IS currently in sync with latest release.

• Download release PS-AutoLab-Env v3.0.2

• Added New course config for Michael Bender

• Download any release All Releases

The host computer must have the following:

• WMF 5 (Windows Management Framework 5)
• An internet connection
• Minimum 16GB of Ram
• Minimum 100GB free disk space

• Windows Server 2016
• Windows 10 client with SLAT

If you are going to build a Host VM of Server 2016 or Windows 10, In the gerenal settings for your VM, you must change the OS type to Hyper-V(Unsupported) or the Host hyper-v will not work!

• Windows Server 2012 R2
• Windows Server 2016
• Windows 8.1 clients
• Windows 10 clients

Video of instructions here: Video Instructions

1. Download the ZIP of this repository to the Host computer.
2. Extract the zip of PS-AutoLab-Env to your C:\ drive (C:\PS-AutoLab-Env)
3. Open PowerShell with administrative privileges (Run As Administrator)
4. Set the execution policy to Bypass (PS> Set-ExecutionPolicy ByPass)
5. Change to the extracted folder PS-AutoLab-Env.
6. Run PS> .\ Setup-Host.ps1

• Note: The default installation folder is C:\AutoLab. You can change this if desired.
• Note: .\Unattend-LabSetup runs setup-lab, Run-Lab, and Validate-Lab all together for faster processing

6. Change to the configuration folder under the installation folder (C:\AutoLab) and choose a configuration i.e. c:\AutoLab\Configuration<Your Config folder>
7. Check the Instructions.MD (Get-Content .\Instructions.MD)

Note - The first time you run Setup-Lab, it will download all required files including ISOs and DSCResources. This initial download may require several hours depending on your Internet connection but it only happens the first time. You will be able to build and wipe the Lab quickly in future.

To run the full lab setup, which includes Setup-Lab, Run-Lab, Enable-Internet, and Validate-Lab:
PS> Unattend-Lab

To run the commands individually to setup the lab environment:

Run the following for initial setup:
PS> Setup-Lab

To start the Lab, and apply configurations the first time:
PS> Run-Lab

To enable Internet access for the VM's, run:
PS> Enable-Internet

To validate when configurations have converged:
PS> Validate-Lab

To stop the lab VM's:
PS> Shutdown-lab

To checkpoint the VM's:
PS> Snapshot-Lab

To quickly rebuild the labs from the checkpoint, run:
PS> Refresh-Lab

To destroy the lab to build again:
PS> Wipe-Lab

In the Standalone folder, a variety of DSC configurations have been included for authors and students who wish to build their environments on their own VM Infrastructure. The DSC Configurations may be applied to your own VMs. You will need to deploy the configs and DSC resources yourself.

None

NOTE - Configuration convergence takes about 30 - 60 minutes and several reboots - do not turn off machines until they finish. It is advised that you run .\Snapshot-lab when complete for easy refreshing.

These are things currently planned for development. Please help us and contribute your own configs or pick something from the list marked (Future)

1. Additional Role configurations including:
   • Windows Server 2016 release version (completed)
   • ADCS (plus certificates and autoenrollment) (completed)
   • Web servers and web sites (future)
   • Exchange (future)
   • SQL (future)
   • Installing RSAT tool into Windows 10 (Completed)
   • Installing PowerShell 6 (current)
   • Do you have suggestions? Add to Issues list
2. Nano support (Completed)
3. Linux (Ubuntu and CentOS) (Future)
4. Structural config changes
   • Moving to a single composite config for easier development and management (Future)
   • Adding Pester tests to all configurations (Completed)
5. Add custom media and Registration Keys (future) - (your own ISO with Key)
6. Add support for custom DSCResource Modules (future)

Please make recommendations or fork this repo and share your own!!!