Azure Virtual Machines – Consider Upgrading D Series Machines to Dv5

Upgrade older Azure D series virtual machines to newer Dv5 series for improved price performance and cost savings.

Why Upgrading Matters

Azure’s Dv5 series virtual machines offer significant improvements over previous generations, providing:

Better price-to-performance ratio

More efficient processors

Potential cost reductions of 23-34%

Improved computational capabilities

Detailed Explanation

Cost and Performance Benefits

Azure’s latest generation of virtual machines (Dv5 series) provides substantial advantages over older D series machines:

Performance Comparison Example:

D4 v2 Machine:

8 vCPUs

28 GB RAM

400 GB temporary storage

Monthly cost: $427 (East US region)

D8 v5 Machine:

8 vCPUs

32 GB RAM

Remote storage only

Monthly cost: $280

Savings: 34%

D8d v5 Machine:

8 vCPUs

32 GB RAM

300 GB temporary storage

Monthly cost: $330

Savings: 23%

Key Upgrade Series Options

Dv5/Ddv5: General purpose

Dsv5/Ddsv5: Storage optimized

Supported with AMD and Intel processors

Implementation Guide

Infrastructure as Code Example (Terraform)

Before (Old D Series)

resource "azurerm_virtual_machine" "example" {
  vm_size = "Standard_D4_v2"
}

resource "azurerm_virtual_machine" "example" {
  vm_size = "Standard_D4_v2"
}

resource "azurerm_virtual_machine" "example" {
  vm_size = "Standard_D4_v2"
}

After (Upgraded Dv5 Series)

resource "azurerm_virtual_machine" "example" {
  vm_size = "Standard_D8_v5"  # or Standard_D8d_v5
}

resource "azurerm_virtual_machine" "example" {
  vm_size = "Standard_D8_v5"  # or Standard_D8d_v5
}

resource "azurerm_virtual_machine" "example" {
  vm_size = "Standard_D8_v5"  # or Standard_D8d_v5
}

Manual Migration Steps

• Verify workload compatibility

• Create a snapshot of existing VM

Stop the current VM

Change VM size in Azure portal

Restart the virtual machine

Test application performance

Best Practices

Test performance before full migration

Consider workload-specific requirements

• Review storage and networking configurations

• Use Azure Advisor recommendations

Recommended Tools

Infracost: Automatically detect and recommend VM upgrades

Azure Cost Management

Azure Advisor

Azure Migrate

Example Scenarios

Web Application Hosting

A mid-sized web application running on D4 v2 could save approximately $1,740 annually by upgrading to D8 v5.

Development Environments

Development teams can reduce infrastructure costs while maintaining or improving computational performance.

High-Performance Computing

Scientific and research computing environments benefit from newer processor architectures.

Considerations and Caveats

Potential Limitations

• Some legacy applications might require specific configurations

• Temporary storage differences between series

Potential minor performance variations

Migration effort and potential downtime

When to Avoid Upgrading

Highly specialized workloads

• Applications with strict compatibility requirements

• Environments with complex dependency chains

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How complex is the migration process?
Generally straightforward, but requires careful planning and testing.

Are there any risks in upgrading?
Minimal risks if proper testing and validation are performed.

Can I preview performance before migration?
Yes, use Azure’s performance testing tools and benchmarking.

How often should I review VM series?
Recommend quarterly reviews of VM configurations.

Is Infracost helpful in this process?
Absolutely! Infracost can automatically detect and recommend VM upgrades.