Boost Efficiency with Azure VM Upgrades: A Closer Look

February 8, 2024

At Login VSI, we like to keep an eye on what’s happening in the EUC industry. I recently wrote an article on the Go-EUC blog, discussing Azure SKUs and the impact of upgrading to the latest version.

In the dynamic world of cloud computing, staying on top of the latest advancements is critical to ensuring optimal performance and cost-efficiency.

One such area of focus is the selection of Azure Virtual Machine (VM) stock-keeping units (SKUs). Upgrading to a newer Azure Virtual Machine (VM) SKU version can offer several advantages, but it’s essential to consider your operations’ specific needs and requirements.

Understanding Your Azure VM SKU

Azure VMs come in various SKUs, each tailored to different performance needs. The D-series offers an array of configurations for general-purpose applications, with each version providing distinct CPU, memory, disk, and network capabilities.

Focusing on the general-purpose D-series VMs, Go-EUC conducted comprehensive tests on various SKUs, including the Standard_DS2_v2, Standard_D2s_v3, Standard_D2ds_v4, and Standard_D2ds_v5. A custom benchmark developed in PowerShell was employed to measure compute performance across these versions.

The study reveals that newer SKUs, particularly the Standard_D2ds_v5, deliver enhanced performance, primarily due to advanced CPU technologies. This highlights the importance of understanding the specific CPU allocation by Azure, as it significantly influences VM performance.

Regarding pricing, the latest SKUs, like the D2ds_v5, are not necessarily more expensive. The real value lies in their performance efficiency relative to cost, making them a cost-effective choice for various applications. The research concludes with a strong recommendation for the Standard_D2ds_v5 SKU, given its superior performance and cost ratio.

IT managers and decision-makers should consider this SKU for consistent performance, particularly in environments with frequent VM deallocations and restarts.

Know Before You Go

Upgrading to a newer Azure Virtual Machine SKU version can offer several advantages, but it’s essential to consider your operations’ specific needs and requirements. Here are some general considerations:

Common benefits:

Performance Improvement: Newer SKUs often have enhanced performance capabilities, such as faster processors, increased memory, and improved storage I/O. Upgrading can lead to better overall VM performance, which is crucial for demanding workloads.

Efficiency and Cost Savings: Newer SKUs may offer better efficiency in terms of resource utilization, which can result in cost savings. They might provide more computing power for the same or lower cost, optimizing your infrastructure spending.

Things to consider:

Downtime and Migration Challenges: Upgrade may require downtime for your applications and services. Migrating to a new VM SKU requires deallocation and reallocation, so you need to make sure you plan for that.

Testing Made Easier: Save Time and Get Quick Results

Custom PowerShell scripts were used in this particular testing; analyzing the data from these tests was relatively time-consuming. If you’re considering performing similar tasks, like testing Azure SKUs, consider using Login Enterprise to streamline and save time. By automating testing and data collection, you can capture VM performance information and application response times all in one go. Using graphs, comparisons become faster without manually analyzing any data or drawing conclusions from multiple datasets.

Staying up-to-date with the latest Azure VM SKUs is crucial in cloud computing. Upgrading to newer versions can bring significant performance and cost benefits. However, ensure these upgrades align with your operational needs to maximize the value of your Azure infrastructure.

Want to learn more about Login Enterprise’s industry standard testing capabilities? Get a demo today!