Hello, Were planning to cut cost in our Azure Cloud Infrastructure and we noticed that we have Azure Database for MySQL flexible server that is not being used or the project for it, halted. We want the service be terminated and removed however we also want to make sure that if needed, we can still recreate the service back to its original state. I am writing this because our Cloud develop partner left us without proper documentation and know-how-transfer and we have limited knowledge regarding cloud management. My question is how can we terminate the service without incurring some cost and make sure it will not bill us anymore and most importantly bring back the terminated service to its original state if we decide to continue the project? Thank you.

Hello jb_devel , Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A and thank you for posting your questions here. I understand that your concern and questions on termination of Azure service in your Azure Cloud Infrastructure. The below solution will help you to terminate Azure services and to: Complete elimination of ongoing costs for the unused database. Guaranteed ability to recreate the database in its original state, with all configurations intact. Mitigation of backup retention risks by exporting data to long-term, low-cost storage. The first thing is to export your Data for Long-Term Recovery with the below options: Option 1: Export to SQL Dump or BACPAC: Use tools like Azure Data Studio or mysqldump to export the database to a local system or Azure Blob Storage. This is an example for mysqldump using bash command: mysqldump -u <username> -h <server-name>.mysql.database.azure.com -p <database-name> > backup.sql Save the file in a secure location. Option 2: Export Backups to Azure Blob Storage: Enable Azure Storage Blob and move the backups there to retain them for as long as needed. Secondly, document your server configurations: Use Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates or Terraform scripts to export the current configuration of the Azure Database for MySQL flexible server: In the Azure portal, navigate to the server's Export Template section. Save the ARM template locally. This will allow you to recreate the service with the same configurations (e.g., server size, region, network settings). This is your third category of things to do by "Terminate the Service": Temporarily halts the server to stop billing for compute resources by "Stop the Server". Delete the server and confirm deletion to avoid incurring storage and management costs. NOTE: To ensure minimal backup costs: Move Backups to Archive Storage to reduce costs, by transferring backups to the archive tier in Azure Blob Storage, which is significantly cheaper. For the future reusability, use the saved database dump or BACPAC file to restore the database on a new MySQL server if needed and reuse the ARM template or Terraform script to replicate the original server configuration. To put into considerations the cost, Azure Blob Storage (Archive tier) costs less than $0.001 per GB/month, making it a cost-effective option for long-term storage and recreating the service will incur standard provisioning costs based on the chosen server configuration. I hope this is helpful! Do not hesitate to let me know if you have any other questions. Please don't forget to close up the thread here by upvoting and accept it as an answer if it is helpful.

Termination of Azure Service

Accepted answer

Sina Salam 17,016 Reputation points

2025-01-24T15:58:41.9033333+00:00
Hello jb_devel,

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A and thank you for posting your questions here.

I understand that your concern and questions on termination of Azure service in your Azure Cloud Infrastructure.

The below solution will help you to terminate Azure services and to:

Complete elimination of ongoing costs for the unused database.

Guaranteed ability to recreate the database in its original state, with all configurations intact.

Mitigation of backup retention risks by exporting data to long-term, low-cost storage.

The first thing is to export your Data for Long-Term Recovery with the below options:

Option 1: Export to SQL Dump or BACPAC:

Use tools like Azure Data Studio or mysqldump to export the database to a local system or Azure Blob Storage. This is an example for mysqldump using bash command: mysqldump -u <username> -h <server-name>.mysql.database.azure.com -p <database-name> > backup.sql

Save the file in a secure location.

Option 2: Export Backups to Azure Blob Storage:

Enable Azure Storage Blob and move the backups there to retain them for as long as needed.

Secondly, document your server configurations:

Use Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates or Terraform scripts to export the current configuration of the Azure Database for MySQL flexible server:

In the Azure portal, navigate to the server's Export Template section.

Save the ARM template locally. This will allow you to recreate the service with the same configurations (e.g., server size, region, network settings).

This is your third category of things to do by "Terminate the Service":

Temporarily halts the server to stop billing for compute resources by "Stop the Server".

Delete the server and confirm deletion to avoid incurring storage and management costs.

