sbroenne__mcp-server-excel/infrastructure/azure

Azure Infrastructure for Excel Integration Testing

This directory contains Infrastructure as Code (IaC) for automating the deployment of Azure Windows VM with GitHub Actions self-hosted runner.

Quick Start

Deploy directly from GitHub UI!

📚 Setup Guide: GITHUB_ACTIONS_DEPLOYMENT.md
🔧 Manual Installation: docs/AZURE_SELFHOSTED_RUNNER_SETUP.md

Quick steps:

1. Create Azure App Registration with OIDC (one-time, 10 minutes)
2. Add Azure credentials to GitHub Secrets
3. Get GitHub runner registration token (Settings → Actions → Runners → New runner)
4. Go to Actions tab → Deploy Azure Self-Hosted Runner
5. Enter parameters (Resource Group + Admin Password + Runner Token)
6. RDP to VM and install Excel (30 minutes)

If deployment fails: Use the manual installation guide to configure the runner on an existing VM.

Benefits:

• ✅ Simple - No complex token management
• ✅ Secure OIDC authentication - no Azure client secrets stored
• ✅ Audit trail in Actions logs
• ✅ Repeatable and version-controlled
• ✅ Improved error handling - External script with detailed logging

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What Gets Deployed

Resources Created

Resource	Type	Purpose	Monthly Cost (Sweden Central)
VM	Standard_B2ms (2 vCPUs, 8 GB RAM)	Test runner	~$50
OS Disk	Premium SSD 128 GB	Storage	~$11
Network	VNet, NIC, NSG, Public IP	Connectivity	<$1
Total (24/7)			~$61/month

GitHub Coding Agent Compatibility

✅ YES - GitHub Coding Agents can use this runner in Agent mode:

1. Runner labels: self-hosted, windows, excel
2. Available 24/7 for immediate workflow execution
3. Coding agents access runner same way as workflows:
   • When you push code in VS Code Agent mode
   • Workflows using runs-on: [self-hosted, windows, excel]
   • Manual workflow triggers via Actions tab

How it works:

• GitHub Coding Agent pushes commits → triggers workflow → runs on your self-hosted runner
• No difference between coding agent commits and manual commits
• Runner executes tests automatically on every push

Location & VM Size

• Location: Sweden Central
• VM Size: Standard_B2ms (2 vCPUs, 8 GB RAM)
  • 8GB RAM required for reliable Excel automation
  • Burstable performance for cost efficiency
• Uptime: 24/7 (VM runs continuously for immediate test execution)

Software Installed Automatically

1. .NET 8 SDK - For building and testing
2. GitHub Actions Runner - Registered with self-hosted, windows, excel labels
3. Auto-start service - Runner starts on VM boot

Manual Installation Required

Office 365 Excel (you must install this via RDP):

1. RDP to VM using public IP from deployment output
2. Sign in to https://portal.office.com
3. Install Office 365 apps
4. During installation, select Excel only
5. Activate with your Office 365 account
6. Reboot VM

Files

infrastructure/azure/
├── azure-runner.bicep                # Main Bicep template
├── GITHUB_ACTIONS_DEPLOYMENT.md      # Setup and deployment guide
└── README.md                         # This file

Configuration

VM Size Options

Size	vCPUs	RAM	Monthly Cost (Sweden Central 24/7)	Use Case
Standard_B2s	2	4 GB	~$40	Too small for Excel
Standard_B2ms	2	8 GB	~$61	Recommended ⭐
Standard_B4ms	4	16 GB	~$120	Overkill for testing

Note: 8GB RAM is required for reliable Excel COM automation with multiple test projects.

Region Options

Region	Monthly Cost (B2ms, 24/7)	Notes
East US	~$51	Cheapest
West Europe	~$58	EU data residency
Sweden Central	~$61	Selected ⭐
North Europe	~$58	EU alternative

Cost: ~$61/month for 24/7 operation in Sweden Central

Auto-Shutdown Schedule

Removed - Auto-shutdown disabled for 24/7 availability.

VM runs continuously to ensure:

• Immediate workflow execution on every commit
• No queued workflows waiting for VM start
• Best experience for GitHub Coding Agents
• Simplified operation (no manual VM starts)

Verify Deployment

Check Runner Status

# In GitHub UI
https://github.com/sbroenne/mcp-server-excel/settings/actions/runners

# Should show:
# - Name: azure-excel-runner
# - Status: Idle (green)
# - Labels: self-hosted, windows, excel

Trigger Test Workflow

# In GitHub UI
Actions → Integration Tests (Excel) → Run workflow

Monitor Costs

# Azure Cost Management
https://portal.azure.com/#view/Microsoft_Azure_CostManagement/Menu/~/overview

# Set budget alert at $40/month

Maintenance

Update Runner

SSH/RDP to VM:

cd C:\actions-runner
.\svc.cmd stop
# Download latest runner from GitHub
# Extract and replace files
.\svc.cmd start

Update Windows

Auto-updates enabled. Manual check:

sconfig  # Option 6: Download and Install Updates

Update Office/Excel

Office auto-updates enabled. Manual check:

# Open Excel → File → Account → Update Options → Update Now

Troubleshooting

Runner Offline

# On VM
Get-Service actions.runner.*
# If stopped:
Restart-Service actions.runner.*

High Costs

1. Verify auto-shutdown is enabled
2. Check VM is deallocated when not in use
3. Review Azure Cost Management for unexpected resources

Excel Activation Issues

1. RDP to VM
2. Open Excel
3. Sign in with Office 365 account
4. Verify activation: File → Account

Security

Network Access

• RDP (3389) restricted by NSG (change to your IP after deployment)
• HTTPS (443) outbound for GitHub
• All other ports blocked

Credentials

• VM admin password: Stored securely (use Key Vault in production)
• GitHub token: Expires after 1 hour (runner uses it once during setup)

Best Practices

1. Change NSG to allow RDP only from your IP
2. Use Azure Bastion for RDP access (no public IP)
3. Enable Azure Security Center
4. Regular Windows Updates
5. Rotate VM admin password quarterly

Support

• Azure Issues: Azure Support Portal
• GitHub Runner: GitHub Docs
• Repository Issues: https://github.com/sbroenne/mcp-server-excel/issues

Cleanup

To delete all resources:

az group delete --name rg-excel-runner --yes --no-wait

This removes VM, disks, network resources, and stops all charges.

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Cost Estimate: ~$30/month with auto-shutdown
Setup Time: 5 min deploy + 30 min Excel install
Maintenance: ~15 min/month