Quotas in Azure Stack Hub are limits that are applied to the use of resources, offering a way of controlling usage to manage costs, prevent resource hogging and secure optimal performance. These quotas are usually set by the service administrator and then applied to one or more plans.
Different types of quotas are available depending on which services within Azure Stack Hub are in use. These can include Dedicated host group quotas, GPU quotas, Image quotas, IP address quotas, Local network quotas, VM size quotas, and others.
Let’s start by discussing how to create quotas.
Creating Quotas
Quotas are created in the Azure Stack Hub portal, and the creation process typically involves setting the quota name and defining the desired values across different resources.
As an example, let’s look at how we can create a Compute quota. In the Azure Stack Hub administrator portal navigate to All services > Compute quotas > Add. Provide a name for the quota, and defines the value for each resource. The quota name could be similar to “Compute Quota – Small”. The resources descriptions, limits, and values could include:
- Total Cores (Virtual Machines and Cloud Services): The total number of cores that can be used by virtual machines and cloud services in the subscription.
- Total Cores (Virtual Machine Scale Sets): The total number of cores that can be used by virtual machine scale sets in the subscription.
- Standard Managed Disks and Snapshot Storage (GB): The total amount, in gigabytes, of standard managed disk and snapshot storage that can be used by the subscription.
- Premium Managed Disks and Snapshot Storage (GB): The total amount, in gigabytes, of premium managed disk and snapshot storage that can be used by the subscription.
After the values have been set, click on “Create” to complete the quota creation process.
Managing Quotas
Quotas can be managed once they have been created, either by modifying the quota or by applying the quota to desired plans.
To modify a quota, navigate to the quota in the portal (All services > Compute quotas), choose the desired quota, click on ‘Edit’. Then, adjust the values as desired, and click on “Save”.
To assign a quota to a plan, Navigate to All services > Plans > (desired plan), click on “Services” and then “Add”. From here, select the service, quota, and click on “Add”.
Concluding Thoughts
Creating and managing quotas is an essential task for administrators working with Microsoft Azure Stack Hub. It enables effective resource management, cost control, and performance optimization. Remember, every service that’s available in the Azure Stack Hub has quotas. Hence, learning to create and manage quotas across different services will significantly increase the efficiency and effectiveness of your workload management.
Remember that each quota type has different characteristics, so it’s important to read the documentation thoroughly and understand your organisation’s usage patterns before setting quotas. Additionally, note that quota adjustments will not affect existing resources but will impact the creation of new resources.
Practice Test
True or False: Azure Stack Hub does not support quota management.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Azure Stack Hub supports quota management. You can create and manage quotas to limit the usage of resources in a subscription.
Which of the following is the main purpose of creating quotas in Azure Stack Hub?
- a) To limit the number of users in a subscription
- b) To limit the usage of services in a subscription
- c) To limit the amount of data transferred in a subscription
- d) To limit the number of applications running in a subscription
Answer: b) To limit the usage of services in a subscription
Explanation: The main purpose of creating quotas is to limit the usage of services, such as network bandwidth, CPU, memory etc., within a subscription.
True or False: Quotas in Azure Stack Hub are set per resource.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Quotas in Azure Stack Hub are set on a per-resource basis. Individual quota can be set for resources like CPU usage, memory, storage, etc.
Which of the following can be done to manage quotas in Azure Stack Hub?
- a) Increase quota limits
- b) Decrease quota limits
- c) Assign quotas to specific tenant subscriptions
- d) All of the above
Answer: d) All of the above
Explanation: Azure Stack Hub provides flexibility to admins to manage quotas such as increasing or decreasing quota limits, and assigning quotas to specific tenant subscriptions.
True or False: Quotas can be shared across multiple subscriptions in Azure Stack Hub.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Quotas are not shared across subscriptions in Azure Stack Hub. Each subscription has its own separate quota.
Which of the following is a correct statement about quotas in Azure Stack Hub?