NOTE:

To ensure minimal backup costs: Move Backups to Archive Storage to reduce costs, by transferring backups to the archive tier in Azure Blob Storage, which is significantly cheaper.

For the future reusability, use the saved database dump or BACPAC file to restore the database on a new MySQL server if needed and reuse the ARM template or Terraform script to replicate the original server configuration.

To put into considerations the cost, Azure Blob Storage (Archive tier) costs less than $0.001 per GB/month, making it a cost-effective option for long-term storage and recreating the service will incur standard provisioning costs based on the chosen server configuration.

I hope this is helpful! Do not hesitate to let me know if you have any other questions.

Please don't forget to close up the thread here by upvoting and accept it as an answer if it is helpful.
Please sign in to rate this answer.
jb_devel 100 Reputation points

2025-01-28T02:57:01.28+00:00

Hello @Sina Salam

Thank you for the response.

I have the following feedback/questions to add:

I already have a backup of our database. I performed mysqldump and placed the output file in azure storage account and download it locally from there. So this step is done.

So this export template is all I need to backup all the configuration of our Azure Database for MySQL flexible servers?

-I do not have knowledge of Terraform scripts unfortunately.

-ARM template and this Export template is the same?

-Does exporting template incur some additional cost?

Got it. I already found the stop and delete buttons for those.

Thank you.

JB

jb_devel 100 Reputation points

2025-01-28T04:05:27.23+00:00

Please ignore this message.

Sina Salam 17,016 Reputation points

2025-01-28T15:15:25.5933333+00:00

Dear jb_devel,

Thank you for your feedback. It's good to know you're progressing.

About ARM and export template:

ARM Templates are JSON files that define the infrastructure and configuration for your Azure resources. They are used to automate the deployment and management of resources in a consistent manner.

Export Templates are generated from existing resources in your Azure environment. When you export a template, it captures the current state of your resources and creates a JSON file that you can use as a starting point for ARM templates. - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/templates/export-template-portal

About the cost of exporting templates, exporting templates from Azure does not incur any additional costs. It's a built-in feature of the Azure portal that helps you understand and replicate your resource configurations - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/templates/export-template-portal

Please don't forget to close up the thread here by upvoting and accept it as an answer to benefit others using community.

Thank you.

jb_devel 100 Reputation points

2025-01-29T00:20:37.2133333+00:00

Hello @Sina Salam

Thanks for your response.

Is this ARM template necessary? It looks complicated to be honest lol. I am not a cloud engineer btw so Its my first time doing these things.

You mentioned as a starting point, does it mean that the exported json file in the Export template of a service cannot be used for deployment as is? it still needs further modification to be successfully deployed in Azure?

Btw, the links you provided redirects me to this thread.

Thank you.

Sina Salam 17,016 Reputation points

2025-01-29T02:53:19.31+00:00

Dear jb_devel,

I understand that ARM templates can look quite complex, especially if you're new to cloud engineering! Azure Resource Manager templates are indeed necessary for automating the deployment and management of your Azure resources. They provide a declarative way to define your infrastructure and configurations, which can save you a lot of manual effort in the long run.

Regarding the exported JSON file from the "Export template" feature in Azure: The exported template is a great starting point because it captures the current state of your resources. However, it might not be ready for deployment as-is. You may need to make some modifications to the exported template to ensure it works correctly for redeployment.

Here is the link again:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/templates/export-template-portal

Success

jb_devel 100 Reputation points

2025-01-29T04:43:35.2033333+00:00

Hello @Sina Salam

-Is there an ARM checker to verify the JSON file? How will I know if the template will pass in Azure validation during deployment?

-What exactly I need to modify to make sure it will work?

-I already have the exported template. I just dont know what I am looking at lol.

Sina Salam 17,016 Reputation points

2025-01-29T10:31:02.0466667+00:00

Hi jb_devel,

I understand how overwhelming it can be to work with ARM templates for the first time! The below will answer your questions:

Is there an ARM checker to verify the JSON file?

Yes, there is a tool called the ARM Template Test Toolkit that you can use to verify your JSON file. This toolkit checks whether your template follows recommended practices and returns a list of warnings with suggested changes - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/templates/test-toolkit

You can run it using PowerShell or CLI. This is how to use it:

Download the latest .zip file for the test toolkit and extract it.

