SqlSetup: Test-TargetResource should test whether service is running

Scenario:
I am using SQLServerDSC 12.1.0.0 to install SQL Server 2016 SP2 on a Windows 2016 Server Datacenter Core VM on an A2 size plan in the ASDK for Microsoft Azure Stack (MAS). I am using this as a test and to play around with DSC and the azure DSC Extension.

The error:
When the deployment process is finished, the MAS deployment gives me the following error.

Error message: DSC Configuration 'SQLConfiguration' completed with error(s). Following are the first few: PowerShell DSC resource MSFT_SqlSetup failed to execute Test-TargetResource functionality with error message: System.InvalidOperationException: Failed to connect to SQL instance 'MYSQLVM'.

Troubleshooting:
Checking the SQL installation log, I find that the setup itself was successful. I followed this up by checking whether the MSSQLSERVER service was running. It turns out, it was not. I manually started the service; running the Start-DscConfiguration in verbose gave me a pass on all tests.

Cause:
After checking the event log, I found out that the services time-out during start-up. In all likelihood, my VM is not powerful enough to handle the start-up of all services in a timely manner even though the server runs on the core edition and the VM size meets the minimum requirements for SQL Server 2016.

Quick solution:
As this is a test case and it doesn't need to be pretty, I solved this problem by changing the default servicepipetimeout to 4 minutes. My deployment now passes. I chose not to increase the VM size as space on our ASDK is very limited. I also chose not to use the service resource to make sure the required services are running, because the resulting IF statement proved a bit too difficult to make with my current understanding of DSC.

Suggestion:
In order to facilitate troubleshooting, I suggest the Test-TargetResource performs a test to see if the required services, such as MSSQLSERVER, are running before it tries to test the connection.

Code for those interested:

Registry Sevicespipetimeout {
Key = "hklm:\system\currentcontrolset\control"
ValueName = "servicespipetimeout"
ValueData = "240000"
ValueType = "Dword"
Ensure = "Present"

Start at the SqlSetup Test-TargetResource entry point and trace how it checks the SQL connection and required services, especially MSSQLSERVER. Confirm the expected behavior with the existing resource tests; done means a stopped required service is detected before connection testing and running configurations continue to pass.