en-US/about_CustomResources.help.txt
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about_CustomResources SHORT DESCRIPTION Custom resources are binary files that can be deployed into virtual machines' VHD(X) disk file. LONG DESCRIPTION Most lab environments require additional binary resources to be able to provision them end-to-end. These resources may include .EXE, .MSI, .ISO and/or .ZIP files. Custom resources are defined in the NonNodeData section of the PowerShell DSC configuration document (.psd1) and then referenced within each node where the resource is required. This process permits injecting a resource into more than a single virtual machine if required. When defining custom resources, the Uri property can point to a http://, https:// or file:// location. NOTE: BE CAREFUL WHEN DISTRIBUTING LAB CONFIGURATION DOCUMENTS THAT CONTAIN FILE URIS. @{ AllNodes = @( @{ NodeName = 'ResourceExample'; ## Specify the resource identifiers all of the resources to be copied to the target node during ## VM creation. Lability_Resource = @('MyCustomResource'); } ) NonNodeData = @{ Lability = @{ Resource = @( @{ ## Resource identifier. If the resource is to be expanded (ZIP or ISO), it will also be ## expanded into the \Resources\<ResourceID> folder on the target node. Id = 'MyCustomResource'; ## When the file is downloaded, it will be placed in the host's 'ResourcePath' folder ## using this filename. Filename = 'MyCustomResource.zip'; ## The source URI to download the file from if it is not present in the host's Resources ## folder. This can be a http, https or file URI. If the path includes spaces, they must ## be URL encoded. Uri = 'http://mybucket.s3.amazon.com/MyCustomFile.zip' ## If you want the module to check the downloaded file, you can specify a MD5 checksum. ## If you do specify a checksum you HAVE to ensure it's correct otherwise it will ## continuously attempt to download the resource! Checksum = ''; ## If the resource is a .ZIP or .ISO file, it can be expanded/decompressed when copied ## into the node's \Resources\<ResourceID> folder. If not specified, this value defaults ## to False. Expand = $true; ## If specified, overrides the default \Resources destination path. DestinationPath = '\ProgramData\VirtualEngine'; } ) } } } RESOURCE DOWNLOAD When a lab configuration is started, Lability will automatically download all missing media and custom resources. In some scenarios you many need to download all required resources in advance, e.g. where internet access is not readily available or permitted. The `Invoke-LabResourceDownload` cmdlet can be used to manually download all required resources. All downloaded resources are cached in the host's 'ResourcePath'. This path can be found by running the following command: PS C:\> Get-LabHostDefault Use the `Set-LabHostDefault` cmdlet to set the host's 'ResourcePath' property. For example COMPRESSED RESOURCES Custom resources/media may be downloaded in a compressed foramt, i.e. ZIP files. Lability supports decompressing or expanding .ISO and .ZIP resources into a node's VHD(X) file when the VM is created. To expand a resource you need to set the 'Expand' property on the resource to '$true'. By default no resources are automatically expanded. When expanding .ISO and .ZIP resources, they are placed into the \Resources\<ResourceId> folder. For example, an .ISO resource with the Id of 'MyCustomIso' when set to expand, would be expanded into the C:\Resources\MyCustomIso folder of the target node. NOTE: THE COMPRESSED RESOURCE IS STILL DOWNLOADED AND STORED ON THE HOST MACHINE. MANUAL RESOURCE DOWNLOAD It is also possible to manually prestage resources by placing them in the host's 'ResourcePath' directory. If an existing filename (and checksum) already matches a resource definition, Lability will not attempt to download it again. For example, when using the above configuration, manually placing a 'MyCustomResource.zip' file in the host's 'ResourcePath' directory will ensure that the file will not be downloaded (as there is no checksum). However, if a MD5 checksum is defined, only if the MD5 checksum matches, it will won't be downloaded again. NOTE: IF A MD5 CHECKSUM IS INCORRECT, LABILITY WILL CONTINUOUSLY ATTEMPT TO DOWNLOAD A RESOURCE. KEYWORDS Compressed resource Custom resource Media download SEE ALSO CustomResources.psd1 Invoke-LabResourceDownload Get-LabHostDefault |