Use the command Test-AzTemplate -TemplatePath <path-to-your-template> in PowerShell.

What exactly do I need to modify to make sure it will work?

When you export a template, it might include some environment-specific details that need to be generalized. Some common modifications you might need to make:

Parameters

Variables

Resource Dependencies

Outputs

I already have the exported template. I just don't know what I am looking at lol.

No worries! The below is a basic structure of an ARM template to help you understand what you're looking at:

{ "$schema": "https://schema.management.azure.com/schemas/2019-04-01/deploymentTemplate.json#", "contentVersion": "1.0.0.0", "parameters": { // Define parameters here }, "variables": { // Define variables here }, "resources": [ // Define resources here ], "outputs": { // Define outputs here } }

Parameters are inputs to the template.

Variables are values that are computed from parameters or constants.

Resources is the section that define the Azure resources to be deployed.

Outputs are values that are returned after the deployment.

If you cannot do this, you can contract someone on LinkedIn or Upwork or any professional that can help you achieve your aim.

Good success

jb_devel 100 Reputation points

2025-01-30T01:35:27.8433333+00:00

Hello @Sina Salam ,

I checked the toolkit you mentioned and follow the procedure indicated however, I encounter the following errors:

I also installed the Azure CLI with powershell provided in the following link: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cli/azure/install-azure-cli-windows?view=azure-cli-latest&tabs=powershell

and restart powershell but he error still the same

What could be the problem?

Thank you.

jb_devel 100 Reputation points

2025-01-30T05:45:22.2466667+00:00

Hello @Sina Salam

I want to update you on my recent findings.

-I was able to make the test tool kit work.

-After I download and install the Azure CLI, restart the PowerShell, I perform again the steps 5 and 6 of the link you provided then it worked.

-I got 2 failed results with regards to location as it should not be hard coded therefore I add a parameter named location and just call it inside my resources block.

-I also got multiple warnings with regards to API version which I cant find an answer to but above it that says "apiVersions Should be Recent" so I checked other versions and I found this link: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/templates/microsoft.dbformysql/flexibleservers?pivots=deployment-language-bicep which has 2024-10-01 as the latest.

-I am attaching an image for your checking

-My question is do I have to changed it? because im worried other resources will be affected by it and eventually not work.

-It seems the warnings are not critical since the ttk result indicates all were passed. Does it mean it will be successfully deployed even with those warnings?

-Image below is the result of the test-aztemplate:

Thank you.

JB

Sina Salam 17,016 Reputation points

2025-01-30T13:53:48.4633333+00:00

Dear jb_devel,

Great job on getting the test toolkit to work and resolving the hard-coded location issue! 🎉

Regarding the API version warnings, it's generally a good practice to use the most recent API versions to ensure compatibility and access to the latest features. However, if the current API version works for your resources and you don't encounter any issues, you might not need to change it immediately.

The warnings from the test-aztemplate are recommendations and not critical errors - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/templates/test-toolkit

This means your deployment should still be successful as it is even with those warnings. However, it's advisable to update the API versions when possible to avoid potential issues in the future - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cli/azure/apic/api/version?view=azure-cli-latest

If you decide to update the API versions, you can test the deployment in a non-production environment first to ensure that everything works as expected without affecting your existing resources - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/api-center/manage-apis-azure-cli

Success

jb_devel 100 Reputation points

2025-01-31T00:34:46.95+00:00

Hello @Sina Salam ,

Thank you for your help.

Got it. So for the meantime I will keep the template as is.

Since you mentioned deployment, how can I deploy the template specifically to lets say development environment? I dont see any configuration in the template that points to where the template is going to be deployed.

Thank you.

JB

Sina Salam 17,016 Reputation points

2025-01-31T11:46:18.1233333+00:00

Dear jb_devel,

Thank you for your feedback.

I'm glad to know you got it.

Regarding your new questions, kindly raise another thread. If you mention me in your question, I will be glad to help.

This is getting too long, let's close this thread.

Thank you.

jb_devel 100 Reputation points

2025-02-03T00:02:17.2833333+00:00

Hello @Sina Salam ,

Thank you so much your help. I will now close this thread by accepting your response as the answer.

Cheers!
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