Cost Optimization Technique

Question

we have attempted 3 yrs Reservation, unused VM, Public address decommission, Streamlining express route Network bandwidth reduction from 10 Gbps to 1 Gbps, Azure SKU Upgrade, Consolidation of Non prod VM, Enabling Auto scaling feature via Parkmycloud console to Parking unparking Non prod, Prod, DR VM To park Non prod and DR VM for Sc2, Sc3 and Sc4 services., repurposed Bring your own license, Azure Storage accounts archival, purging unused files

Im looking for Cost optimization techniques to explore and save Azure IaaS VM cost.

Answer 1

Here are a few others: Here are additional Azure VM-only cost optimization strategies with concise descriptions:

1. Spot VMs for Non-Critical Workloads: Use Spot Virtual Machines for workloads tolerant of interruptions to significantly reduce compute costs.
2. Resize VMs to Lower Tiers: Adjust the size of overprovisioned VMs to match their actual usage patterns and reduce costs.
3. Use Ephemeral OS Disks: For stateless workloads, use ephemeral OS disks that incur no additional storage costs.
4. Azure Hybrid Benefit: Leverage on-premises licenses for Windows Server and SQL Server to reduce VM licensing costs in Azure.
5. Optimize Reserved VM Instances: Purchase reserved instances for predictable VM workloads to save up to 72% compared to pay-as-you-go pricing.
6. Deallocate Idle VMs: Shut down and deallocate VMs during off-hours or periods of inactivity to avoid incurring costs for unused resources.
7. Leverage Auto-Scaling for VMSS: Use Azure Virtual Machine Scale Sets to automatically scale in or out based on actual demand.
8. Use Azure Monitor for Performance Tuning: Analyze VM performance metrics to identify and resize underutilized VMs.
9. Switch to Azure Savings Plans: Replace pay-as-you-go pricing with savings plans for consistent compute usage across VMs.
10. Stop/Start VMs with Automation: Implement Azure Automation or tools like ParkMyCloud to schedule VM start/stop actions based on usage patterns.
11. Migrate Non-Prod Workloads to Lower-Cost Regions: Relocate non-production VMs to Azure regions with lower compute costs.
12. Consolidate Workloads: Combine smaller VMs into fewer, larger VMs to optimize usage and reduce overhead costs.
13. Audit Disk Usage: Delete unattached disks or migrate VMs to lower-cost managed disk tiers (e.g., Standard HDD vs. Premium SSD).
14. Enable Storage Optimization for Temp Disks: Use local SSDs for temporary data storage instead of more expensive managed disks.
15. Remove Unused Public IPs: Detach and delete unnecessary public IP addresses associated with VMs to avoid extra charges.
16. Use Low-Priority VMs in Batch Workloads: Deploy low-priority VMs for non-critical batch jobs at a fraction of the cost.
17. Switch to B-Series VMs for Bursty Workloads: For workloads with variable CPU usage, use cost-effective B-Series VMs that scale CPU performance as needed.
18. Combine VMs with Azure App Services: For web applications, consolidate some VM workloads into Azure App Services to reduce compute costs.
19. Audit Backup Policies for VM Snapshots: Regularly review and delete unnecessary VM snapshots to reduce storage costs.
20. Right-Size High Availability Configurations: Ensure that VMs in availability sets or zones are correctly sized and necessary for your workload.

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hth

Marcin