Tips to Optimize and Save Cost with Azure Virtual Machine
The business world has evolved, and many organizations are relocating their additional resources to the cloud. While this is considered a great move, the cost could be discouraging. That’s where there is a need to optimize usage and save cost with Azure virtual machine.
The cloud movement has lots of benefits and, a major one to consider is that it saves cost. A detailed assessment of the Azure cost management is that it saves you a considerable amount of money and time.
Whether your Azure is up and running or on the verge of migrating, or maybe you are merely considering ways not to strain your IT budget. There are proven best practices that can help you visualize and manage cost while utilizing your existing resources.
Azure Hybrid Benefit
The Azure Hybrid Benefit is a scheme that is premised on the extensive enterprise of Microsoft. If you have existing licenses of Windows Server or SQL Server already in use on-prem, those licenses can as well be relocated to the cloud.
Azure VM costs also consider the cost of Microsoft software licenses. Hence, in case you have an already purchased license, your VM costs can be discounted. Furthermore, existing licenses can be used to receive discounts on Windows Server VMs, SQL Server VMs, and even managed SQL databases.
According to the hybrid benefit program, a combination of your reserved instances can help you save discounts over 80%.
You can also get up to 3 years of security updates for free when you Migrate Windows Server and SQL Server 2008 to Azure. This eliminates the need for a license extension for security and compliance reasons.
Azure Cost Management
The Azure Portal includes an inbuilt free tool. It is designed to collect data and enable cost-saving analysis on your Azure Services. Azure also provides additional tools for comprehensive cost planning as well as optimization. This is done using Cost Calculator, Azure Advisor, Azure Budget, Cost Analysis, and Cloudyn. All of these tools permits you to track your expenditure and resource usage on Azure and other clouds.
Correct Sized Virtual Machines (VMs)
Azure provides a vast range of VMs that vary in terms of hardware and performance capabilities. Although this may seem obvious, ensuring that your VMs are accurately sized when created puts you at a vantage position to save. The best practice is to try using different VMs for the same workload to determine the best suited. Stick with the VM that performs best and use the auto-scaling feature to adjust the number of VMs relative to the workload.
When VMs are utilized at 100%, optimal performance is guaranteed. This goal can be achieved by monitoring your metrics using the Azure Monitor. Also using auto-scaling or other means to add and remove VMs based on utilization.
Use Storage Tiering To Save Cost With Azure Virtual Machine.
Storage is a large part of ongoing costs in an Azure project. The Azure Blob Storage Pricing offers premium, cool, hot, and archive storage tiers with a reduced cost every month per GB.
The lesser the redundancy, the lower the cost, and using the storage tiering provides several redundancy options.
Locate and Delete Unused Disks
When you delete a Virtual Machine, Azure doesn’t delete virtual disks. The continuous existence of these disks has a notable cost implication, so it is essential to locate and delete them.
The Azure portal has a disk screen that reveals all virtual disks that are active in the current storage account. The smart thing to do in this case is to look at the owner for each disk and, if empty and unused by any VM, delete.
Unmanaged disks may exist in Azure, and they can be searched using the Disks Classic Screen. Any unmanaged disk found can be deleted.
Shift Workloads to Containers
When compared to virtual machines, containers are more lightweight. You can run different containerized applications on a single physical host. Applications can be repackaged as containers, and this can help in reducing VM utilization and substantially saves cost.
From the traditional Azure VMs, you can consider a transitioning to a container service like Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)
Use the correct purchase Option
One of the best features cloud offers is the ability to pay for just what you need – Pay-as-you-go. Having a full understanding of the capacity required is also crucial. You can then use the Azure Virtual Machine Instances and save significantly on a pay as you go options.
By following all of these tips, you are bound to save cost with Azure virtual machine.