How to setup Nested Virtualization for Azure VM/VHD ?
Scenario: An Azure nested virtualization environment is needed to fix an OS issue on a broken Azure VM or created a custom image in Azure.
Prerequisite:
- Deploy a Dv3 and Ev3 series Windows Server VM in Azure that supports nested virtualization, see article about the VM sizes. Read more on Introducing the new Dv3 and Ev3 VM sizes .
Process
- After Azure VM is deployed, RDP into the Azure VM, open PowerShell as administrator and run command below to install the HyperV and DHCP server roles.
- Install-WindowsFeature -Name DHCP,Hyper-V –IncludeManagementTools
Output:
- Once roles are installed without error, restart Azure VM using
- Shutdown -R
- When Azure VM comes back up, RDP into it, open PowerShell as an administrator and run commands below to configure the HyperV network,
- $switchName = "InternalNAT"
- New-VMSwitch -Name $switchName -SwitchType Internal
- New-NetNat –Name $switchName –InternalIPInterfaceAddressPrefix “192.168.0.0/24”
- $ifIndex = (Get-NetAdapter | ? {$_.name -like "*$switchName)"}).ifIndex
- New-NetIPAddress -IPAddress 192.168.0.1 -InterfaceIndex $ifIndex -PrefixLength 24
- Commands above will create a HyperV internal switch, set nat rule and gateway for that switch. Make sure all commands run without errors, see sample output
- If all the commands above are successful, run commands below in the same PowerShell window to configure the DHCP Service.
- Add-DhcpServerV4Scope -Name "DHCP-$switchName" -StartRange 192.168.0.50 -EndRange 192.168.0.100 -SubnetMask 255.255.255.0
- Set-DhcpServerV4OptionValue -Router 192.168.0.1 -DnsServer 168.63.129.16
- Restart-service dhcpserver
- Commands above will create DHCP a scope for HyperV nat, assign gateway IP, DNS IP for that scope on the DHCP service and restart dhcp service
- Make sure all commands run without errors, See sample output
- If all the commands above are successful, now create a VM in the nested virtualization environment using the InternalNAT switch.
- This will give a VM in the Azure VM, that is setup for DHCP and has internet connection.
- The correct configuration for a nested environment to manage Azure VMs.
