Introduction

Managing snapshots in Azure can be challenging when you have large a number of them across different Virtual Machines and subscriptions. Over time, snapshots can accumulate, leading to increased storage costs and making it harder to identify which ones are still needed.

This was the trigger to build the Azure Snapshots Insights Workbook, designed to simplify monitoring and management of Azure Snapshots. 

To get started, check out the GitHub repository.

Benefits of using this workbook

Centralized Monitoring: Manage all your snapshots in one place across multiple resource groups and subscriptions.
Cost Optimization: Reduce storage expenses by identifying and deleting outdated snapshots.
Better Insights: Gain a clearer understanding of your snapshot usage patterns by the inventory dashboard.

Key features

Overview: Monitor important details like snapshot name, source disk, size (GiB), resource group, location, storage type, snapshot type (Full/Incremental), time created, public network access, etc.
Inventory: Monitor the snapshot usage count by Subscription ID, Resource Group, Location, Storage type, Source disk size (GiB), Snapshot type, Disk state, Create Option, API Version, Public Network Access, Access policy, Data Access Auth Mode.
Filtering: Filter snapshots by specific subscription/s, resource group/s and specific resource/s.
Age-Based Filtering: View snapshots by age creation (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 ,7, 14, 30, 60, 90 days ago), making it easy to identify old ones.
Snapshot Deletion: Remove outdated or unnecessary snapshots with just a few clicks directly from the workbook.

Age-Based Filtering

Age-Based Filtering

Inventory

Inventory

Best practices for managing Azure Snapshots

Cost Optimization

Regularly review snapshot usage: Track the number and size of snapshots. This helps avoid unexpected costs and ensures you are not keeping unnecessary snapshots.
Monitor snapshot age with the Age-Based filtering: Regularly review the age of your snapshots to identify and delete those that have surpassed your retention period to avoid unnecessary storage costs.
Implement a retention policy: Define how long snapshots should be retained based on your organization data retention requirements. Delete older snapshots regularly to avoid accumulating unnecessary costs.
Use Incremental snapshots: Whenever possible, use incremental snapshots, which only capture changes since the last snapshot. This approach is more cost-effective and efficient than full snapshots.
Monitor snapshot costs: Regularly monitor the cost associated with snapshots and optimize them as needed.
Evaluate snapshot storage options: Consider the type of storage account used for snapshots, especially when dealing with large volumes. Premium storage might be necessary for high-performance requirements, while standard storage can be more cost-effective for less critical data.
Optimize snapshot frequency: Evaluate your snapshot frequency based on how often your data changes. For example, if your data changes infrequently, taking daily snapshots might not be necessary.
Clean up orphaned snapshots: Identify and clean up orphaned snapshots that are no longer associated with any resources to optimize costs.

Security

Secure your snapshots: Use Azure Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) to restrict access to your snapshots. Ensure that only authorized users have permission to create, manage, or delete them.

Performance and Efficiency

Store snapshots in the same region: Ensure your snapshots are stored in the same region as the source disk to minimize latency and reduce costs when creating or restoring snapshots.
Automate snapshot management: Automate the snapshot creation, deletion, and management processes.

Data Protection and Recovery

Test snapshot recovery: Periodically test the restoration process to ensure that your snapshots can be successfully used to recover data when needed.
Take snapshots before major changes: Always create snapshots before performing significant updates or configurations on your Virtual Machines or managed disks, so you can quickly roll back if something goes wrong.
Use Azure Backup for Long-Term Storage: If you need long-term retention, consider using Azure Backup instead of keeping snapshots indefinitely, as it provides more cost-effective and robust data retention.

Governance and Management

Apply Tags for better organization: Tag your snapshots with relevant information, such as Environment (e.g., “production”, “development”), Application, or Owner, to improve management and cost tracking.
Use Resource Locks: Apply resource locks to prevent accidental deletion of critical snapshots. This is particularly useful for snapshots that serve as backups for essential data.
Check for dependencies: Before deleting a snapshot, ensure it’s not linked to any dependent resources or processes that could be disrupted if the snapshot is removed.

Conclusion

The Azure Snapshots Insights Workbook offers a streamlined approach to managing and optimizing your Azure snapshots, helping you stay organized and reduce unnecessary storage costs. By leveraging its centralized monitoring, age-based filtering, and deletion capabilities, you can maintain a more efficient cloud environment. Implementing these best practices will ensure your snapshots are always under control, ultimately enhancing your Azure resource management.

To get started, check out the GitHub repository.

For any queries or to contribute, feel free to connect via the repo or submit feedback!

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