Azure Virtual Machines – Consider Upgrading DS Series Machines to Dv5

Systematically upgrade Azure DS series virtual machines to Dv5 or Ddsv5 series to leverage newer processor technologies, improve performance, and reduce monthly infrastructure costs.

Why This Policy Matters

The evolution of Azure virtual machine series presents critical opportunities for FinOps professionals to:

• Optimize cloud infrastructure spending
• Improve computational performance
• Reduce total cost of ownership (TCO)
• Align infrastructure with current technological capabilities

Cost Reduction Potential

Upgrading from DS series to Dv5 or Ddsv5 series can deliver substantial financial benefits:

Cost Comparison Example:

• DS4 Machine (Current):
  • 8 vCPUs
  • 28 GB RAM
  • 56 GB temporary storage
  • Premium SSD support: Yes
  • Monthly Cost: $449 (East US region)

For workloads requiring Premium SSD storage:

• D8s_v5 Machine (Upgraded with Premium SSD Support):
  • 8 vCPUs
  • 32 GB RAM
  • Remote storage only
  • Premium SSD support: Yes
  • Monthly Cost: $330
  • Savings: 27%

For workloads using Standard storage:

• D8v5 Machine (Upgraded – Standard Storage Only):
  • 8 vCPUs
  • 32 GB RAM
  • Remote storage only
  • Premium SSD support: No
  • Monthly Cost: $280
  • Savings: 38%
• D8dv5 Machine (Upgraded with Local Storage):
  • 8 vCPUs
  • 32 GB RAM
  • 300 GB temporary storage
  • Premium SSD support: Yes
  • Monthly Cost: $330
  • Savings: 27%

Storage Performance Assessment

Before migrating, assess your storage requirements:

Use D8v5 (Standard Storage) when:

• Application doesn’t require high IOPS (>500 IOPS)
• Web servers with moderate traffic
• Development and testing environments
• Applications using primarily Standard HDD/SSD storage

Use D8s_v5 or D8ds_v5 (Premium SSD Support) when:

• Database workloads requiring high IOPS
• Applications with strict latency requirements
• Production workloads with intensive I/O operations
• Currently using Premium SSD storage

Performance Improvements

Dv5 series machines offer:

• Latest generation Intel® Xeon® Platinum 8370C processors
• Better core-to-memory ratios
• Improved computational efficiency
• Enhanced virtualization capabilities

Implementation Guide

Infrastructure as Code Transformation

Terraform Example (Before):

resource "azurerm_virtual_machine" "example" {
  vm_size = "Standard_DS4_v2"
  # Other configuration
}

Terraform Example (After):

For Premium SSD workloads:

resource "azurerm_virtual_machine" "example" {
  vm_size = "Standard_D8s_v5"  # Premium SSD support
  # Other configuration
}

For Standard storage workloads:

resource "azurerm_virtual_machine" "example" {
  vm_size = "Standard_D8_v5"   # Standard storage only
  # Other configuration
}

For workloads needing local storage:

resource "azurerm_virtual_machine" "example" {
  vm_size = "Standard_D8d_v5"  # Local + Premium SSD support
  # Other configuration
}

Manual Migration Steps

1. Assess current storage performance requirements
2. Determine if Premium SSD capabilities are actually needed
3. Assess current VM configurations and workloads
4. Validate application compatibility with new VM series
5. Create a migration plan
6. Perform test migrations
7. Schedule production migration during low-traffic periods

Best Practices

• Conduct storage performance analysis before selecting target VM series
• Use Infracost to:
  • Predict precise cost implications before migration
  • Identify and flag potential cost optimization opportunities
  • Generate comprehensive cost reports for decision-making
• Conduct thorough performance testing
• Consider workload-specific requirements
• Plan for potential brief service interruptions

Example Scenarios

Web Application Hosting

A mid-sized e-commerce platform migrating from DS4 to D8v5 (if Premium SSD not required) could save approximately $2,040 annually while maintaining consistent performance. If Premium SSD is required, migration to D8s_v5 would save approximately $1,428 annually.

Development and Testing Environments

Software development teams can reduce infrastructure costs by 30-40% by strategically upgrading VM series, typically using D8v5 since Premium SSD is rarely required for dev/test workloads.

Considerations and Caveats

Potential Limitations:

• Premium SSD support differs between series (Dv5 vs Dsv5)
• Some legacy applications might require specific configuration adjustments
• Temporary storage configurations differ between series
• Network and storage performance variations
• Potential brief service interruption during migration

Not Recommended When:

• Applications have strict compatibility requirements
• Workload requires Premium SSD but you’re considering standard Dv5 series
• Immediate migration cost exceeds long-term savings
• Complex, stateful applications with intricate dependencies

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)