First, you\u2019ll need access to your organization\u2019s Azure subscription. Access the Azure Cost Analysis tool by logging in to the Azure Portal, navigating to Cost Management + Billing, and then clicking \u201cCost Management.\u201d Select \u201cCost Analysis\u201d from there to dive into your cloud data.<\/p>\n
Analyze Costs With Built-in Views and Time-Range Selection<\/h2>\n
Azure Cost Analysis enables you to view your cloud costs<\/a> in various ways, and it provides you with a handful of viewing options that will help you determine which resources are driving your cloud data expenses.<\/p>\n To change views from the Cost Analysis section, select the \u201cView\u201d button from the toolbar. Azure defaults to Accumulated costs, but you can choose between options like Cost by service, Cost by resource or Daily costs from the drop-down list. Click the option you want to see, and the view changes seamlessly.<\/strong><\/p>\n Additionally, you can customize the time-range selection and granularity to gain more relevant insights. In the Date section, choose a predefined period, like \u201cLast seven days\u201d or \u201cThis quarter,\u201d or create a custom range. Switching between fields like daily, quarterly, monthly and yearly will help you uncover different cost trends over different periods. A mistake in the past no longer has to be a mistake in the future.<\/p>\n You will want to use the filtering and grouping functions to take full advantage of the Azure Cost Analysis tool. Filtering and grouping your data by resource type, resource group, location or more than a dozen other options allow you to identify trends and make more strategic decisions about your cloud environment.<\/p>\n Filtering lets you omit data you don\u2019t care about so you only see what you want, while grouping will add similar costs together and display different categories side-by-side.<\/p>\n To filter your cost data, select the \u201cAdd filter\u201d button and choose the filter criteria (for example, billing period or resource type) from the drop-down list. Select the desired values and click the green checkmark to \u201cAccept.\u201d<\/p>\n To group your cost data, select the \u201cGroup by\u201d button and choose your desired dimension (for example, location or resource group) from the drop-down list.<\/p>\n Using these tools, you could filter by resource type (such as virtual machines) and then group by location.<\/strong> If you\u2019re viewing with monthly granularity, this combination would demonstrate the monthly fluctuations of your virtual machine spend in each Azure region.<\/p>\n Strategically combine grouping and filtering options to analyze what matters to you and your organization.<\/p>\n The Azure Cost Analysis tool offers various visualizations to help you better understand your cost data. You can choose between bar, column, line and area charts, as well as donut or pie charts for aggregated data. Remember: selecting the correct visualizations<\/a> vastly increases your chances of spotting anomalies, trends and areas for optimization.<\/p>\n To change the visualization type, click the visualization button in the top right corner (usually defaulted to an \u201cArea\u201d chart) and select your preferred option from the list. As you cycle through the different visualizations, you must decide which ones are the most appropriate for your situation.<\/strong><\/p>\n In the following example we are viewing data for the previous quarter. Additionally, we are filtering by resource type, using daily granularity, and choosing to view as a line graph. With these settings we are able to see spikes in the activity of specific resource types, and we may be able to use this information to make critical decisions about our environment.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve settled on the visuals and are ready to share your findings or store the data for future reference, you can export your cloud cost analysis as a CSV, Excel or JSON file. Simply click the \u201cDownload\u201d button on the toolbar, select the desired format and click \u201cDownload charts.\u201d Notice there\u2019s even an option to schedule automatic exports daily, weekly or monthly!<\/p>\n Setting up budgets and alerts is crucial to keep your cloud expenses in check. With the Azure Cost Analysis tool, you can create a budget for a specific period and receive notifications when your spending approaches or exceeds the defined limit.<\/p>\n To set up a budget:<\/strong><\/p>\n Pro Tip:<\/strong> Make sure to consider all alert recipients carefully. Adding alert recipients who have no interest in receiving alerts or don\u2019t have the correct permission to take action may cause unneeded frustration.<\/p>\n As you mature in your cloud cost analysis and optimization journey, consider the following best practices and tips:<\/p>\n The Azure Cost Analysis tool is an incredibly powerful instrument that can help you gain control over and stay ahead of your cloud expenses. You can make informed decisions and optimize your cloud infrastructure by leveraging its features to analyze, visualize and manage costs. Using budgets and alerts, you can ensure nothing slips through the cracks and surprises you on your next bill.<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Azure](\"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Azure-Cost-Analysis.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nFiltering and Grouping Cost Data<\/h2>\n
![\"Azure](\"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Azure-Cost-Analysis-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nVisualizing and Exporting Your Data<\/h2>\n
![\"Azure](\"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Azure-Cost-Analysis-2.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nSetting Up Budgets and Alerts<\/h2>\n
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Best Practices and Tips<\/h2>\n
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Go Forth and Optimize<\/h2>\n