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Cloud Cost Intelligence - Azure

preview

We're still working on this feature, but we'd love for you to try it out!

This feature is currently provided as part of a preview program pursuant to our pre-release policies.

Connect your Azure billing to Cloud Cost Intelligence to monitor and optimize cloud spending. View spending patterns, resource use, and cost allocation across services and resource groups.

Key capabilities:

  • Optimize resources - Identify underutilized or costly services and adjust allocations
  • Control costs - Track cost drivers across compute, storage, networking, and databases
  • Multi-subscription monitoring - View spending across subscriptions and management groups
  • Cost accountability - Enable chargeback using Azure tags and resource groups
  • Budget management - Set alerts for spending thresholds and limits

Before you begin

You need:

  • Azure subscription with active billing account
  • Contributor or Owner role on the subscription
  • Azure Cost Management access
  • Billing reader permissions for subscription or management group

Setup instructions

중요

Already have a FOCUS export? If you have an existing billing export with Cost and Usage (FOCUS) format, daily frequency, and Parquet compression, you can use it. Otherwise, create a new export following Check for existing export, Create billing export, and Configure storage settings.

Check for existing export

Check if you already have a billing export with the required format:

  1. In the Azure portal, go to Cost Management & Billing.
  2. Select your Billing Scope, then expand Settings and click Exports.
  3. Review the list for an export with Cost and Usage (FOCUS) format and Parquet compression.

Create billing export

  1. In the Azure portal, go to Cost Management & Billing.

  2. Select your Billing Scope, then expand Settings and click Exports.

  3. Click Create.

  4. Select Cost and Usage (FOCUS) as the export type.

    중요

    For EA and MCA the export type format should be Cost and usage details (FOCUS) : 1.2-preview..

  5. Provide an export prefix. Configure the export with these parameters:

    Parameter

    Value

    Description

    Type of Data

    Cost and Usage details (FOCUS) - Preview

    Provides detailed cost and usage information in FOCUS format

    Export Name

    A descriptive name of your choice

    Meaningful identifier for your export

    Dataset Version

    1.2-preview (Latest dataset schema files)

    Latest schema version available

    Frequency

    Daily export of month-to-date costs

    Daily exports capture month-to-date cost information

    Export Description

    A meaningful description of your choice

    Context about the export purpose

  6. Click Next.

Configure storage settings

  1. Configure where Azure stores your billing data:

    Setting

    Value

    Description

    Storage Type

    Blob Storage

    Azure Blob Storage for cost data

    Destination Storage

    Use existing storage account or create a new one

    Storage location for billing data

    Container and Directory

    Use existing container/directory or create new

    Organization structure for billing exports

    Compression Type

    Parquet

    Provides optimal storage efficiency and query performance

    Data Overwrite

    Yes

    Allows updates to existing data

    File Partitioning

    Yes

    Enables efficient data organization and retrieval

    중요

    We recommend the storage account to be based in (US) East US. This helps save on outbound data transfer costs. The storage type should be Azure Blob storage.

  2. Review your settings.

  3. Click Create.

  4. Verify the export appears in your Exports list and ensure:

    • FOCUS (FinOps Open Cost and Usage Specification) format is in preview
    • Dataset version 1.2-preview is the latest schema version
    • Daily exports capture month-to-date cost information
    • Parquet compression provides storage efficiency and query performance

Provide Azure connection details

  1. Enter your Azure billing and storage information:

    Field

    Description

    Location

    Azure Agreement Type

    Select your agreement type.

    Navigate to Azure Console > Cost Management + Billing > Settings > Properties. See Billing accounts and scopes in the Azure portal.

    Tenant ID

    Enter the unique identifier for your organization's Microsoft Entra ID instance.

    Go to Microsoft Entra Admin center

    Billing account ID

    Enter your billing account ID.

    Navigate to Azure Console > Cost Management + Billing > Settings > Properties. See Billing administration.

    Azure Storage account name

    Enter the storage account name from the export you created. To reduce outbound data transfer costs, use a storage account in East US (US). The storage type must be Azure Blob storage.

    Storage Container Name

    Enter the container name within your storage account that holds the billing export files.

    Go to Microsoft Azure > Subscription > Storage account > Container Note: You must grant access to the New Relic service principal in the next step for this container.

    Directory Path

    By default Microsoft Azure creates cost export files in folders with monthly nomenclatures, like 20251101-20251130 for Nov 2025, and 20251201-20251231 for Dec 2025. CCI automatically traverses these files for daily cost reports. You need to provide the Directory Path only if the files have not been configured to be published in the container root.

    Example 1: If files are configured to be published in Storage Container named newreliccciazure in the root.

    • Action: Leave empty

      Example 2: If files are configured to be published in Storage Container named newreliccciazure in a specified directory azureCostData, with sub-directory like johnDoefiles, the final file folder structure looks like newreliccciazure/azureCostData/johnDoefiles/20251101.

    • Action: Provide azureCostData/johnDoefiles as the Directory path

  2. Click Continue.

Authorize access

Authorize the New Relic service principal (msazurecostdata) to access your billing data:

  1. Click Initiate Connection.
  2. Complete the Microsoft Authentication flow.

    중요

    Azure administrator approval required.
  3. Accept the authentication request.
  4. A small file (0 KB) will download. You can delete this file.

Confirm service principal

Verify the service principal was added:

  1. Go to Enterprise Applications in Microsoft Entra Account.

  2. Confirm msazurecostdata appears in the list.

    중요

    See Microsoft Entra documentation for help viewing enterprise applications.

Assign permissions

Assign Storage Blob Data Reader role for read-only access:

  1. Open your storage account container and select Access Control (IAM).
  2. Click Add > Add role assignment.
  3. Select Storage Blob Data Reader.
  4. Search for and select msazurecostdata.
  5. Click Review + Assign and verify msazurecostdata appears in role assignments.

Verify setup

Confirm:

  • msazurecostdata appears in Enterprise Applications

  • Service principal has Storage Blob Data Reader role

  • Role applies to correct storage container

  • Connection test succeeds in New Relic

    중요

    Security: Service principal has read-only access to billing data only. It cannot write, modify, or delete data.

Data processing

Initial processing takes up to 12 hours. Your cost data then appears in the Cost Overview dashboard.

View your data

Go to Intelligent summary to view your Azure cost data and optimize spending.

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