Microsoft Cost Management
A unified view and robust tools for managing cloud expenses across multiple cloud environments, including Azure and AWS.
| Category | Cost Security & FinOps |
|---|---|
| Last page update | 19 days ago |
| Pricing Details | Free for Azure customers; 1% of total AWS managed spend for AWS costs. |
| Target Audience | Cloud administrators, financial analysts, IT managers. |
Microsoft Cost Management manages cloud cost opacity and uncontrolled spending by providing a unified view and robust tools for managing cloud expenses across multiple cloud environments, including Azure and AWS.
The technical architecture of Microsoft Cost Management integrates tightly with the Azure portal, allowing users to monitor, allocate, and optimize cloud costs effectively. Key features include reporting on cost and usage, data enrichment through resource tags, budget creation and management, alerting on cost and usage budgets, and recommendations for eliminating idle resources and right-sizing cloud resources. This is achieved through a cost allocation engine that applies tag inheritance and splits shared costs, ensuring accurate and transparent cost attribution.
Operationally, Cost Management is available at no additional cost for Azure customers and managed service providers, making it an integral part of the Azure ecosystem. For AWS costs, the service is charged at 1% of the total AWS managed spend, with additional costs potentially incurred from accessing AWS APIs. The data collection and processing frequency can vary, but costs are generally updated daily, with a retention period of at least seven years, although only the last 13 months are readily available in the Azure portal.
Technical details include the use of connectors for integrating AWS cost data, support for various Azure subscription types, and the inclusion of commitment discounts and third-party offerings in cost analysis. The system also features anomaly detection models that identify daily anomalies based on normalized usage and supports advanced analytics through Power BI for more complex reporting needs.
However, there are operational considerations such as the potential for charges to be rerated until the invoice is closed, and the exclusion of certain costs like support charges, taxes, and credits from the cost analysis. Additionally, the system may not reflect real-time resource status, as it includes historical data on resources that might have been stopped, deleted, or canceled.