microsoft · jaromirk · Aug 14, 2025 · Aug 11, 2025 · Aug 14, 2025
diff --git a/HandsOnLabs/02-DeployingAzureLocal/readme.md b/HandsOnLabs/02-DeployingAzureLocal/readme.md
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ In this lab you will deploy 2 node Azure Local into virtual environment using [c
 
 To setup lab, follow [01-Creating First Lab](../../HandsOnLabs/01-CreatingFirstLab/readme.md)
 
-Lab consumes ~60GB RAM. You can modify number of VMs and get down to ~30GB
+Lab consumes ~50GB RAM. You can modify number of VMs and get down to ~40GB. Deployment works with just 16GB RAM per node
 
 ## LabConfig
 
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ $LabConfig=@{AllowedVLANs="1-10,711-719" ; DomainAdminName='LabAdmin'; AdminPass
 
 #Azure Local 24H2
 #labconfig will not domain join VMs
-1..2 | ForEach-Object {$LABConfig.VMs += @{ VMName = "ALNode$_" ; Configuration = 'S2D' ; ParentVHD = 'AzSHCI24H2_G2.vhdx' ; HDDNumber = 4 ; HDDSize= 1TB ; MemoryStartupBytes= 24GB; VMProcessorCount="MAX" ; vTPM=$true ; Unattend="NoDjoin" ; NestedVirt=$true }}
+1..2 | ForEach-Object {$LABConfig.VMs += @{ VMName = "ALNode$_" ; Configuration = 'S2D' ; ParentVHD = 'AzSHCI24H2_G2.vhdx' ; HDDNumber = 4 ; HDDSize= 1TB ; MemoryStartupBytes= 20GB; VMProcessorCount="MAX" ; vTPM=$true ; Unattend="NoDjoin" ; NestedVirt=$true }}
 
 #VM for Windows Admin Center (optional)
 #$LabConfig.VMs += @{ VMName = 'WACGW' ; ParentVHD = 'Win2025Core_G2.vhdx'; MGMTNICs=1}
@@ -101,22 +101,21 @@ Invoke-Command -ComputerName $Servers -ScriptBlock {
 
 
 ```PowerShell
-<# this breaks registration - recipe validation failed
-
 #Install modules
+<# No longer needed
 Invoke-Command -ComputerName $Servers -Scriptblock {
     Install-PackageProvider -Name NuGet -MinimumVersion 2.8.5.201 -Force
     Install-Module PowerShellGet -AllowClobber -Force
     Install-Module -Name AzStackHci.EnvironmentChecker -Force
 } -Credential $Credentials
+#>
 
 #validate environment
 $result=Invoke-Command -ComputerName $Servers -Scriptblock {
     Invoke-AzStackHciConnectivityValidation -PassThru
 } -Credential $Credentials
 $result | Out-GridView
 
-#>
 ```
 
 ![](./media/powershell02.png)
@@ -234,6 +233,7 @@ As you can see, code contains few fixes that will be addressed in future release
 
 ```PowerShell
 #Make sure resource providers are registered
+Register-AzResourceProvider -ProviderNamespace "Microsoft.AzureArcData"
 Register-AzResourceProvider -ProviderNamespace "Microsoft.HybridCompute" 
 Register-AzResourceProvider -ProviderNamespace "Microsoft.GuestConfiguration" 
 Register-AzResourceProvider -ProviderNamespace "Microsoft.HybridConnectivity" 
@@ -245,21 +245,24 @@ Register-AzResourceProvider -ProviderNamespace "Microsoft.ResourceConnector"
 Register-AzResourceProvider -ProviderNamespace "Microsoft.HybridContainerService"
 Register-AzResourceProvider -ProviderNamespace "Microsoft.Attestation"
 Register-AzResourceProvider -ProviderNamespace "Microsoft.Storage"
+Register-AzResourceProvider -ProviderNamespace "Microsoft.Insights"
 
 #deploy ARC Agent (with Arc Gateway, without proxy. For more examples visit https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-local/deploy/deployment-arc-register-server-permissions?tabs=powershell)
     $armtoken = (Get-AzAccessToken).Token
     $id = (Get-AzContext).Account.Id
     $Cloud="AzureCloud"
 
-    #check if token is plaintext (older module version outputs plaintext, version 5 outputs secure string) - will be fixed in 2506
+    #check if token is plaintext (older module version outputs plaintext, version 5 outputs secure string)
     # Check if the token is a SecureString
     if ($armtoken -is [System.Security.SecureString]) {
         # Convert SecureString to plaintext
         $armtoken = [System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::PtrToStringAuto([System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::SecureStringToBSTR($armtoken))
+        Write-Output "Token converted to plaintext."
     }else {
         Write-Output "Token is already plaintext."
     }
 
+<# no longer needed
     #check if ImageCustomizationScheduledTask is not in disabled state (if it's "ready", run it) - will be fixed in 2506
     Invoke-Command -ComputerName $Servers -ScriptBlock {
         $task=Get-ScheduledTask -TaskName ImageCustomizationScheduledTask
@@ -279,7 +282,7 @@ Register-AzResourceProvider -ProviderNamespace "Microsoft.Storage"
             } while ($task.state -ne "Disabled")
         }
     } -Credential $Credentials
-
+#> 
     #register servers
     Invoke-Command -ComputerName $Servers -ScriptBlock {
         Invoke-AzStackHciArcInitialization -SubscriptionID $using:SubscriptionID -ResourceGroup $using:ResourceGroupName -TenantID $using:TenantID -Cloud $using:Cloud -Region $Using:Location -ArmAccessToken $using:ARMtoken -AccountID $using:id #-ArcGatewayID $using:ArcGatewayID
@@ -371,7 +374,7 @@ Networking
     DNS Server:                 10.0.0.1
 
 Management
-    Custom location name:       ALClus01CustomLocation (default)
+    Custom location name:       ALClus01
 
     Azure storage account name: <just generate new>
 
@@ -394,6 +397,8 @@ Security:
 Advanced:
     Create workload volumes (Default)
 
+    **Please understand that the workload volumes will use thin provisioning, but their default max size is about 2x larger than the pool capacity. This is by-design.**
+
 Tags:
     <keep default>
 ```

diff --git a/Scripts/3_Deploy.ps1 b/Scripts/3_Deploy.ps1
@@ -970,7 +970,7 @@ If (-not $isAdmin) {
     $TimeZone=(Get-TimeZone).id
 
