azure-cost-management

# Cost Management Skill

This skill provides expert guidance for Cost Management. Covers troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, limits & quotas, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. It combines local quick-reference content with remote documentation fetching capabilities.

## How to Use This Skill

> **IMPORTANT for Agent**: Use the **Category Index** below to locate relevant sections. For categories with line ranges (e.g., `L35-L120`), use `read_file` with the specified lines. For categories with file links (e.g., `[security.md](security.md)`), use `read_file` on the linked reference file

> **IMPORTANT for Agent**: If `metadata.generated_at` is more than 3 months old, suggest the user pull the latest version from the repository. If `mcp_microsoftdocs` tools are not available, suggest the user install it: [Installation Guide](https://github.com/MicrosoftDocs/mcp/blob/main/README.md)

This skill requires **network access** to fetch documentation content:
- **Preferred**: Use `mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch` with query string `from=learn-agent-skill`. Returns Markdown.
- **Fallback**: Use `fetch_webpage` with query string `from=learn-agent-skill&accept=text/markdown`. Returns Markdown.

## Category Index

| Category | Lines | Description |
|----------|-------|-------------|
| Troubleshooting | L36-L65 | Diagnosing and fixing Azure billing, subscription, and reservation issues (sign-up, access, payments, invoices, utilization, and error codes) including EA, MCA, CSP, and student accounts. |
| Best Practices | L66-L78 | Best practices for analyzing and optimizing Azure costs, using Advisor, managing subscriptions and agreements, leveraging savings plans and SQL licensing, and setting up cost governance processes. |
| Decision Making | L79-L115 | Guidance for choosing and configuring Azure billing, cost allocation, reservations, savings plans, EA/MCA transitions, and pricing/discount strategies to optimize and manage costs. |
| Limits & Quotas | L116-L128 | Limits, quotas, and timing for Cost Management data; free account credits and spending limits; subscription creation and dormancy limits; and savings plan exclusions/utilization. |
| Security | L129-L150 | Managing secure access, roles, and permissions for Azure billing, subscriptions, reservations, savings plans, and tax documents, including RBAC, EA/MCA/CSP roles, and PSD2 SCA requirements. |
| Configuration | L151-L173 | Configuring Cost Management: tags, budgets, alerts, exports, views, filters, reservations/savings plans, SQL licensing, purchase policies, subscription moves, and partner/admin links. |
| Integrations & Coding Patterns | L174-L191 | APIs, scripts, and PowerShell patterns to automate cost analysis, billing data retrieval, and programmatic creation/migration of Azure subscriptions and reservations. |
| Deployment | L192-L195 | Configuring automated, large-scale exports of Azure cost and usage data to storage (like Azure Storage), including setup, scheduling, and management for ongoing cost analysis. |

### Troubleshooting
| Topic | URL |
|-------|-----|
| Troubleshoot common Azure Cost Management error codes | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cost-management-billing/costs/cost-management-error-codes |
| Troubleshoot and reactivate disabled Azure for Students | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cost-management-billing/manage/azurestudents-subscription-disabled |
| Diagnose and reactivate disabled Azure subscriptions | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cost-management-billing/manage/subscription-disabled |
| Troubleshoot subscription access issues after MCA signup | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cost-management-billing/microsoft-customer-agreement/troubleshoot-subscription-access |
| Find Azure reservation purchasers using Monitor logs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cost-management-billing/reservations/find-reservation-purchaser-from-logs |
| Fix unavailable Azure reservation usage downloads | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cost-management-billing/reservations/troubleshoot-download-usage |
| Resolve 'No eligible subscriptions' errors when buying reservations | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cost-management-billing/reservations/troubleshoot-no-eligible-subscriptions |
| Troubleshoot unavailable Azure reservation types | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cost-management-billing/reservations/troubleshoot-product-not-available |
| Troubleshoot Azure reservation recommendation discrepancies | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cost-management-billing/reservations/troubleshoot-reservation-recommendation |
| Transfer Azure reservation orders between Entra tenants | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cost-management-billing/reservations/troubleshoot-reservation-transfers-between-tenants |
| Diagnose and fix Azure reservation utilization issues | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cost-management-billing/reservations/troubleshoot-reservation-utilization |
| Troubleshoot Azure savings plan utilization anomalies | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cost-management-billing/savings-plan/troubleshoot-savings-plan-utilization |
| Troubleshoot Azure billing payment update errors | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cost-management-billing/troubleshoot-billing/billing-troubleshoot-azure-payment-issues |
| Fix VM creation errors for Azure EA users | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cost-management-billing/troubleshoot-billing/cannot-create-vm |
| Resolve missing billing account in Azure portal | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cost-management-billing/troubleshoot-billing/troubleshoot-account-not-found |
| Fix issues viewing Azure invoices in portal | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cost-management-billing/troubleshoot-billing/troubleshoot-cant-find-invoice |
| Troubleshoot CSP billing with reconciliation usage files | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cost-management-bil