- a) You need to configure quotas for each resource individually
- b) All resources share a single pool of quota
Answer: a) You need to configure quotas for each resource individually
Explanation: Quotas in Azure Stack Hub are set up and managed on a per-resource basis.
In the context of Azure Stack Hub, what does a quota limit?
- a) The cost of Azure resources
- b) The number of users accessing a service
- c) The usage of Azure resources
- d) The usage of third-party services
Answer: c) The usage of Azure resources
Explanation: Quotas in Azure Stack Hub limit the usage of Azure resources within a subscription.
True or False: Quotas reset automatically every month in Azure Stack Hub.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: The quotas in Azure Stack Hub do not reset every month. Once a quota limit is reached, it needs to be manually updated by an admin.
What is the purpose of offering “no quota” in Azure Stack Hub?
- a) To grant unlimited access to resources
- b) To exclude a user from quota management
- c) Both a and b
- d) None of the above
Answer: c) Both a and b
Explanation: “No quota” is an option in Azure Stack Hub that gives a user unlimited access to resources and excludes them from quota management.
True or False: Quota limits in Azure Stack Hub apply to resources in all regions.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: In Azure Stack Hub, quota limits are set per region. Therefore, the quota limit only applies to resources in the region where the limit is set.
Interview Questions
What is the purpose of quotas in Azure Stack Hub?
Quotas in Azure Stack Hub are used to limit the resources that a user or a group of users can consume. Quotas help to prevent overutilization of resources, ensure fair usage, and control costs in a multi-tenant environment.
What are the types of quotas available in Azure Stack Hub?
There are two types of quotas in Azure Stack Hub: Subscription quotas and Plan quotas. Subscription quotas define the limit for each resource type, while plan quotas are a collection of subscription quotas that can be assigned to users.
What happens when a user exceeds a quota in Azure Stack Hub?
When a user exceeds a quota in Azure Stack Hub, he/she will not be allowed to create or modify services that would exceed the defined quota limit. The actions are blocked until the usage decreases or the quota is increased.
How can you manage quotas in Azure Stack Hub?
Quotas in Azure Stack Hub can be managed either through the administrator portal or by using PowerShell commands.
Is it possible to assign a quota to a specific user in Azure Stack Hub?
No, quotas are not assigned directly to users. Quotas are assigned to plans or subscriptions, which can be assigned to a user or group of users.
How many subscription quotas can be assigned to a plan?
A plan can only have one subscription quota assigned to it. However, a subscription quota can be shared across multiple plans.
Can a subscription have more than one quota in Azure Stack Hub?
No, a subscription can only have one quota at a time in Azure Stack Hub.
Can quotas be adjusted after they have been assigned in Azure Stack Hub?
Yes, quotas can be adjusted after they have been assigned. An administrator can increase or decrease quota limits based on the needs of the user or subscription.
What happens when a quota is decreased for a resource that is already being used?
Decreasing a quota for a resource that is already in use will not affect existing resources, but users will not be able to create new resources or increase the capacity of existing resources beyond the lowered quota limit.
How do you view the remaining quota for a resource in Azure Stack Hub?
Administrators can view the remaining quota for a resource in Azure Stack Hub from the Quotas blade on the subscription dashboard.
Can quotas be applied retrospectively to existing resources in a plan?
No, a quota only affects resources created after the quota was applied. Existing resources are not impacted by a newly applied quota.
How are quotas enforced in Azure Stack Hub?
Quotas are enforced in Azure Stack Hub by blocking actions that would exceed the defined quota limit for resources, such as creating or modifying services.
Does deleting a resources free up quota in Azure Stack Hub?
Yes, deleting a resource will free up the quota that was consumed by that resource.
Can resources be moved between different quotas in Azure Stack Hub?
No, resources cannot be moved between different quotas. However, resources can be deleted and recreated in a different quota if needed.
Can an Azure Stack Hub subscription quota limit be set to unlimited?
No, unlimited quotas are not supported in Azure Stack Hub. A limit must be specified for each quota.