"Pipeline Stopped" error while setting up Azure VM DSC Extension via Powershell

Question

PowerShell version: 5

I've uploaded a DSC ps1 file in a zip to Azure storage using the command:

publish-azurermvmdscconfiguration

With the appropriate parameters and arguments. Then I enter:

Set-AzureRmVmDSCExtension -ResourceGroupName Pollers -VmName <VmName> -ArchiveBlobName Run-DSCPython.zip -ArchiveStorageAccountName <storageAccountName> -Version 2.2 -Verbose

And I get the following (generally opaque) error message in PowerShell:

Set-AzureRmVmDSCExtension : The pipeline has been stopped.
At line:1 char:1
+ Set-AzureRmVmDSCExtension -ResourceGroupName Pollers -VmName Download ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : CloseError: (:) [Set-AzureRmVMDscExtension], PipelineStoppedException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Microsoft.Azure.Commands.Compute.Extension.DSC.SetAzureVMDscExtensionCommand

Set-AzureRmVmDSCExtension : Long running operation failed with status 'Failed'.
At line:1 char:1
+ Set-AzureRmVmDSCExtension -ResourceGroupName Pollers -VmName Download ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidResult: (:) [Set-AzureRmVMDscExtension], CloudException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvalidResult,Microsoft.Azure.Commands.Compute.Extension.DSC.SetAzureVMDscExtensionCommand

In the Azure Portal though, I dig up a more detailed log, it's very long so I'll post here only the part I believe is connected to the error itself:

 [ERROR] An error occurred while executing script or module 'Run-DSCPython':
  The specified module 'Run-DSCPython' was not loaded because no valid module file
 was found in any module directory.

Any idea what I need here? What module is it looking for?

Answer 1

While not exactly an answer to your question, I would propose you compile mofs in Azure Automation and register your VM's as nodes to Azure Automation, the process is a bit lengthy to write out here, I'll write a short guide:

# You can compile mof on your own PC and import, or compile in Azure Automation (preferred way)
<# 
 Import-AzureRmAutomationDscNodeConfiguration -Path "C:\localhost.mof" -ConfigurationName $configurationName `
   -ResourceGroupName $ResourceGroupName -AutomationAccountName $AutomationAccountName -Force
#>

$AutomationAccountName = "Automation"
$ResourceGroupName = "Azure"
$Location = "West Europe"
$VnetName = "VNet"

$configurationName = "Configuration-1"
$credName = "Name of credential asset in Azure Automation"
$nodeName = "localhost"
$StorageAccountName = "something"


# Import Configuration
$sourcePath = "C:\DSC.ps1"
Import-AzureRmAutomationDscConfiguration -SourcePath $sourcePath  `
   -ResourceGroupName $ResourceGroupName -AutomationAccountName $AutomationAccountName -Published -Force


# Compile mof
$ConfigurationData = @{ 
    AllNodes = @(
        @{
            NodeName = $nodeName
            PSDscAllowPlainTextPassword = $true
            RebootNodeIfNeeded = $true
            DebugMode = "All"
        }
    )
}

$Parameters = @{
    "storageAccountName" = $storageAccountName
    "nodeName" = $nodeName
    "credential" = $credName
}

Start-AzureRmAutomationDscCompilationJob -ResourceGroupName $ResourceGroupName -AutomationAccountName $AutomationAccountName `
    -ConfigurationName $configurationName -Parameters $Parameters -ConfigurationData $ConfigurationData 

# Register VM and apply mof
$VmName = "VM-Name";

Register-AzureRmAutomationDscNode -AutomationAccountName $AutomationAccountName -AzureVMName $VmName `
  -ResourceGroupName $ResourceGroupName -NodeConfigurationName "$configurationName.localhost"

Edit: forgot to tell you the reasoning, I've wasted 2-3 weeks trying to make DSC extension to work RELIABLY. I failed miserably, Azure Automation on the other hand was far more reliable, although really tricky at the beginning.