Solution Manager sub-type operation
Theme: Configure | Audience: Automation Engineer
What is it?
The Solution Manager sub-type provides an ACS-based Azure VM job type within OpCon's Solution Manager interface. It enables you to define, manage, and monitor Azure VM jobs entirely through Solution Manager without using Enterprise Manager or the command line.
- Use this sub-type when your OpCon environment runs version 25.0.3 or higher and you manage jobs through Solution Manager.
- Use this sub-type when you want connector configuration (
Connector.config) centralized within OpCon rather than managed as a file on the agent server.
All interactions with the Solution Manager sub-type must be completed using Solution Manager.
Prerequisites
Before defining Azure VM jobs in Solution Manager, confirm the following:
- The Azure VM Connector is installed on the OpCon server or Relay server. See Installation.
- The ACSAZUREVM script type, script runner, Connector.config script, and data script are created. See the Solution Manager sub-type installation section in Installation.
- The AzureVM agent definition is created and saved in Solution Manager.
Define an Azure VM job
To define an Azure VM job in Solution Manager, complete the following steps:
- In Solution Manager, go to the job definition.
- From the Job Type list, select AzureVM.
- From the Task Type list, select the task to perform.
- Enter the required field values for the selected task.
- Select Save.
The following task types are available:
- Create Virtual Machine
- Deallocate Virtual Machine
- Delete Virtual Machine
- List Virtual Machines
- PowerOff Virtual Machine
- Restart Virtual Machine
- Start Virtual Machine
Task type field reference
Create virtual machine
Creates a new virtual machine in the Azure environment from a defined image.
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Resource Group | Yes | The resource group where the virtual machine will be created |
| Machine Name | Yes | The name of the virtual machine to create |
| Private IP Address Property Name | No | The OpCon global property name to store the VM's private IP address after creation |
| Public IP Address Property Name | No | The OpCon global property name to store the VM's public IP address after creation |
| Region | Yes | The Azure region where the VM will be created. Select from the list |
| Custom Image | No | Select this option when using a custom image. Disk Size is not required for custom images |
| Image | Yes | The image to use when creating the VM. Select from the list |
| Image Size | Yes | The size of the VM. For custom images, the size must match the size used when the image was created |
| Network | Yes | The virtual network for the VM. Enter new to create a new network |
| Address Space | Yes | The subnet address space. Enter 10.0.0.0/24 for a new network, or enter the existing subnet name |
| Admin User | Yes | The administrator user name for the VM, following the naming requirements for the selected VM type |
| User Password | Yes | The password for the administrator user |
:::caution Not every combination of image, operating system and network is supported Creating a virtual machine behaves differently depending on the three choices you make. The following combinations work as described:
| Image | Network | Windows | Linux |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | New (new) | Supported | Not supported — nothing is created and the job fails |
| Standard | Existing | Creates the machine, then reports failure | Supported |
| Custom | New (new) | Supported | Supported |
| Custom | Existing | Creates the machine, then reports failure | Supported |
To create a Linux machine on a new network, use a custom image. To create a Windows machine on an existing network, expect the job to fail and check Azure before rerunning it. :::
:::caution A reported failure does not always mean nothing was created
When the virtual machine is a Windows machine being added to an existing network, the connector creates the machine but then reports the job as failed and returns 1. The machine exists in Azure, and neither IP address property is set.
Check the resource group in Azure before rerunning the job. If the machine is there, delete it first, or the rerun creates a second one. :::
Deallocate virtual machine
Stops the virtual machine and deallocates all its resources. The VM is removed from the allocated resource pool.
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Resource Group | Yes | The resource group where the virtual machine is allocated |
| Machine Name | Yes | The name of the virtual machine to deallocate |
Delete virtual machine
Removes a virtual machine from the resource group.
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Resource Group | Yes | The resource group where the virtual machine is allocated |
| Machine Name | Yes | The name of the virtual machine to delete |
List virtual machines
Returns status information for all virtual machines in the resource group.
