Spot azure account deallocation

Question

Hi everyone,

I'm running a VPS through a spot Azure account, and it has been stopped/deallocated for the past few hours. Should I wait for it to be reallocated back to my account once Azure has available capacity, or is it better to delete it and start a new instance? I can wait up to 24 hours if needed.

Thanks for any help, this is my first time using the service

Answer 1

Hello Conta123

If your Azure Spot Virtual Machine (VM) has been stopped/deallocated for several hours and you're unsure when it will be reallocated due to Azure capacity constraints, you have a few options to consider:

1. Wait for Reallocation:

• If you can afford to wait and your workload is not time-sensitive, you can choose to wait for Azure to allocate capacity and restart your Spot VM. Azure Spot instances can offer significant cost savings, especially for non-time-sensitive workloads.

2. Delete and Recreate:

• If you need to resume your workload immediately or if you're unsure when the Spot VM will be reallocated, you can choose to delete the existing VM and recreate it.
• When recreating the VM, you may consider using a different pricing model (e.g., standard VM) if immediate availability is more important than cost savings.

3. Scale Set with Spot Instances:

• If your workload can tolerate interruptions and you want to ensure continuous availability, consider using Azure Virtual Machine Scale Sets with Spot Instances.
• Virtual Machine Scale Sets automatically manage the number of VM instances based on demand, and Spot Instances provide cost savings compared to regular instances.

4. Use Regular VMs:

• If the workload cannot tolerate interruptions or if immediate availability is critical, consider using regular (non-Spot) VM instances.
• While regular VMs may be more expensive than Spot instances, they offer guaranteed availability without the risk of interruption due to capacity constraints.

5. Monitor Capacity:

• Keep an eye on Azure capacity trends and spot instance pricing to anticipate when capacity may become available for your Spot VM.
• Azure provides tools and APIs to monitor capacity and spot instance pricing changes, allowing you to make informed decisions about resource provisioning.

6. Evaluate Workload Requirements:

• Consider the specific requirements of your workload, including performance, availability, and cost considerations, when deciding whether to wait for reallocation or recreate the VM.

Ultimately, the best approach depends on your workload requirements, budget constraints, and tolerance for interruptions. If your workload can tolerate interruptions and cost savings are a priority, waiting for reallocation or using Spot Instances may be suitable. However, if immediate availability and guaranteed uptime are critical, recreating the VM or using regular VM instances may be preferable.