Systematically upgrade Azure DS series virtual machines to Dv5 or Ddsv5 series to leverage newer processor technologies, improve performance, and reduce monthly infrastructure costs.
Detailed Explanation
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
- Monthly Cost: $449 (East US region)
- D8v5 Machine (Upgraded):
- 8 vCPUs
- 32 GB RAM
- Remote storage only
- Monthly Cost: $280
- Savings: 38%
- D8dv5 Machine (Upgraded with Local Storage):
- 8 vCPUs
- 32 GB RAM
- 300 GB temporary storage
- Monthly Cost: $330
- Savings: 27%
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):
resource "azurerm_virtual_machine" "example" {
vm_size = "Standard_D8_v5" # Or Standard_D8d_v5
# Other configuration
}Manual Migration Steps
- Assess current VM configurations and workloads
- Validate application compatibility with new VM series
- Create a migration plan
- Perform test migrations
- Schedule production migration during low-traffic periods
Best Practices
- 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 could save approximately $2,040 annually while maintaining consistent performance.
Development and Testing Environments
Software development teams can reduce infrastructure costs by 30-40% by strategically upgrading VM series.
Considerations and Caveats
Potential Limitations:
- 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
- Immediate migration cost exceeds long-term savings
- Complex, stateful applications with intricate dependencies