We will explore what you should know about Azure’s Low Priority VMs and possible use cases.
What are Low Priority VMs?
Low Priority VMs are a type of Azure virtual machine that is offered at a significantly lower cost than regular virtual machines. The primary difference between Low Priority VMs and regular VMs is that Low Priority VMs are subject to preemption. This means that Azure may shut down the VM to allocate resources to higher priority workloads, such as regular VMs. When this happens, any unsaved data on the VM is lost, and the VM is terminated. When resources become available again, Azure will automatically restart the VM. The availability of Low Priority VMs can vary based on demand for Azure resources.
Possible Use Cases for Low Priority VMs
- Batch Processing
Batch processing is a workload that can be broken down into small, independent tasks that can be executed in parallel. These tasks can be scheduled and executed on Low Priority VMs, which can provide significant cost savings compared to using regular VMs.
- Development and Testing
Low Priority VMs can be used for development and testing environments, which can be shut down when not in use to save costs. This can be especially useful for organizations that have large development teams or that frequently spin up multiple testing environments.
- Big Data Analytics
Big data analytics workloads that involve large-scale data processing can benefit from Low Priority VMs. These VMs can be used for non-critical workloads such as data exploration, ad-hoc analysis, or experimentation. This can help reduce the overall cost of big data analytics by leveraging low-cost VMs for non-critical workloads.
- Machine Learning
Machine learning workloads that involve training models can also benefit from Low Priority VMs. These VMs can be used for non-critical workloads such as experimentation or parameter tuning. Low Priority VMs can be configured to scale up or down based on demand, providing additional cost savings.
- DevOps
DevOps workloads that involve continuous integration and continuous deployment can also benefit from Low Priority VMs. These VMs can be used for build agents, testing environments, and other non-critical workloads, which can help reduce overall costs.
Low Priority VMs can provide significant cost savings for certain use cases. By leveraging Low Priority VMs, organizations can reduce their overall cloud computing costs while still maintaining the ability to execute their workloads. However, it’s important to note that Low Priority VMs are not appropriate for all workloads and that they may not be available at all times. Organizations should carefully consider their use cases before adopting Low Priority VMs to ensure they are a good fit for their needs.