Summary of "AZ-900 Episode 4 | Consumption-based Model | Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Course"
Summary of "AZ-900 Episode 4 | Consumption-based Model | Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Course"
Main Ideas and Concepts
- Introduction to Consumption-Based Pricing Model in Azure:
- The consumption-based pricing model is fundamental to understanding how Azure charges for cloud services.
- Users pay only for the resources they consume, with no upfront costs.
- Cloud resources are elastic, meaning you allocate resources as needed and only pay during usage, avoiding wasted resources.
- Key Characteristics of Consumption-Based Model:
- No upfront payment; charges start only when resources are used.
- Charges stop immediately when resources are no longer used.
- Pricing is granular and based on actual consumption (e.g., paying for a virtual machine only for the seconds it runs).
- Example Using Virtual Machines (VMs):
- Pricing for VMs depends on multiple metrics:
- Compute: The size and power of the VM.
- Storage: Storage attached to the VM is billed separately.
- Networking and other factors: Additional components that affect cost.
- Different services have different pricing complexities and components.
- Prices vary daily based on usage changes.
- Pricing for VMs depends on multiple metrics:
- Using Azure Portal to Monitor Costs:
- The Azure Portal includes a Cost Management service to track and analyze costs.
- Users can view detailed cost breakdowns by service and by day.
- Example from instructor’s subscription:
- VM costs are steady when running 24/7.
- Storage costs remain flat if usage is consistent.
- Spikes in cost occur when additional services (e.g., Azure Databricks, Azure Data Factory, IoT Hubs) are used.
- Cost fluctuations directly correlate with the amount and type of service usage.
- Summary of the Consumption-Based Model:
- Simply put, you pay for what you use.
- Costs vary based on actual consumption, which can be monitored and managed via Azure tools.
- Additional Resources:
- The episode’s study guide and cheat sheet are available on the instructor’s website.
- Encouragement to practice and test knowledge based on this episode.
Methodology / Instructions for Understanding and Using Consumption-Based Pricing in Azure
- Understand that cloud resources are elastic and billed only when used.
- Recognize that pricing is composed of multiple components per service (compute, storage, networking, etc.).
- Use the Azure Portal’s Cost Management tool to:
- Select your subscription.
- Open Cost Analysis.
- Change granularity to daily.
- Group costs by Service Name to see detailed cost breakdowns.
- Analyze cost patterns to understand how usage affects billing.
- Monitor usage spikes and relate them to specific services used on particular days.
- Use this insight to optimize cloud resource usage and cost.
Speakers / Sources Featured
- Adam – The primary speaker and instructor presenting the Azure Fundamentals course episode.
Category
Educational
