Azure Virtual Machines are available in a variety of sizes to meet unique needs and workloads. Each size includes different combinations of CPU cores, memory and storage and Azure’s infrastructure also offers additional features like load balancing and auto-scaling depending on a customer’s specific requirements.
The following are the base VM sizes available:
1. B-Series: This family of sizes offers a balance of CPU and memory and is well suited for network, small to mid-sized databases, development, and testing environments.
2. D-Series: This family of sizes offers more powerful CPU performance and is well suited for application development and testing, medium to largedatabases, and backend enterprise applications.
3. F-Series: This family of sizes offers an even more powerful CPU performance and is ideal for applications such as web servers, analytics, and gaming.
4. G-Series: This family of sizes offers the most powerful CPU performance available and is ideal for applications that need extreme processing power such as batch processes, big data, gaming, and forensic analytics.
5. H-Series: This family of sizes offers the most powerful CPU and memory combination and is perfect for big data applications, large databases and in-memory solutions.
6. L-Series: This series of sizes offers local hard disk storage and is ideal for data intensive workloads such as NoSQL databases, transactional databases and Row.
7. M-Series: This family of sizes provides the most memory for memory-intensive workloads, such as dynamically scalable applications and large databases.
8. N-Series: This family of sizes offers GPU capabilities for rendering and video editing applications, deep learning, and business analytics.
9. DSv2-Series: This family of sizes offers more powerful CPU performance and is a great choice for applications such as web servers, analytics, and gaming.
10. D_v3-Series and DS_v3-Series: This family of sizes is the latest addition to Azure’s virtual machine options and offers the latest Intel Xeon processors and faster, more reliable local SSD storage options.
No matter the type of application or need, Azure has the right size of VM to fit the occasion.
Table of Contents
What is the default size of Azure virtual machine?
The default size of an Azure virtual machine (VM) depends on the type of virtual machine you create. When you create a virtual machine in the Azure portal, you specify the size of the virtual machine.
Azure offers a range of virtual machine sizes to align with a range of business needs and budgets.
Generally, basic virtual machines provide entry-level compute capacity to accommodate workloads requiring limited or occasional CPU utilization, while larger sized virtual machines are geared towards use cases like large databases and intensive computation workloads.
For Windows and Linux VMs, the default virtual machine size is Standard_D2s_v3. The Standard_D2s_v3 VM has 2 Azure vCPUs, 8 GB of RAM, and 100 Mbps of network bandwidth. This default size is suitable for general workloads such as development, testing, and low-traffic production applications.
You can also select other vCPU and memory combinations for VMs of different sizes from the Azure Portal.
For other types of VM, such as GPUs or high-performance computing (HPC) instances, the default virtual machine size will vary. For example, for a GPU-enabled VM, the default size would typically be NV_series_larges.
For HPC instances, the default size may be even larger. Make sure to select the right size for your needs to ensure the best performance and cost efficiency.
What is the size naming convention for Azure VM?
The size naming convention for Azure Virtual Machines (VMs) is based on the underlying CPU, RAM and Tebibyte (TiB) of storage used by each VM type. The size of an Azure VM corresponds to the underlying hardware and is expressed as a series of specialized virtual hardware specifications, organized in tiers.
Each Azure VM size consists of a series of letters and numbers that define the type of underlying hardware used, the amount of CPU, RAM, other included resources and the related cost for the virtual machine.
The letters that make up a VM size typically have the following meanings:
• B-series – Burstable VMs for workloads that don’t need a predictable performance.
• D-series – General purpose VMs with a balanced mix of CPU, RAM and Disk configurations.
• F/H-series – computer optimized VMs with a higher ratio of CPU to RAM and OS Disk to Data Disk.
• GS/M/G/A/DS/DSv2/DSv3 – storage optimized VMs with slow disks with fast memory.
• NC/NCv2 – Compute optimized VMs with high-throughput network adapters.
The numbers that follow the letters indicate the actual size in terms of CPU, RAM, and storage capacity. For example, a “B2s” VM type entails a VM with 2CPUs, 8Gb of RAM and 16Tb of storage capacity.
In addition to the various letters and numbers, there are also size tiers within numbered sizes for many types, for example, the Dsv2(60-80) type of size. These indicate the performance tier and refer to the fact that this size is part of a class of sizes that are within the same performance tier, in this case, “Medium”.
