7 Tips for Reducing the Cost of Microsoft Azure Cloud
Many of the benefits of the cloud can be expressed in terms of cost savings. Microsoft’s assessment of the benefits of using Azure Platform as a Service include dollars saved from reduced time spent on administrative tasks, reduced need for system and database administrators, increased developer productivity, and reduced time to market.
To get those benefits, it’s important to make smart choices about how you use Azure and how you manage your instances. Use these hints to manage your Azure instances more effectively and get even more cost savings out of your switch to the cloud.
Use Azure Hybrid Benefit.
You probably aren’t moving your entire data center in one shot, meaning you’re going to have a mixed, hybrid environment. Azure Hybrid Benefit lets you apply on-premises licenses to the cost of the operating system in the cloud.
Choose to pay in advance instead of pay as you go.
One of the best features of the cloud is the ability to pay for just what you need, when you need it. But if you have a very good understanding of the capacity you need, you can use Azure Reserved Virtual Machine instances and obtain significant savings over pay as you go instances.
Shutdown unneeded instances.
You’ll save money by shutting down instances that aren’t being used. Auto-shutdown lets you create a shutdown schedule, ensuring this task is never forgotten in the rush to go home at the end of the day. Azure DevTest Labs is a cost-effective way to manage non-production servers, including the auto-shutdown feature.
Don’t pay for a virtual machine when all you need is storage.
You don’t need to pay for a processor if you simply want to store some files. Use Azure Storage instead; you’ll get storage space without the costs of a virtual machine. Azure storage tiers include cool and archive storage letting you spend less to store data you don’t need to access frequently.
Don’t pay for a bigger instance than you need.
You may be used to buying capacity in advance in your data center because of the time it takes to purchase and provision new hardware. Those administrative and procedural delays go away when you’re running in the cloud; you can rapidly add new capacity on demand. Save money by using an instance that just fits your processing requirements and scale up only when you need the additional capacity.
Analyze your spending.
Use the Azure billing portal or your Azure ea portal to track your usage. Then use the information to identify where you’re spending on unneeded resources and shut them down to save money.
Leverage Azure PaaS and Azure Marketplace Virtual Machine Images.
You’ll add to your costs by creating a fully custom environment and loading on lots of third-party products. Instead, leverage Azure’s Platform as a Service features and the configurations in the Azure Marketplace to buy services designed to work together.
Use Azure more cost-effectively with help from Prescient Solutions. Our status as a Microsoft Partner means we have the knowledge, insight, and experience to help you manage cloud costs and leverage the benefits of Microsoft Azure for your business. Contact us to learn more about managing the costs of the cloud.