     #Grab number of processors
-    Get-CimInstance -ClassName "win32_processor" | ForEach-Object { $global:NumberOfLogicalProcessors += $_.NumberOfLogicalProcessors }
+    Get-CimInstance -ClassName "win32_processor" | ForEach-Object { $global:NumberOfLogicalProcessors += $_.NumberOfEnabledCore }
 
     #Calculate highest VLAN (for additional subnets)
     [int]$HighestVLAN=$LabConfig.AllowedVLANs -split "," -split "-" | Select-Object -Last 1

diff --git a/Scripts/LabConfig.ps1 b/Scripts/LabConfig.ps1
@@ -1,16 +1,17 @@
-#basic config for Windows Server 2022, that creates VMs for S2D Hyperconverged scenario https://github.com/Microsoft/MSLab/tree/master/Scenarios/S2D%20Hyperconverged
+#basic config for Windows Server 2025 S2D with 4 nodes
 
 $LabConfig=@{AllowedVLANs="1-10,711-719" ; DomainAdminName='LabAdmin'; AdminPassword='LS1setup!'; Prefix = 'MSLab-' ; DCEdition='4'; Internet=$true ; AdditionalNetworksConfig=@(); VMs=@()}
-# Windows Server 2022
-1..4 | ForEach-Object {$LABConfig.VMs += @{ VMName = "S2D$_" ; Configuration = 'S2D' ; ParentVHD = 'Win2022Core_G2.vhdx'; SSDNumber = 0; SSDSize=800GB ; HDDNumber = 12; HDDSize= 4TB ; MemoryStartupBytes= 512MB }}
-# Or Azure Stack HCI 23H2 (non-domain joined) https://github.com/DellGEOS/AzureStackHOLs/tree/main/lab-guides/01a-DeployAzureStackHCICluster-CloudBasedDeployment
-#1..2 | ForEach-Object {$LABConfig.VMs += @{ VMName = "ASNode$_" ; Configuration = 'S2D' ; ParentVHD = 'AzSHCI23H2_G2.vhdx' ; HDDNumber = 4 ; HDDSize= 2TB ; MemoryStartupBytes= 24GB; VMProcessorCount=16 ; vTPM=$true ; Unattend="NoDjoin" ; NestedVirt=$true }}
-# Or Windows Server 2025 https://github.com/DellGEOS/AzureLocalHOLs/tree/main/lab-guides/03-TestingWindowsServer2025
-#1..2 | ForEach-Object {$LABConfig.VMs += @{ VMName="S2D$_" ; Configuration='S2D' ; ParentVHD='Win2025Core_G2.vhdx' ; HDDNumber=4 ; HDDSize=2TB ; MemoryStartupBytes=1GB; VMProcessorCount=4 ; vTPM=$true}}
+# Windows Server 2025 https://github.com/DellGEOS/AzureLocalHOLs/tree/main/lab-guides/03-TestingWindowsServer2025
+1..4 | ForEach-Object {$LABConfig.VMs += @{ VMName = "S2D$_" ; Configuration = 'S2D' ; ParentVHD = 'Win2025Core_G2.vhdx'; SSDNumber = 0; SSDSize=800GB ; HDDNumber = 12; HDDSize= 4TB ; MemoryStartupBytes= 512MB }}
+# Or Azure Stack HCI 23H2 (non-domain joined) https://github.com/microsoft/MSLab/tree/master/HandsOnLabs/02-DeployingAzureLocal
+#1..2 | ForEach-Object {$LABConfig.VMs += @{ VMName = "ALNode$_" ; Configuration = 'S2D' ; ParentVHD = 'AzSHCI24H2_G2.vhdx' ; HDDNumber = 4 ; HDDSize= 1TB ; MemoryStartupBytes= 24GB; VMProcessorCount="MAX" ; vTPM=$true ; Unattend="NoDjoin" ; NestedVirt=$true }}
+# Or Windows Server Insider https://github.com/microsoft/MSLab/tree/master/HandsOnLabs/03-RackLevelNestedMirror
+#1..2 | ForEach-Object {$LABConfig.VMs += @{ VMName="SiteA_$_" ; Configuration='S2D' ; ParentVHD='WinSrvInsiderCore_26445.vhdx' ; HDDNumber=4 ; HDDSize=2TB ; MemoryStartupBytes=1GB; VMProcessorCount=4 ; vTPM=$true}}
+#1..2 | ForEach-Object {$LABConfig.VMs += @{ VMName="SiteB_$_" ; Configuration='S2D' ; ParentVHD='WinSrvInsiderCore_26445.vhdx' ; HDDNumber=4 ; HDDSize=2TB ; MemoryStartupBytes=1GB; VMProcessorCount=4 ; vTPM=$true}}
 
 ### HELP ###
 
-#If you need more help or different configuration options, ping us at jaromir.kaspar@dell.com or [email protected]
+#If you need more help or different configuration options, ping us at v-jkaspar@microsoft.com or [email protected]
 
 #region Same as above, but with more explanation
     <#