When managing Azure Virtual Machines, upgrading from F-series to Fsv2-series can provide significant cost savings and performance improvements. This policy recommends transitioning to newer Fsv2 instances to optimize your cloud infrastructure spending.
Why This Policy Matters
The Fsv2-series offers substantial benefits over the original F-series:
- Cost Efficiency: Up to 14% lower monthly costs
- Performance Upgrade: Newer processor architecture
- Consistent Specifications: Similar core and memory configurations
Detailed Cost Analysis
Comparative Cost Example
- Standard_F2 instance:
- 2 vCPUs
- 4 GB RAM
- Monthly cost: $72.27 (East US region)
- Standard_F2s_v2 instance:
- 2 vCPUs
- 4 GB RAM
- Monthly cost: $61.76
- Savings: $10.51 (14% reduction)
Implementation Guide
Infrastructure as Code Transformation Example (Terraform)
Before (Outdated F-Series)
resource "azurerm_virtual_machine" "example" {
vm_size = "Standard_F2"
# Other configuration parameters
}After (Upgraded Fsv2-Series)
resource "azurerm_virtual_machine" "example" {
vm_size = "Standard_F2s_v2"
# Other configuration parameters
}Manual Migration Steps
- Assess Current Infrastructure
- Inventory all F series virtual machines
- Verify compatibility with Fsv2 series
- Plan Migration
- Schedule maintenance window
- Backup existing virtual machines
- Test Fsv2 compatibility
- Execute Migration
- Stop current virtual machine
- Change VM size to corresponding Fsv2 series
- Restart virtual machine
Best Practices
- Gradual Transition: Migrate machines in phases
- Performance Testing: Validate application performance after migration
- Cost Monitoring: Track actual savings post-migration
Recommended Tools
- Infracost: Automatically detect and suggest F to Fsv2 series upgrades
- Azure Cost Management: Track and validate cost savings
- Azure Advisor: Provides additional rightsizing recommendations
Practical Examples
Scenario 1: Development Environment
- Current Setup: 10 Standard_F2 machines
- Potential Monthly Savings: $105.10
- Annual Impact: Approximately $1,261.20 saved
Scenario 2: Production Workload
- Current Setup: 50 Standard_F4 machines
- Potential Monthly Savings: $2,525.50
- Annual Impact: Approximately $30,306 saved
Considerations and Caveats
Potential Limitations
- Some legacy applications might require specific testing
- Minor configuration adjustments might be necessary
- Temporary service interruption during migration
When to Avoid
- Highly specialized workloads with strict compatibility requirements
- Machines with complex custom configurations
- Environments with immediate performance-critical constraints