I want to find the devices in my azure environment that are using the most resources. I then want to find out how much these devices are costing us a month. What is the best way to do this?

Question

I'm new to azure. I have hundreds of devices on my work network and want to find the devices that are the most active and using the most resources. I want to use the most active device as a baseline so that I know the maximum amount that I can expect to pay a month for one device. What is the best and most efficient way to do this. Basically, I want to find out:

1. Most resource heavy and active devices.
2. How much these devices are costing us.

Thanks!

Answer 1

You can use the following approach:

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Step 1: Enable Monitoring and Logging

1. Integrate Azure Monitor:
   • Use Azure Monitor to collect and analyze performance data from your devices. Azure Monitor can ingest logs from various sources, including devices running Azure Arc or Azure Virtual Desktop.
2. Set Up Log Analytics Workspace:
   • Create a Log Analytics Workspace in Azure to store and query the data collected by Azure Monitor. This will help you analyze device activity and identify resource-heavy devices.

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Step 2: Collect and Analyze Data

1. Install Agents on Devices:
   • Install the Azure Monitor agent or Diagnostic extensions on devices to collect performance metrics such as CPU, memory, disk, and network usage.
2. Enable Resource-Specific Monitoring:
   • For virtualized environments (e.g., Azure Virtual Machines or Virtual Desktops), enable diagnostic settings to monitor individual resource consumption.
3. Analyze Logs and Metrics:
   • Use the Kusto Query Language (KQL) in Log Analytics to query device activity data. For example:

          Perf
          | where CounterName in ("% Processor Time", "Available MBytes")
          | summarize AvgValue = avg(CounterValue) by Computer, CounterName
          | order by AvgValue desc
     

   • This query identifies devices with high CPU or memory usage.

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Step 3: Calculate Costs

1. Export Usage Data:
   • Use Azure Cost Management and Billing to view and export the usage and cost data associated with Azure resources.
2. Break Down Costs Per Device:
   • If devices are onboarded to Azure Arc, use resource tags or logs to associate costs with specific devices.
3. Estimate Monthly Cost for High-Usage Devices:
   • Use Azure Pricing Calculator or historical cost data to extrapolate monthly costs for the most active devices.

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Step 4: Use Results as Baseline

1. Identify Baseline Devices:
   • Based on the analysis, select the most resource-heavy device as a baseline. Use its metrics to estimate the maximum expected cost.
2. Plan for Optimization:
   • Implement policies for autoscaling, resource quotas, or optimization based on insights. For example:
     • Restrict background tasks on high-usage devices.
     • Optimize workloads using Azure’s cost-saving features, such as Reserved Instances.

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Tools and Services Summary | Tool/Service | Purpose | |--------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Azure Monitor | Monitor performance and activity of devices. | | Log Analytics Workspace | Analyze resource usage using KQL queries. | | Azure Arc | Extend Azure management and monitoring to non-Azure devices. | | Azure Cost Management | Analyze and predict costs associated with active devices. | | Azure Pricing Calculator | Estimate monthly costs for specific device workloads. |

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hth

Marcin