Selecting the Correct Azure VM

• Azure offers numerous VM configurations, or sizes, grouped by hardware series that address different categories of use.
• Changing to a different VM size within a series is feasible, but changing to a different series can be difficult.
• Careful VM selection can keep costs in control and leave room to respond to future demand changes.

The Azure VM service allows organizations to run Windows Server and Linux workloads on VMs in Azure, using a pay-as-you-go pricing model for each minute a VM is running. Azure offers several series of VMs for different scenarios, each with predefined processor, memory, storage, and networking. The offerings range significantly in terms of price, performance, and regional availability, so organizations should match application requirements with the most appropriate VM series and size to properly balance cost, performance, and future growth.

VM Series Defines Performance Parameters

Azure VMs are offered in series (previously called families) that are generally defined by a common hardware platform designed to meet specific performance requirements. Each series is named with one or more letters, such as the A-series or L-series, and sizes within a series are named to provide information about their specific capabilities. (For information on names of VM sizes, see the sidebar “Understanding Azure VM Size Naming“.)