| Category | |
| Setting up Azure – Blog No 1 | |
| Time to Read | |
| 25 Minutes | |
| Who should read this blog? | |
| If you are setting up your Azure account, you must know different azure subscriptions before making sure which one suits your business needs best. |
Preface
If you are here, it means either you are a professional/entrepreneur who is trying to create or move your resources to Microsoft’s public cloud platform Azure, trying to understand Azure subscriptions and which one suits your business needs best, or you are a student who wants to explore Azure to make a career out of it.
Whichever category you fit in, this blog will help you to decode which Azure subscription plan should you choose and help in setting up the subscription.
Understanding Azure Subscription Model
This looks familiar right – Have you heard of Netflix subscriptions?
Unlimited movies, Tv shows, and more pay either a monthly or annual subscription amount.
Pay for what plan you consume.
“Basic” plan – $9.99 per month – single device – maximum resolution of 720p.
“Standard” plan which costs $15.49 per month – watch on two devices at the same time – maximum resolution of 1080p.
“Premium” plan – costs $19.99 per month – streams on four devices (perfect for families) – maximum resolution of 4K ultra-high definition.
Unsubscribe whenever you want, no questions asked.,
I hope you got a fair idea about the Azure subscription model, now let’s move away from Netflix and understand the Azure subscriptions
Azure subscriptions in more detail!
I hope you got some idea about each subscription type. Now that you are ready let’s see them in detail.
Free-trail or sponsored subscription
New to Azure! Why pay when you just want to explore!! You get 200 $ worth of credit to run a lot of services for a month and some free services for 12 months. All you need is a phone no, an email address, and one credit card registered in your name (just to validate your identity).
The free subscription comes with a limited set of resources and services that are suitable for small-scale testing and development purposes. You get access to services like Virtual Machines, Storage, and SQL databases, but with usage limits.
Want to know more refer here
Activate Free-trial subscription
Activating a free trial subscription in Azure is a simple process. Here are the general steps:
- Sign up for an Azure account: If you don’t already have an Azure account https://portal.azure.com, you’ll need to sign up for one.
- Choose the free trial subscription: Once you’ve signed up for an Azure account, you’ll be prompted to choose a subscription type. Select the “Free Trial” option.
- Verify your identity: After you’ve chosen the free trial subscription, you’ll need to verify your identity. This involves providing a phone number and credit card information.
- Start using Azure: After you’ve completed the setup process, you can start using Azure services for free for a limited time period (usually 30 days). During this time, you’ll have access to a range of Azure services and features.
- Upgrade to a paid subscription: If you want to continue using Azure services after the free trial period ends, you can upgrade to a paid subscription. You’ll need to provide billing information and select a subscription type that meets your needs.
Pay-As-You-Go
The Pay-As-You-Go subscription is a flexible subscription model that allows you to pay only for the resources and services you use. This subscription type is suitable for businesses of all sizes that need to scale up or down quickly without committing to a long-term contract. It’s also great for testing and development purposes because you can create and delete resources as you need them without any commitment.
Want to know more refer here
Activate Pay-As-You-Go Subscription
Activating a Pay-As-You-Go subscription in Azure is a relatively straightforward process. Here are the general steps:
- Sign up for an Azure account at https://portal.azure.com, If you don’t already have an Azure account, you’ll need to sign up for one.
- Verify your identity: After you’ve signed up for an Azure account, you’ll need to verify your identity. This involves providing a phone number, credit card information, and other personal details.
- Choose the Pay-As-You-Go subscription: Once you’ve verified your identity, you’ll be prompted to choose a subscription type. Select the Pay-As-You-Go option.
- Provide billing information: You’ll need to provide billing information, including a credit card or bank account so that Azure can bill you for your usage.
- Start using Azure: After you’ve completed the setup process, you can start using Azure services. You’ll be billed based on your usage, and you can monitor your usage and costs through the Azure portal.
