Merge pull request #225528 from ntrogh/als-regional-restrictions

[Azure Lab Services] Regional restrictions

Author: v-regandowner

articles/lab-services/capacity-limits.md

@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ These actions may be disabled if there no more cores that can be enabled for you
 > [!NOTE]
 > Azure Lab Services capacity limits are set per subscription.
 
+### Prerequisites
+
+- To create a support request, your Azure account needs the [Owner](/azure/role-based-access-control/built-in-roles#owner), [Contributor](/azure/role-based-access-control/built-in-roles#contributor), or [Support Request Contributor](/azure/role-based-access-control/built-in-roles#support-request-contributor) Azure Active Directory role at the subscription level.
 
 ## Request a limit increase
 
@@ -40,6 +43,45 @@ Azure Lab Services hosts lab resources, including VMs, within special Microsoft-
 
 Before you set up a large number of VMs across your labs, we recommend that you open a support ticket to pre-request VM capacity. Requests should include VM size, number, and location. Requesting capacity before lab creation helps us to ensure that you create your labs in a region that has a sufficient number of VM cores for the VM size that you need for your labs.
 
+## Azure region restrictions
+
+Azure Lab Services enables you to create labs in different Azure regions. The default limit for the total number of regions you can use for creating labs varies by offer category type. For example, the default for Pay-As-You-Go subscriptions is two regions.
+
+If you have reached the Azure regions limit for your subscription, you can only create labs in regions that you're already using. When you create a new lab in another region, the lab creation will fail with an error message.
+
+To overcome the Azure region restriction, you have the following options:
+
+- [Delete all labs](./how-to-manage-labs.md#delete-a-lab) in one of the other regions to reduce the total number of regions in which you have labs.
+
+- Contact Azure support to [request the removal of the region restriction](#request-removal-of-region-restriction) for your subscription.
+
+- Contact Azure support to [request a limit increase](./how-to-request-capacity-increase.md). When a limit increase is granted, the region restriction is lifted for your subscription. We recommend that you request a small limit increase for any SKU to lift the restriction for your subscription.
+
+### Request removal of region restriction
+
+You can contact Azure support and create a support ticket to lift the region restriction from your subscription.
+
+1. In the [Azure portal](https://portal.azure.com), go to your lab plan.
+1. In the left navigation menu, select **New Support Request**.
+1. On the **Problem description** tab, enter the following information, and then select **Next**.
+
+    | Field  | Value  |
+    | ------ | ------ |
+    | **Summary** | Enter *Remove region restriction*. |
+    | **Issue type** | *Technical* |
+    | **Subscription** | Select your Azure subscription. |
+    | **Service** | Select *My Services*. |
+    | **Service type** | Select *Lab Services with lab plan*. |
+    | **Resource** | *Select your lab plan*. |
+    | **Problem type** | Select *Labs Portal (labs.azure.com)*. |
+    | **Problem subtype** | Select *Problem creating a new lab*. |
+
+    :::image type="content" source="./media/capacity-limits/support-request-region-restriction.png" alt-text="Screenshot that shows how to create an Azure support request in the Azure portal to remove the region restriction." lightbox="./media/capacity-limits/support-request-region-restriction.png":::
+
+1. On the **Additional details** page, enter *Requesting lift of regional restrictions* in the **Description** field, and then select **Next**.
+
+1. On the **Review + create** page, select **Create** to create the support request.
+
 ## Best practices for requesting a limit increase
 [!INCLUDE [lab-services-request-capacity-best-practices](includes/lab-services-request-capacity-best-practices.md)]
 

articles/lab-services/create-and-configure-labs-admin.md

@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ You might need to change the region for your labs in these circumstances:
 - Service availability. Providing the optimal lab experience for your students by ensuring the Azure Lab Service is available in the region closest to them. For more information about service availability, see [Products available by region](https://azure.microsoft.com/global-infrastructure/services/?products=lab-services).
 - New region. You may acquire quota in a region different than the regions already enabled.
 
+> [!NOTE]
+> The default limit for the total number of regions you can use for creating labs varies by offer category type. If you have reached the Azure regions limit for your subscription, you can only create labs in regions that you're already using.
+> Learn more about [region restrictions in Azure Lab Services](./capacity-limits.md#azure-region-restrictions).
+
 ## Prerequisites
 
 - To perform these steps, you must have an existing lab plan.
@@ -69,4 +73,7 @@ To disable one or more regions after lab creation, follow these steps:
 ## Next steps
 
 - Learn how to choose the right regions for your Lab plan at [Azure geographies](https://azure.microsoft.com/global-infrastructure/geographies/#overview).
-- Check [Products available by region](https://azure.microsoft.com/global-infrastructure/services/?products=lab-services) For Azure Lab Services availability near you.
+
+- Check [Products available by region](https://azure.microsoft.com/global-infrastructure/services/?products=lab-services) For Azure Lab Services availability near you.
+
+- Learn more about [region restrictions in Azure Lab Services](./capacity-limits.md#azure-region-restrictions).

articles/lab-services/includes/lab-services-troubleshoot-region-restriction.md

@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+---
+ms.service: lab-services
+ms.topic: include
+author: ntrogh
+ms.author: nicktrog
+ms.date: 01/30/2023
+---
+
+### Lab creation fails with `Subscription has labs in 2 regions, and the regional limit for this subscription is 2`
+
+The default limit for the total number of regions you can use for creating labs varies by offer category type. If you have reached the Azure regions limit for your subscription, you can only create labs in regions that you're already using.
+
+Learn more about [how to resolve region restrictions](../capacity-limits.md#azure-region-restrictions).

articles/lab-services/media/capacity-limits/support-request-region-restriction.png

@@ -85,6 +85,8 @@ On the **Delete lab** dialog box, select **Delete** to continue with the deletio
 
 [!INCLUDE [Troubleshoot not authorized error](./includes/lab-services-troubleshoot-not-authorized.md)]
 
+[!INCLUDE [Troubleshoot region restriction](./includes/lab-services-troubleshoot-region-restriction.md)]
+
 ## Next steps
 
 In this quickstart, you created a lab with Azure Lab Services.  To learn more about advanced options for labs, see [Tutorial: Create and publish a lab](tutorial-setup-lab.md).

articles/lab-services/quick-create-lab-portal.md

@@ -226,6 +226,8 @@ For more information about managing usage of student VMs, see [How to configure
 
 [!INCLUDE [Troubleshoot not authorized error](./includes/lab-services-troubleshoot-not-authorized.md)]
 
+[!INCLUDE [Troubleshoot region restriction](./includes/lab-services-troubleshoot-region-restriction.md)]
+
 ## Next steps
 
 In this tutorial, you created a lab for your class in Azure. To learn how a student can access a VM in the lab using the registration link, advance to the next tutorial.