Azure Spot Instances
Overview¶
Azure Spot Instances allow you to take advantage of unused Azure capacity at a discounted rate. They are ideal for workloads that can tolerate interruptions, such as batch processing, dev/test environments, and large-scale stateless applications.
Core Functionality¶
- Pricing Model: Save up to 90% compared to pay-as-you-go prices by using unused capacity.
- Eviction Policy: Spot VMs can be evicted based on capacity needs or if the maximum price you set is exceeded. Eviction can occur with as little as 30 seconds' notice.
- No SLA: Spot Instances do not come with an SLA, meaning there is no guaranteed uptime.
- Capacity Availability: Availability of Spot Instances varies based on region, time of day, and other factors.
Well-Architected Framework¶
Operational Excellence¶
- Automation: Use Azure Automation to manage and monitor Spot Instances, ensuring they are efficiently utilized and automatically redeployed if evicted.
- Monitoring: Implement Azure Monitor to track the performance and availability of Spot Instances, setting up alerts for eviction events.
Security¶
- Network Security: Apply Network Security Groups (NSGs) to control inbound and outbound traffic to Spot Instances.
- Identity Management: Use Azure Active Directory (AAD) for secure access and identity management.
Reliability¶
- Redundancy: Design your architecture to handle the eviction of Spot Instances by using redundant instances or fallback to standard VMs.
- Data Persistence: Ensure data is stored in persistent storage solutions like Azure Blob Storage or Azure Managed Disks to prevent data loss during evictions.
Performance Efficiency¶
- Scaling: Use Azure Virtual Machine Scale Sets to automatically scale Spot Instances based on demand and availability.
- Optimization: Continuously monitor and optimize the performance of Spot Instances to ensure they meet workload requirements.
Cost Optimization¶
- Budgeting: Set maximum prices for Spot Instances to control costs and avoid unexpected expenses.
- Utilization: Regularly review and adjust the usage of Spot Instances to maximize cost savings.
Sustainability¶
- Resource Efficiency: Use Spot Instances to make efficient use of Azure's unused capacity, reducing the overall environmental impact.
- Energy Consumption: Monitor and optimize the energy consumption of your workloads running on Spot Instances.