Enterprise Subscription
The Enterprise subscription is designed for large organizations that require a comprehensive set of Azure services to support their complex IT infrastructure. This subscription type offers advanced features like custom terms, multiple payment options, and a dedicated account manager who can help with any questions or issues. It’s also suitable for businesses that need to manage multiple subscriptions and resources across different departments or geographies.
Want to know more refer here
Activate Enterprise Subscription
Activating an Enterprise Subscription in Azure can be a bit more complex than other subscription types because it’s designed for larger organizations that need a dedicated support team and customized billing options. Here are the general steps to activate an Enterprise Subscription:
- Contact Microsoft: The first step is to contact Microsoft to request an Enterprise Agreement (EA) for your organization. You can either contact a Microsoft sales representative directly or visit the Azure Enterprise Agreement website to get started.
- Negotiate Terms: Once you’ve requested an EA, you’ll need to negotiate the terms and pricing with Microsoft. This involves discussing your organization’s needs and requirements and agreeing on a customized contract that meets your needs.
- Sign the Agreement: After you’ve negotiated the terms, you’ll need to sign the Enterprise Agreement. This is a legal contract that outlines the terms and conditions of your subscription and sets out the billing and payment options.
- Activate the Subscription: Once the agreement is signed, you’ll receive an email with instructions on how to activate your subscription.
- Assign Roles: After you’ve activated your subscription, you’ll need to assign roles to the users who will be using it. This involves creating user accounts and assigning them to appropriate roles, such as Account Owner or Billing Administrator.
Dev/Test Subscription
The Dev/Test subscription is specifically designed for developers and testers who need to create, test, and deploy applications in a non-production environment. This subscription type offers a reduced rate for most Azure services and provides access to specialized tools and services for testing and development purposes. Kindly note there is no SLA for products and services under this subscription. It has two flavors – Enterprise Dev/Test and Pay-As-You-Go Dev/Test
Want to know more about Enterprise Dev/Test refer here
Want to know more about Pay-As-You-Go Dev/Test refer here
Activate Dev/Test Subscription
To activate an Azure Dev/Test subscription, follow these steps:
- Log in to the Azure portal with your credentials.
- On the left-hand side of the dashboard, click on the “Subscriptions” option.
- Click on the “+ Add” button to create a new subscription.
- Select the “Dev/Test” option under the “Type” section.
- Provide the necessary information such as subscription name, billing information, and contact information.
- Choose the Azure offer that best suits your needs, such as Pay-As-You-Go or Enterprise Agreement.
- Review and accept the terms and conditions, then click “Create” to complete the subscription activation process.
Azure subscriptions for Partners
This section is just for Partners and if you don’t want to engage through partners and resellers you may skip the section.
Action Pack Subscription
The Microsoft Action Pack subscription is a program designed for Microsoft Partners who want to develop and test Microsoft software and solutions for internal use or demo purposes. It provides partners with access to a range of software licenses, tools, and resources to help them develop their businesses, improve their skills, and grow their expertise.
Your company can become a partner with Microsoft refer here to know more.
Azure subscriptions through CSP Partners and Resellers
A CSP (Cloud Solution Provider) partner is a company or organization that has been authorized by Microsoft to resell Azure services and solutions to customers. CSP partners are managed service providers, value-added resellers, or other types of IT solution providers who have expertise in delivering cloud solutions.
We saw the subscriptions offered by Microsoft directly, However, if you know a partner or a reseller which is offering more lucrative subscription plans. You may also prefer them.
There are 2 types of offer subscriptions through the Partners and resellers
How to find a CSP partner or reseller
You can connect through a Microsoft CSP Partner and Reseller through this page
To activate an Azure subscription in the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program, you will need to work with your CSP provider. They will guide you through the activation process, which may vary depending on the specific provider.
Conclusion:
Kindly note that Microsft keep releasing new offers which are subsets of these main offers with some changes. To go through all the new Microsoft offerings kindly refer this page.
