specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
schema: https://www.finops.org/framework/
provider: Azure Monitor
providerId: microsoft-azure-monitor
created: '2026-05-04'
# Provenance stamped 2026-08-11: this artifact was written by the API Evangelist
# bulk sweep dated 2026-05-04, not harvested from the provider. See roadmap#35.
method: generated
modified: '2026-05-05'
reconciled: true
tags:
  - FinOps
  - FOCUS
  - Observability
  - Microsoft Azure
description: 'FOCUS-aligned FinOps for Azure Monitor: per-GB ingestion + per-GB-month retention on
  Log Analytics (Analytics PAYG, Basic, Archive) with optional daily Commitment Tiers, plus per-million-sample
  custom metrics and per-rule alert pricing.'
sources:
  - https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/monitor/
  - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/logs/cost-logs
  - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/fundamentals/cost-usage
alignedWith:
  framework: FinOps Foundation Framework
  frameworkUrl: https://www.finops.org/framework/
  dataSpec: FOCUS
  dataSpecVersion: '1.3'
  dataSpecUrl: https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
publisherName: Microsoft Corporation
serviceCategory: Observability / Monitoring
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Pay-As-You-Go + Committed Use
  billingFrequency: Monthly
  billingCurrency: USD
  chargeCategories:
    - Usage
    - Purchase
    - Tax
    - Adjustment
    - Credit
focusColumns:
  ServiceName: Azure Monitor
  ServiceCategory: Observability
  ProviderName: Microsoft
  PublisherName: Microsoft Corporation
  InvoiceIssuerName: Microsoft Corporation
  BillingCurrency: USD
  ChargeCategory: Usage
meters:
  - name: analytics_logs_ingestion_gb
    unit: GB
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - workspace
      - region
      - table
      - source
  - name: basic_logs_ingestion_gb
    unit: GB
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - workspace
      - table
  - name: log_retention_gb_month
    unit: GB-month
    aggregation: avg
    dimensions:
      - workspace
      - tier
  - name: log_archive_gb_month
    unit: GB-month
    aggregation: avg
    dimensions:
      - workspace
  - name: basic_logs_search_gb
    unit: GB
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - workspace
  - name: custom_metrics_samples
    unit: sample
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - resource
      - region
  - name: alert_rules
    unit: rule-month
    aggregation: max
    dimensions:
      - rule_type
      - severity
  - name: notification_messages
    unit: message
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - channel
principles:
  - name: Visibility
    description: Use Azure Monitor's Usage and Estimated Costs pane and Cost Management to break
      down spend by workspace, table, and resource type; the Usage table inside the workspace gives
      per-table GB ingested.
  - name: Allocation
    description: Use multi-workspace, multi-resource-group designs aligned to teams; tag workspaces
      with cost-center; route per-application telemetry to per-team workspaces; use cluster-level
      commit pooling across workspaces.
  - name: Optimization
    description: Switch verbose tables to Basic Logs; archive cold data; tune Application Insights
      sampling; use Data Collection Rule transformations to drop noisy columns; right-size Commitment
      Tier; set daily caps; pre-aggregate custom metrics.
  - name: Accountability
    description: Assign workspace owners as cost owners; alert on daily ingestion drift; review
      Commitment Tier vs PAYG break-even quarterly; review unused alert rules and stale data sources
      monthly.
maintainers:
  - FN: Kin Lane
    email: kin@apievangelist.com