Bring Your Own Subscription (BYOS)

Bring Your Own Subscription

A guide for customers who want to use their own Azure subscriptions for provisioning and managing VM Labs using CloudLabs VM Labs.

Overview

CloudLabs VM Labs is a streamlined solution for creating and distributing VM Labs at scale. CloudLabs integrates with Azure for the backend provisioning of VMs and other resources. By default, CloudLabs uses its own Azure subscriptions, dedicated to each customer, to create and manage VM Labs. However, some customers may prefer to use their own Azure subscriptions for various reasons, such as special pricing agreements with Microsoft. This document explains the concept of Bring Your Own Subscription (BYOS), the features and responsibilities of each option, the pricing aspects, and the process of using BYOS with CloudLabs VM Labs.

Features and Responsibilities of Each Option

There are two options for using Azure subscriptions with CloudLabs VM Labs:

• CloudLabs Managed Azure: These are Azure subscriptions owned and managed by CloudLabs, dedicated to each CloudLabs tenant. This is the default and recommended option for CloudLabs VM Labs customers. You will be billed for Azure consumption as per actuals by CloudLabs.

• Bring Your Own Subscription (BYOS): These are Azure subscriptions that are owned and managed by the customers themselves. This is an optional feature for CloudLabs VM Labs customers who want to use their own Azure subscriptions.

The following table compares the features and responsibilities of each option:

Billing & Pricing

The following points explain the billing & pricing aspects of BYOS:

• You will pay Microsoft for Azure charges as per your own agreement/rates with Microsoft.

• You will pay CloudLabs for platform charges, either through Azure Marketplace or directly to CloudLab.

Azure expenses are calculated by platform for your deployments, VM images, etc., as per PAYG pricing.

Standard support is included in all editions without any additional charges. Premium and enterprise support options are available as add-ons. Please visit Support for more information.

How to use BYOS with CloudLabs VM Labs?

If you are interested in using BYOS with CloudLabs VM Labs, you need to contact the CloudLabs sales team to discuss the requirements and feasibility of BYOS. The sales team will guide you through the process and the pricing of BYOS. The following steps describe the process of using BYOS with CloudLabs VM Labs:

1. Initiate:

   1. Contact the CloudLabs sales team and request the BYOS arrangement.

      1. Sales Contact: cloudlabs-sales@spektrasystems.com

   2. Complete the onboarding and sign agreements as guided by the sales team.

   3. Verify access to the CloudLabs portal.

2. Prepare:

   1. Identify and designate an Azure subscription to be used with CloudLabs. It is recommended to create dedicated subscriptions per CloudLabs tenant for isolation.

   2. Create an Entra ID Service Principal Name (SPN) with owner rights on a designated Azure subscription. Please see the documentation for more information: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity-platform/howto-create-service-principal-portal (Portal) or https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cli/azure/azure-cli-sp-tutorial-1?tabs=bash (CLI).

   3. Share the following information and the SPN credentials with the CloudLabs team (labs-support@spektrasystems.com):

      1. Entra ID Tenant ID

      2. Entra ID Subscription ID

      3. SPN App ID

      4. SPN Secret

      5. SPN Expiry Date

3. Test

   1. The CloudLabs team onboards your subscription to CloudLabs VM Labs and tests your subscription for deployment.

   2. Test the BYOS subscription in the CloudLabs portal, add existing VNet or gallery images if needed, or create new ones for the CloudLabs VM Labs.

4. Go-Live

   1. Verify that your Azure subscription has a VM quota available. If not, please work with Microsoft support on quota requests.

   2. Verify Reports.

   3. Plan for subscription management, security, and cost tracking.

FAQs

Q: What are the benefits of using BYOS?

A: BYOS gives you the independence to work with Microsoft for Azure support, quotas, and issues. You can also leverage your existing agreement with Microsoft for special pricing.

Q: What are the drawbacks of using BYOS?

A: BYOS requires you to own and manage your Azure subscription provisioning, management, security, and budget. You also need to have a support contract with Microsoft and work with them for any Azure support needs.

Q: Is Azure pricing different when using CloudLabs-managed Azure?

A: CloudLabs-managed Azure bills you Azure (Pay As You Go) rates, as per Microsoft official rates. Your own subscription may have the same price, depending on your agreement.

Q: How is the CloudLabs platform fee calculated?

A: As per your Azure subscription type, CloudLabs will generate a bill based on the given pricing according to the number of lab users in a month.

Q: Do I have access to the Azure Cost Management/Billing Center for CloudLabs-managed Azure?

A: Yes. You can get access to Azure Cost Management, even if it’s a CloudLabs-managed Azure subscription. In addition to this, you also get advanced cost reporting and analytics.

Q: How do I switch from CloudLabs-provided Azure subscriptions to BYOS?

A: Contact the CloudLabs sales team and request BYOS. The sales team will guide you through the process and the pricing of BYOS. You will also need to create an SPN and share your subscription information and credentials with the CloudLabs team.

Q: How do I switch from BYOS to CloudLabs-provided Azure subscriptions?

A: You need to contact the CloudLabs sales team and request to switch back to CloudLabs-provided Azure subscriptions. The sales team will guide you through the process and the price of switching back. You will also need to remove the SPN and the access of the CloudLabs team to your subscription.

Q: How do I use my existing VNet or gallery images with CloudLabs VM Labs?

A: You can use your existing VNet or gallery images with CloudLabs VM Labs by selecting them from the CloudLabs portal when you create or edit a VM Lab. You can also create new VNet or gallery images and use them with CloudLabs VM Labs.

Q: How do I monitor and control my Azure usage and budget with BYOS?

A: You can monitor and control your Azure usage and budget with BYOS by using the Azure portal and the Azure Cost Management tools. You can also set alerts and policies to manage your Azure spending. CloudLabs will also provide you with basic reports of your Azure usage and the platform fee.