The basic control boundary of your Azure environment is the Azure subscription. Your Azure subscription is central to managing and organizing Azure resources effectively. This post will look at Azure subscriptions to get a better understanding of exactly what they are and look at addressing subscription limits tied to different Azure subscriptions. We will also talk about why you may want to create multiple subscriptions in Microsoft Azure and the benefits of this.
What is an Azure account vs subscription?
An Azure account is the gateway to accessing and managing Azure subscriptions and services. Let’s focus on the differences when we create Azure accounts, the relationship between Azure accounts and subscriptions, and how to navigate through the Azure portal efficiently.
The Azure account is a globally unique entity that gets you access to Azure services and your Azure subscriptions. We will see below that you can create multiple subscriptions in your Azure account to create effective separation.
An Azure subscription represents a binding agreement between the user and Microsoft, granting access to Microsoft’s diverse cloud platforms and services. This contractual arrangement is important when creating resources in Azure, serving as the foundational layer connecting the user, resources, and the associated account.
What about an Azure free account?
You have probably heard about the Azure free account. What are these exactly and how do they relate to subscriptions? Microsoft lets you create a free account to access Azure services. When you start using the free account, Microsoft gives you a $200 credit to spend in the first 30 days after you sign up.
Included are free monthly amounts of two groups of services. Those services include popular services in Microsoft’s cloud offerings free for 12 months and then there are more than 55 other free services in Azure’s cloud-based services that remain free.
For latest info, refer here: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/free
How Azure subscriptions are linked to resources and your account
When creating a resource in Azure, be it a Virtual Machine (VM) or a database (DB), the resource is inherently associated with a specific subscription. This subscription, in turn, is linked to your account, creating a clear linkage and hierarchy. Every resource created is, therefore, not only connected to a subscription but also linked to your overarching account.
How billing is linked to subscriptions
The billing mechanism in Azure operates based on subscriptions. Each invoice you receive corresponds to the usage and consumption of resources under a particular subscription or a set of subscriptions that are connected to your account.
Multiple Subscriptions for Organizational Efficiency
Azure’s flexible structure allows users to have multiple subscriptions under a single account. This feature particularly benefits organizations that segregate resources based on purpose and use. For instance, a company might allocate one subscription exclusively for production purposes, while another subscription might be designated for development activities.
Below is an example of multiple subscriptions for an organization.
Different subscriptions have a different Azure Active Directory. This different Azure AD tenant provides a unique directory structure for each subscription, helping to segregate the Azure platform fully.
Subscription Management and Governance
In scenarios where organizations have numerous subscriptions and intend to enforce uniform policies and governance protocols across all, Azure provides a solution in the form of Management Groups. These entities are designed to help administer multiple Azure subscriptions consistently, which is very helpful for applying policies and governance.
Resource Groups Within Subscriptions
Within each subscription, users have the option to create and manage Resource Groups. These groups act as containers, housing-related resources that are typically organized based on their application dependencies or their role within a development environment. For development teams, Resource Groups offer a structured way to define and allocate resources for both production and development environments, promoting organizational coherence and operational efficiency.
How are organizations leveraging Azure subscriptions?
Most businesses worldwide are taking advantage of cloud environments, in the form of IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS. Microsoft Azure provides a large variety of cloud services and resources. Note the following ways businesses are utilizing Azure to meet their specific needs and objectives.
- Azure for Business Units – Azure subscriptions allow segregating environments for organizational business units. Each unit can have separate subscriptions, allowing them to have their own resources and access controls. This structure allows the BUs to support their distinct needs.
- Resource Management and Access Control – With Azure, organizations can efficiently manage their Azure resource objects and implement stringent access control policies. Azure AD plays a pivotal role in this process, offering a secure and reliable access management framework. With Azure AD, companies can establish access control boundaries, delegate access responsibly, and address data security concerns effectively.
- Cloud Services – Azure provides a wide range of cloud services and are a significant attraction for organizations looking to deploy various applications and services. From virtual machines to AI and analytics, it fits the bill. These services work with multiple subscriptions, providing flexibility and scalability for growing businesses.
- Subscription Management Strategies – Organizations leverage Azure’s subscription management features to implement effective workload separation strategies and management structures. With the ability to categorize subscriptions and allocate resources based on geographic regions, companies can optimize their Azure usage for enhanced performance and efficiency.
- Billing and Cost Management – Azure offers transparent billing and cost management solutions, helping organizations to monitor and control their expenditures effectively. With subscription types like ‘Pay-as-you-go’, businesses can combine their spending with actual usage, making Azure subscription models very appealing.
- Global Presence and Scalability – Azure’s global presence is a significant advantage for organizations looking to expand their operations worldwide. With data centers in various geographic regions, Azure supports companies in deploying their services and applications closer to their target audience, ensuring low latency and reliable performance.
- Addressing Technical Requirements – Azure is adept at meeting the technical requirements of organizations, providing a platform where they can deploy and manage applications, utilize Azure products, and access a plethora of technical resources. Its comprehensive set of tools and services supports businesses in addressing their unique technical challenges and objectives.
Default Azure Subscription roles
Subscriptions have default subscription roles. These include the following:
- Account administrator – one per account. This has access to the Azure account center and can manage all the subscriptions in the account
- Service administrator – They can cancel subscriptions and manage services
- Co-administrator – a user who is assigned the owner role at the subscription level
Access Control in Azure Subscriptions
Azure Access controls are created using both Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) and role-based access control (RBAC). Azure AD (Entra ID) is the cloud-based identity and access management service that helps secure access to resources. However, RBAC allows for fine-grained access management of resources in Azure.
- Azure Active Directory (Azure AD): Azure AD provides identity services that ensure only authenticated users can access resources. It offers features like multi-factor authentication, conditional access policies, and identity protection to secure user access.
- Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): RBAC enables administrators to grant access (authorize) based on roles, ensuring users have the appropriate permissions to perform specific actions. With RBAC, access can be managed at different scopes, including subscription, resource group, or individual resource levels.
Wrapping up
Understanding Azure subscriptions and how they relate to other concepts in Microsoft Azure is extremely important. Azure enables organizations to meet segregation and implementation goals effectively using strategic subscription and resource management, access control, and a wide range of cloud services.
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