What’s Your Strategy for Cutting Azure Costs?

Definitely check out the Azure Advisor for guidance on cost optimization. You can also use workbooks for detecting unused resources, and don't forget to automate the shutdown process for non-production VMs outside of business hours. You’d be surprised how many unused or unattached disks are just sitting there, draining your budget.

Begin by auditing what your developers have access to. For instance, there's no need for an expensive S4 database for development work. This kind of oversight can often lead to unnecessary spending.

It’s critical to analyze where your biggest costs are coming from using the Cost Analytics tool in Azure. By sorting resources by spending, you can pinpoint areas to make adjustments. Also, ensure you deal with any disconnected disks that could be adding to your costs.

Look at your top spenders first and tackle those costs. Sometimes, it may even involve reworking your functions if they’re set to make multiple database calls for similar data. Refactoring might not be what your manager wants to hear, but it’s necessary for optimizing costs.

First off, take a look at your lower environments like Dev and Test. They usually don't need to run 24/7, so shutting them down after hours can save a lot. Also, keep an eye on your resources and right-size your SKUs. You might also want to consider reserved instances if it fits your workload, but I've found that many applications are short-lived and you can lose out on savings that way.