How to Fix Azure Start and Stop VM using Runbook in Automation Account?

Question

Hi All, I have a requirement to auto startup and shutdown the Azure VM in Business hours(i.e 9 AM- 5 PM ) Mon-Fri. Have created a Automation Accounts, Configured Runbook and created a schedule. I'm unable to link a runbook to schedule as it got depreciated in sep2023. On Attempt-1, Throwing error as this.client.subscriptionId is null. However, have tried to hardcoded the subscription Id, still same error. In Below snippet, "Get Subscription" also throws the same error. ###################Attempt-1:##########################

$resourceGroupName = "XXX" $vmName = "YYY" 
try 
{
 "Logging in to Azure..." 
Connect-AzAccount -Identity 
} 
catch 
{ 
Write-Error -Message $.Exception throw $.Exception 
}
#Get subscription details
$subscriptions = Get-AzSubscription
#Output subscription details
$subscriptions | Select-Object SubscriptionName, SubscriptionId 
Write-Output ("Subscription"+$subscriptions) 
Stop-AzVM -ResourceGroupName "XXX" -Name $vmName -Force

Result: It gives error as Subscription is null.

---On Attempt-2, We have tried to authenticate the certificate by providing the tenant id, app_id unable to provide the thumbprint as I have no permissions to fetch. Still it throws the same error "Subscription is null." Used the authentication by Managed identity approach. #######################Attempt-2:#####################################

$resourceGroupName = "XXX" 
$vmName = "YYY" 

$Cert = Get-AzAutomationCertificate -ResourceGroupName "XXX" -AutomationAccountName "VM-AutoStartandStop" -Name "AzureRunAsCertificate" 

Write-Output ("Cert"+$Cert) 
try 
{
 "Logging in to Azure..." 
Connect-AzAccount -Identity 
}
 catch 
{
 Write-Error -Message $.Exception throw $.Exception 
}
Connect-AzAccount -ServicePrincipal -Tenant "

Answer 1

There is a simpler script with the command just to startup the vm, you can use the script below:

Param(
 [string]$VmName,
 [string]$ResourceGroupName,
 [ValidateSet("Startup", "Shutdown")]
 [string]$VmAction
)
$Conn = Get-AutomationConnection -Name AzureRunAsConnection
Add-AzureRMAccount -ServicePrincipal -Tenant $Conn.TenantID `
-ApplicationID $Conn.ApplicationID -CertificateThumbprint $Conn.CertificateThumbprint
Start-AzureRmVM -Name VMNAME -ResourceGroupName RGNAME

Put it in the schedule to turn on the VM And to shut down the vm you use the auto shutdown feature on Virtual Machine

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