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Resource Group | Yes | The resource group to list virtual machines for |
Sample output:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
List of virtual machines in resource Group MY_RESOURCEGROUP
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Virtual Machine Name Region Current State IP Private IP Public OS Type
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LINUX001 West Europe PowerState/running 10.0.0.11 203.0.113.11 LINUX
LINUX002 West Europe PowerState/running 10.0.0.12 203.0.113.12 LINUX
LINUX003 West Europe PowerState/running 10.0.0.13 203.0.113.13 LINUX
WINSRV01 West Europe PowerState/running 10.0.0.14 203.0.113.14 WINDOWS
LINUX004 West Europe PowerState/stopped 10.0.0.15 N/A LINUX
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PowerOff virtual machine
Shuts down a virtual machine. The VM is stopped but resources remain allocated.
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Resource Group | Yes | The resource group where the virtual machine is allocated |
| Machine Name | Yes | The name of the virtual machine to power off |
Restart virtual machine
Restarts a virtual machine. Optionally stores the IP addresses after restart.
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Resource Group | Yes | The resource group where the virtual machine is allocated |
| Machine Name | Yes | The name of the virtual machine to restart |
| Private IP Address Property Name | No | The OpCon global property name to store the VM's private IP address after restart |
| Public IP Address Property Name | No | The OpCon global property name to store the VM's public IP address after restart |
Start virtual machine
Starts a stopped virtual machine. Optionally stores the IP addresses after startup.
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Resource Group | Yes | The resource group where the virtual machine is allocated |
| Machine Name | Yes | The name of the virtual machine to start |
| Private IP Address Property Name | No | The OpCon global property name to store the VM's private IP address after startup |
| Public IP Address Property Name | No | The OpCon global property name to store the VM's public IP address after startup |
Return codes
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
0 | Success — the job completed processing |
1 | Failure — an exception occurred during job processing |
99 | A credential value in Connector.config is missing |
401 | A credential value in Connector.config is present but empty |
To detect a failure, set the Failure Criteria for the job to NE (Not Equal) to 0, which catches all three failure codes.
:::note 99 and 401 point at the configuration file, not at Azure
Both codes mean the connector could not read an encoded value from the Connector.config script. Despite its resemblance to an HTTP status, 401 is not a rejection by Azure or by the OpCon API.
:::
Logging
All output produced by an AzureVM job is available in the job output log. Retrieve the log using the OpCon JORS (Job Output Retrieval System) capability in Solution Manager.
FAQs
What is the difference between Deallocate and PowerOff? PowerOff stops the VM while Azure continues to reserve the allocated resources, which means compute charges may still apply. Deallocate stops the VM and releases its allocated resources, which stops compute charges while keeping the VM definition intact.
Can I store the VM's IP address in an OpCon global property after startup? Yes. In the Private IP Address Property Name and Public IP Address Property Name fields, enter the name of the OpCon global property (not the value) where the IP address should be stored. The connector writes the address to the property after the task completes.
Where does the connector find the Azure credentials for Solution Manager jobs?
The credentials are read from the Connector.config script stored in Solution Manager. The AzureVM agent definition links the job to the correct config script.
Can I add custom images or regions to the lists?
Yes. Edit the data script associated with the AzureVM agent. Add entries using the IMAGE image-name, SIZE size-name, or REGION region-name format. The new values appear in the lists when defining a job. Image names must follow the publisher_offer_sku form described in Installation.
How do I retrieve job output after a job runs? Use Solution Manager's JORS capability to view job output. Select the completed job and use the View Output option to access the connector log for that run.
Glossary
ACS framework — The Agent Configuration Service framework in OpCon 25.0.3 and later that centralizes connector configuration within OpCon and provides a wrapper for ACS-compatible connectors such as the Azure VM Connector.
AzureVM agent — The OpCon agent definition of type AzureVM that links Solution Manager job definitions to the connector installation, config script, and data script.
Deallocate — An Azure operation that stops a VM and releases its compute resources, distinguishing it from a simple power-off where resources remain reserved.
Resource group — An Azure container that holds related resources such as virtual machines. All connector tasks target a single resource group per job.
JORS — Job Output Retrieval System. The OpCon feature that stores and provides access to job output logs. Used to review connector output and diagnose issues.
Data script — The Solution Manager script associated with an AzureVM agent that defines the available values (types, regions, images, sizes) used when defining Azure VM jobs.