Automate your VM Images with Packer and Azure DevOps Pipeline

EPISODE 14
Build an Azure DevOps Pipeline that builds an Azure Virtual Machine Image using the Shared Image Gallery we provisioned last episode.

Source Code:

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Keep the knowledge flowing!

[azdanov]

Dynamic image versioning is very cool. I had to do it manually for common libraries at previous work, and there were times where you pushed a wrong version number... That wasn't fun.

[marsamuk]

Hi. Is it possible to use a single template packer file to build multiple OS images like Windows, Ubuntu, and RHEL? If so, what would be the recommended approach to achieve this? Thank you!

[rajulros]

Thank you Mark for this video. It was very helpful.

However, I am facing issues with winrm connections. Pipeline fails with winrm timeout. Packer VM is not accepting winrm connections when we specify the vnet and subnet names

[ccccccccc]

Hi thank you very much for uploading such a wonderful video serials, I learned a lot! I tried all the procedures in your video, but I got an error message from Azure DevOps, saying that "packer: command not found". I think this is because I used a self hosted agent, and on this agent packer is not installed. If I use a azure hosted agent, do I still need to install Packer? And I tried to run packer build through my local computer, got another error saying that the shared image is not found. I guess it is because I didn't deploy an image version through terraform before I call "packer build". But I noticed that you also didn't deploy any versions to the shared image before you call packer build (you only deployed shared image gallery and an empty shared image "Ubuntu-baseline"), but your code is working.... Do you have any idea how this happens? Thank you in advance!🙂

[marsamuk]

Hi. I’m trying to follow and do the lab 😊. Where are you defining the variable values? Thanks

[marsamuk]

Hi. What do I need to change if I’m running your code in my ADO? Also what’s the need for declaring IP address? I thought packer will create an IP and other requirements? Thanks

[marsamuk]

Have you done any Ansible automation using AzDO? I’m working on a project to automate Ansible Linux patching using AzDO. Thanks

[marsamuk]

Hi. Why do we need terraform? Can’t we just use packer and Azure DevOps automate packer builds? Thanks

[misterc]

Build 'azure-arm.vm' errored after 440 milliseconds 558 microseconds: the Shared Gallery Image 'VMimagesDev' to which to publish the managed image version to does not exist in the resource group 'test1' or does not contain managed image '2023.12.12'
Any idea what is missing? (The gallery image name and resource group are fine)