Azure Firewall – Consider Downgrading to Standard or Basic

Optimize Azure Firewall costs by selecting the appropriate tier based on your specific security requirements, potentially saving up to 67% on monthly infrastructure expenses.

Detailed Explanation

Why This Policy Matters in FinOps

In the world of cloud financial management, every dollar counts. Azure Firewall offers multiple pricing tiers with varying feature sets, and selecting the right tier is crucial for balancing security needs with cost efficiency.

Cost Reduction Insights

Azure Firewall comes in three tiers:

• Basic: Most cost-effective, minimal features
• Standard: Balanced features and pricing
• Premium: Most expensive, advanced security capabilities

Potential Savings Analysis

Cost Comparison for 2TB/month in US East:

• Premium Tier: $1,300/month
• Standard Tier: $950/month (27% savings)
• Basic Tier: $420/month (67% savings)

Key Cost Drivers:

• Processing volume
• Required security features
• Network traffic patterns

Implementation Guide

Infrastructure as Code (Terraform Example)

# Before (Expensive Premium Tier)
resource "azurerm_firewall" "example" {
  sku_name = "AZFW_VNet"
  sku_tier = "Premium"
}

# After (Cost-Optimized Standard/Basic Tier)
resource "azurerm_firewall" "example" {
  sku_name = "AZFW_VNet"
  sku_tier = "Standard"  # or "Basic" if features permit
}

Step-by-Step Migration Process

1. Assess Current Security Requirements
   • Review existing firewall rules
   • Identify critical security features in use
2. Analyze Feature Dependencies
   • Determine if Premium-specific features are necessary
     • TLS Inspection
     • Intrusion Detection
     • URL Filtering
   • Web Categories
3. Plan Tier Downgrade
   • Create test environment
   • Validate functionality
   • Schedule maintenance window
4. Use Infracost for Continuous Monitoring
   • Integrate Infracost into CI/CD pipeline
   • Automatically detect and prevent unnecessary premium tier selections
   • Generate cost estimates before infrastructure deployment

Best Practices

• Regular Tier Review: Quarterly assessment of firewall requirements
• Granular Access Control: Implement least-privilege networking
• Monitoring: Track security events and performance metrics
• Cost Alerting: Set up budget notifications

Example Scenarios

Scenario 1: Web Application Hosting

Before: Premium Tier @ $1,300/month
After: Standard Tier @ $950/month
Annual Savings: $4,200

Scenario 2: Internal Network Segmentation

Before: Premium Tier @ $1,300/month
After: Basic Tier @ $420/month
Annual Savings: $10,560

Considerations and Caveats

Potential Limitations

• Security Risks: Ensure downgrading doesn’t compromise protection
• Compliance Requirements: Some industries mandate advanced security features
• Future Scalability: Consider potential feature needs

When to Avoid Downgrading

• Regulated industries (finance, healthcare)
• High-security environments
• Complex network architectures requiring advanced inspection

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)