Spot VMs for cost savings in Azure - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is a Spot VM in Azure?

A Spot VM is a virtual machine that uses unused Azure capacity at a lower price. It can be evicted when Azure needs the capacity back.

beginner

Why are Spot VMs cheaper than regular VMs?

Spot VMs use spare capacity that Azure has available. Because this capacity can be taken back anytime, Azure offers Spot VMs at a lower price.

intermediate

What happens when Azure needs the capacity used by a Spot VM?

Azure evicts the Spot VM, which means it stops or deletes the VM. You can choose to be notified before eviction or let it happen immediately.

intermediate

Which workloads are best suited for Spot VMs?

Workloads that can handle interruptions, like batch jobs, testing environments, or flexible applications, are best for Spot VMs.

intermediate

How can you protect important data on Spot VMs?

Store important data on separate persistent storage like Azure Disks or Azure Files, so data is safe even if the Spot VM is evicted.

What is the main reason Spot VMs are cheaper in Azure?

A They are only available in limited regions

B They have fewer features than regular VMs

C They run on slower hardware

D They use spare capacity that can be reclaimed

Spot VMs use spare capacity that Azure can reclaim, so they are offered at a lower price.

What happens when a Spot VM is evicted?

A It continues running without interruption

B Azure stops or deletes the VM

C The VM is upgraded automatically

D The VM is moved to another region

When Azure needs the capacity back, it stops or deletes the Spot VM, causing eviction.

Which workload is NOT ideal for Spot VMs?

A Critical production databases

B Testing environments

C Batch processing jobs

D Flexible web applications

Critical production databases require high availability and are not suited for Spot VMs due to possible eviction.

How can you prepare for Spot VM eviction?

A Ignore eviction notifications

B Use Spot VMs only for permanent workloads

C Store data on persistent storage outside the VM

D Disable eviction notifications

Storing data on persistent storage ensures data safety even if the Spot VM is evicted.

Which statement about Spot VMs is true?

A Spot VMs can be evicted anytime Azure needs capacity

B Spot VMs are always cheaper than reserved VMs

C Spot VMs cannot be used with Azure Scale Sets

D Spot VMs guarantee uninterrupted service

Spot VMs can be evicted anytime Azure reclaims capacity, so they do not guarantee uninterrupted service.

Explain what Spot VMs are and how they help save costs in Azure.

Think about how Azure sells unused resources cheaper but can take them back.

Describe strategies to handle data and workload interruptions when using Spot VMs.

Consider how to keep data safe and jobs running despite VM eviction.