With the various combinations of letters, numbers, and size tiers, Azure provides customers with a wide range of VM sizes to fit their various cloud computing and hosting needs.
How many VMs is 6 cores?
It depends on the system configuration of the virtual machines and the type of processor the virtual machines are using. Generally speaking however, 6 cores in a virtualized environment can generally accommodate multiple virtual machines.
The exact number of virtual machines depends on how much resources (memory, storage, cores, etc. ) are allocated per virtual machine. A single 6-core processor can handle anywhere from 2 to 6 virtual machines depending on their system configurations.
Which Azure VM size is free?
The Azure free account does not offer any Virtual Machine (VM) sizes as part of its free tier, but it does include 750 hours of B1S virtual machine usage per month, allowing you to run a single B1S Azure VM in the cloud at no cost.
The B1S VM size is suitable for development and test environments, as it offers a single core with 1GB of RAM, low-frequency CPU, and supports burst throughput. In addition, it includes a 50GB HDD, which is considered to be the minimum disk space for any Azure VM.
To get access to the free account and its features, users must sign up through the Azure website and then activate the free trial.
Is there a free Azure VM?
Yes, there is a free Azure VM offered by Microsoft Azure. It is called the Azure Free Account. This account provides users with 12 months of access to various Azure products for free and up to a certain amount of usage.
The individual products available with the Azure Free Account vary somewhat over time, but usually include services like App Service, Windows Virtual Desktop, Azure Storage, Azure Kubernetes Service and 200GB of data transactions per month.
Additionally, customers can save up to $200 on any paid services during the first 30 days from the sign-up date. The Azure Free Account does have some restrictions, which include a maximum of three users and four cores for the Virtual Machines offered.
After the 12 month period, customers can convert their free account to a pay-as-you-go account, which provides access to all services at the regular Azure pricing.
Is Azure VM cheaper than AWS?
The cost of using Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines (VMs) or Amazon Web Services (AWS) will depend on factors such as configuration and usage. Generally, Azure’s pay-as-you-go plans can be more expensive than AWS’s on-demand instances for low resource VMs, but if you are willing to commit to long-term use for larger VMs, Azure may provide lower costs.
One of the main differences between Azure and AWS is that Azure lets you reserve instances, which can result in significant cost savings if you plan to use your VM for an extended period. You can also save money on Azure by purchasing Multi-year Reserved Instances or reserved Azure spot instances that get interrupted during extended periods of low usage.
AWS has similar reserved instance offerings. In the end, both Azure and AWS have varying pricing models and a wide array of services, so it’s important to assess your needs and find the best pricing solution for your particular usage.
How much is Azure a month?
Azure’s pricing model is based on a pay-as-you-go system, so the exact cost of Azure will vary depending on the services, features, and options you select. As a result, it is impossible to provide an exact answer as to how much Azure will cost each month.
For example, if you require a single service such as storage, your overall monthly expenses would be much lower than for a comprehensive suite of services. Additionally, Azure’s pricing system also provides discounts for long-term commitments, which can also further reduce your overall price.
It is important to note that, due to the wide range of services and features offered by Azure, even comprehensive packages can be customized to suit your specific needs and budget. For example, you can customize your package to include only the specific tools and features you need, while from both Microsoft and third-party partners, additional discounts can provide further cost savings.
In general, the base cost of Azure can range from $13 to $150 per month for each user, depending on the services you require. Microsoft also offers an online pricing calculator to help you estimate your Azure costs.
You can determine the specific services you need, configure virtual machines and other services, review estimated costs, and compare packages to find the most economical solution for your needs.
Overall, Azure’s monthly cost is highly variable and depends on the services and features you select, among other factors. You can use the online pricing calculator to estimate the approximate cost of Azure and customize your package to meet your budget requirements.
What is Azure Basic subscription?
Azure Basic subscription is a pricing plan offered by Microsoft’s cloud-computing service, Azure. This pricing plan is ideal for organizations who are new to Azure, have limited demands, and wish to save money.
With the basic subscription, organizations can still get the same features, services, and scalability as any other Azure subscription.
