Compute best practices Discover essential FinOps best practices to optimize cost efficiency and governance for your Azure compute resources.

Share feedback

On this page

• Azure Kubernetes Service
• Virtual machines
• 🙋‍♀️ Looking for more?
• 🧰 Related tools

---

Azure Kubernetes Service

Query: AKS Cluster

This Azure Resource Graph (ARG) query retrieves detailed information about Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) clusters within your Azure environment.

Category

Resource management

Query

resources
| where type == "microsoft.containerservice/managedclusters"
| extend AgentPoolProfiles = properties.agentPoolProfiles
| mvexpand AgentPoolProfiles
| project
    id,
    ProfileName = tostring(AgentPoolProfiles.name),
    Sku = tostring(sku.name),
    Tier = tostring(sku.tier),
    mode = AgentPoolProfiles.mode,
    AutoScaleEnabled = AgentPoolProfiles.enableAutoScaling,
    SpotVM = AgentPoolProfiles.scaleSetPriority,
    VMSize = tostring(AgentPoolProfiles.vmSize),
    nodeCount = tostring(AgentPoolProfiles.['count']),
    minCount = tostring(AgentPoolProfiles.minCount),
    maxCount = tostring(AgentPoolProfiles.maxCount),
    location,
    resourceGroup,
    subscriptionId,
    AKSname = name

Virtual machines

Query: List Virtual Machines stopped (and not deallocated)

This Azure Resource Graph (ARG) query identifies Virtual Machines (VMs) in your Azure environment that are not in the ‘deallocated’ or ‘running’ state. It retrieves details about their power state, location, resource group, and subscription ID.

Category

Waste reduction

Query

resources
| where type =~ 'microsoft.compute/virtualmachines' 
    and tostring(properties.extended.instanceView.powerState.displayStatus) != 'VM deallocated' 
    and tostring(properties.extended.instanceView.powerState.displayStatus) != 'VM running'
| extend PowerState = tostring(properties.extended.instanceView.powerState.displayStatus)
| extend VMLocation = location
| extend resourceGroup = strcat('/subscriptions/', subscriptionId, '/resourceGroups/', resourceGroup)
| order by id asc
| project id, PowerState, VMLocation, resourceGroup, subscriptionId

Query: Virtual machine scale set details

This query analyzes Virtual Machine Scale Sets (VMSS) in your Azure environment based on their SKU, spot VM priority, and priority mix policy. It provides insights for cost optimization and resource management strategies.

Category

Resource management

Query

resources
| where type =~ 'microsoft.compute/virtualmachinescalesets'
| extend SpotVMs = tostring(properties.virtualMachineProfile.priority)
| extend SpotPriorityMix = tostring(properties.priorityMixPolicy)
| extend SKU = tostring(sku.name)
| extend resourceGroup = strcat('/subscriptions/', subscriptionId, '/resourceGroups/', resourceGroup)
| project id, SKU, SpotVMs, SpotPriorityMix, subscriptionId, resourceGroup, location

Query: Virtual Machine processor type analysis

This query identifies the processor type (ARM, AMD, or Intel) used by Virtual Machines (VMs) in your Azure environment. It helps in understanding the distribution of VMs across different processor architectures, which is useful for optimizing workload performance and cost efficiency.

Category

Resource management

Query

resources
| where type == 'microsoft.compute/virtualmachines'
| extend vmSize = properties.hardwareProfile.vmSize
| extend processorType = case(
    // ARM Processors
    vmSize has "Epsv5"
        or vmSize has "Epdsv5"
        or vmSize has "Dpsv5"
        or vmSize has "Dpdsv", "ARM",
    // AMD Processors
    vmSize has "Standard_D2a"
        or vmSize has "Standard_D4a"
        or vmSize has "Standard_D8a"
        or vmSize has "Standard_D16a"
        or vmSize has "Standard_D32a"
        or vmSize has "Standard_D48a"
        or vmSize has "Standard_D64a"
        or vmSize has "Standard_D96a"
        or vmSize has "Standard_D2as"
        or vmSize has "Standard_D4as"
        or vmSize has "Standard_D8as"
        or vmSize has "Standard_D16as"
        or vmSize has "Standard_D32as"
        or vmSize has "Standard_D48as"
        or vmSize has "Standard_D64as"
        or vmSize has "Standard_D96as", "AMD",
    "Intel"
)
| project vmName = name, processorType, vmSize, resourceGroup

🙋‍♀️ Looking for more?

We’d love to hear about any datasets you’re looking for. Create a new issue with the details that you’d like to see either included in existing or new best practices.

Share feedback

---

🧰 Related tools

• 📒 FinOps workbooks – Customizable home for engineers to maximize cloud ROI through FinOps.
  • 📒 Optimization workbook – Central hub for cost optimization.