Mount a Page Blob VHD in any Windows Azure VM outside any Web, Worker or VM Role

Following is the C# Source code to mount a Page Blob VHD in any Windows Azure VM outside any Web, Worker or VM Role:

 

 Console.Write("Role Environment Verification: ");
if (!RoleEnvironment.IsAvailable)
{
    Console.WriteLine(" FAILED........!!");

         return;
}
Console.WriteLine(" SUCCESS........!!");
Console.WriteLine("Starting Drive Mount!!");
var cloudDriveBlobPath = https://<Storage_Account>.blob.core.windows.net/<Container>/<VHD_NAME(myvhd64.vhd);
Console.WriteLine("Role Name: " + RoleEnvironment.CurrentRoleInstance.Role.Name);
StorageCredentialsAccountAndKey credentials = new StorageCredentialsAccountAndKey("<Storage_ACCOUNT>", "<Storage_KEY>");
Console.WriteLine("Deployment ID:" + RoleEnvironment.DeploymentId.ToString());
Console.WriteLine("Role count:" + RoleEnvironment.Roles.Count);
try
{
    localCache = RoleEnvironment.GetLocalResource("<Correct_Local_Storage_Name>");

         Char[] backSlash = { '\\' };

         String localCachePath = localCache.RootPath.TrimEnd(backSlash);

         CloudDrive.InitializeCache(localCachePath, localCache.MaximumSizeInMegabytes);

         Console.WriteLine(localCache.Name + " | " + localCache.RootPath + " | " + localCachePath + " ! " + localCache.MaximumSizeInMegabytes);

}
catch (Exception eXp)
{
    Console.WriteLine("Problem with Local Storage: " + eXp.Message);

         return;
}
drive = new CloudDrive(new Uri(cloudDriveBlobPath), credentials);
try
{
    Console.WriteLine("Calling Drive Mount API!!");

         string driveLetter = drive.Mount(localCache.MaximumSizeInMegabytes, DriveMountOptions.None);

         Console.WriteLine("Drive :" + driveLetter);

         Console.WriteLine("Finished Mounting!!");

         Console.WriteLine("************Lets Unmount now********************");

         Console.WriteLine("Press any key......");

         Console.ReadKey();

         Console.WriteLine("Starting Unmount......");

         drive.Unmount();

         Console.WriteLine("Finished Unmounting!!");

         Console.WriteLine("Press any key to exit......");

         Console.ReadKey();
}
catch (Exception exP)
{
    Console.WriteLine(exP.Message + "//" + exP.Source);

         Console.WriteLine("Failed Mounting!!");

         Console.ReadKey();
}

Applicaiton Output:  

Role Environment Verification: SUCCESS........!! Starting Drive Mount!! Role Name: VMRole1 Deployment ID:207c1761a3e74d6a8cad9bf3ba1b23dc Role count:1 LocalStorage | C:\Resources\LocalStorage | C:\Resources\LocalStorage ! 870394 Calling Drive Mount API!! Drive :B:\ Finished Mounting!! ************Lets Unmount now******************** Press any key...... Starting Unmount...... Finished Unmounting!! Press any key to exit......

Possible Errors:

• 1. Be sure to have correct Local Storage Folder
  • no such local resource
• 2. Be sure to have your VHD otherwise you will get error:
  • ERROR_BLOB_DOES_NOT_EXIST
• 3. If your VHD in not a page blob VHD, it will not mount
  • ERROR_BLOB_NOT_PAGE_BLOB
• 4. If you receive the following Error it means your application build is set to x86
  • Could not load file or assembly 'mswacdmi, Version=1.1.0.0
  • Please set the build to 64bit to solve this problem.

 

To Create VHD drive:

When using Microsoft Disk Management to create VHD be sure:

• To create FIXED SIZE VHD
• Use MBR Partition type (GPT based disk will not be able to mount)

 

I done testing with Web Role, Worker Role and VM Role and I was able to mount valid Page Blob VHD with this code with all 3 kinds of roles with Windows Azure SDK 1.4.

Comments

• Anonymous
  July 18, 2012
  Hi, I've just tested your code. It works well with Web Role and Worker Role. But in the VM, the following error occurred: ERROR_UNSUPPORTED_OS Any comment would be highly appreciate. Thank you.