The basic subscription offers a lower cost per compute resource than other subscriptions. In addition, the subscription includes core virtual machines and the ability to create Azure SQL databases, Azure Kubernetes Services, and Azure Application Services.
The Basic subscription also includes 24/7 support, cost-management monitoring, Azure Active Directory Premium, and access to the Azure Portal and PowerShell. In addition, users on the subscription plan can use the Azure DevOps Tools to help manage their Azure resources.
Overall, the Azure Basic subscription offers users a great way to gain access to Azure services while staying within a budget. It is great for startups, developers, and budget-conscious organizations.
Which three billing models are the most common in Azure?
The three most common billing models for Azure are Pay-as-you-go, Reserved Instances, and Azure Spot Instances.
Pay-as-you-go is the most basic and traditional construct of Azure billing. This model, as the name suggests, is charged as-you-go and allows you to only pay for the resources that you use. Infrastructure is also purchasable with this billing model.
Reserved Instances are based on pre-purchase commitments, providing you with a lower cost compared to Pay-as-you-go. Reserved Instances can also be purchased for one or three years, and are also available for select Azure services.
Azure Spot Instances is the newest of the three pricing models, and provides an economical way to purchase and access unused Azure capacity. With this model, you bid on available resources and get access at a discounted rate.
Spot Instances are subject to availability and can be taken away with 30 seconds of notice.
All of these billing models are suitable for various needs and provide flexible options to access Azure services. Depending on your usage and requirements, you can choose any of these three models to optimize your costs.
What are the 3 foundations of pricing?
The three foundations of pricing are cost, demand, and competition. Cost is one of the most important pricing foundations because it determines the basic costs that go into the production and distribution of the product or service.
It also allows a company to decide their markup in order to make a profit. Demand, on the other hand, is all about the pricing needs of customers. Analyzing customer needs, preferences, and psychographics makes it easier to set an appropriate price.
Lastly, competition is an essential pricing foundation. With a deep understanding of what competitors are charging for the same or similar products or services, a company can strategically position their pricing in order to stay competitive.
A company must also factor in the dynamics of their competitive environment. By doing so, the company can create sustainable competitive advantages such as making cost savings or differentiating its products and services.
What are two pricing options for Azure services?
Azure offers two pricing options: Pay-As-You-Go and Free Trial.
The Pay-As-You-Go option is a flexible, pay-per-use pricing model that allows you to pay for services as you use them and only for the services you need. With Pay-As-You-Go, you have access to all the features, services and functionality of Azure and you can easily increase or decrease your usage and billing as needed.
The Free Trial is designed to allow new users to try out the Azure products and resources and get a feel for the services before making a commitment. The Free Trial is designed to be a learning and tinkering experience, so it only provides low-level access (no production workloads allowed) and limited quota resources and services are free for a limited time.
What are the top 10 most used Microsoft Azure services?
The top 10 most used Microsoft Azure services are:
1. Azure Active Directory – Azure Active Directory provides cloud-based identity and access management services, including single sign-on, authentication, and authorization tools.
2. Azure Storage – Azure Storage is a cloud-based storage service that allows businesses to store files, documents, backups, and other types of digital assets in a secure, cost-effective way.
3. Azure Virtual Machines – Azure Virtual Machines provide an easy, cost-effective way to quickly spin up virtual machines in the cloud. VMs can be used for a variety of applications and services.
4. Azure SQL Database – Azure SQL Database is a managed service that provides a fully managed, highly available, and cost-effective relational database platform in the cloud.
5. Azure Web Apps – Azure Web Apps provides a managed service for deploying web apps in the cloud. It includes development, staging, production, and testing environments with built-in auto-scaling and performance monitoring capabilities.
6. Azure App Service – Azure App Service is a set of services that enables developers to quickly and easily build, deploy, and manage web and mobile applications in the cloud.
7. Azure Data Lake – Azure Data Lake is a cloud-based data lake store that can process and store large amounts of data for analytics and machine learning operations.
8. Azure Data Factory – Azure Data Factory is a cloud-based platform for data integration and workflow automation with built-in security and compliance features.
9. Azure Logic Apps – Azure Logic Apps is an orchestration service that enables developers to create and deploy automated workflows and data integration pipelines.
10. Azure Functions – Azure Functions is a serverless framework for building and running small, event-driven pieces of code in the cloud.
