azure-quotas

# Azure Quotas - Service Limits & Capacity Management > **AUTHORITATIVE GUIDANCE** — Follow these instructions exactly for quota management and capacity validation. ## Overview **What are Azure Quotas?** Azure quotas (also called service limits) are the maximum number of resources you can deploy in a subscription. Quotas: - Prevent accidental over-provisioning - Ensure fair resource distribution across Azure - Represent **available capacity** in each region - Can be increased (adjustable quotas) or are fixed (non-adjustable) **Key Concept:** **Quotas = Resource Availability** If you don't have quota, you cannot deploy resources. Always check quotas when planning deployments or selecting regions. ## When to Use This Skill Invoke this skill when: - **Planning a new deployment** - Validate capacity before deployment - **Selecting an Azure region** - Compare quota availability across regions - **Troubleshooting quota exceeded errors** - Check current usage vs limits - **Requesting quota increases** - Submit increase requests via CLI or Portal - **Comparing regional capacity** - Find regions with available quota - **Validating provisioning limits** - Ensure deployment won't exceed quotas ## Quick Reference | **Property** | **Details** | |--------------|-------------| | **Primary Tool** | Azure CLI (`az quota`) - **USE THIS FIRST, ALWAYS** | | **Extension Required** | `az extension add --name quota` (MUST install first) | | **Key Commands** | `az quota list`, `az quota show`, `az quota usage list`, `az quota usage show` | | **Complete CLI Reference** | [commands.md](./references/commands.md) | | **Azure Portal** | [My quotas](https://portal.azure.com/#blade/Microsoft_Azure_Capacity/QuotaMenuBlade/myQuotas) - Use only as fallback | | **REST API** | Microsoft.Quota provider - **Unreliable, do NOT use first** | | **MCP Server** | `azure-quota` MCP server — **NEVER use this. It is unreliable. Always use `az quota` CLI instead.** | | **Required Permission** | Reader (view) or Quota Request Operator (manage) | > **⚠️ ALWAYS USE CLI FIRST** > > REST API and Portal can show misleading "No Limit" values — this does **not** mean unlimited capacity. It means the quota API doesn't support that resource type. Always start with `az quota` commands; fall back to [Azure service limits docs](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/management/azure-subscription-service-limits) if CLI returns `BadRequest`. > > For complete CLI reference, see [commands.md](./references/commands.md). ## Quota Types | **Type** | **Adjustability** | **Approval** | **Examples** | |----------|-------------------|--------------|--------------| | **Adjustable** | Can increase via Portal/CLI/API | Usually auto-approved | VM vCPUs, Public IPs, Storage accounts | | **Non-adjustable** | Fixed limits | Cannot be changed | Subscription-wide hard limits | **Important:** Requesting quota increases is **free**. You only pay for resources you actually use, not for quota allocation. ## Understanding Resource Name Mapping **⚠️ CRITICAL:** There is **NO 1:1 mapping** between ARM resource types and quota resource names. ### Example Mappings | ARM Resource Type | Quota Resource Name | |-------------------|---------------------| | `Microsoft.App/managedEnvironments` | `ManagedEnvironmentCount` | | `Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines` | `standardDSv3Family`, `cores`, `virtualMachines` | | `Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses` | `PublicIPAddresses`, `IPv4StandardSkuPublicIpAddresses` | ### Discovery Workflow **Never assume the quota resource name from the ARM type.** Always use this workflow: 1. **List all quotas** for the resource provider: ```bash az quota list --scope /subscriptions/<id>/providers/<ProviderNamespace>/locations/<region> ``` 2. **Match by `localizedValue`** (human-readable description) to find the relevant quota 3. **Use the `name` field** (not ARM resource type) in subsequent commands: ```bash az quota show --resource-name ManagedEnvironmentCount --scope ... az quota usage show --resource-name ManagedEnvironmentCount --scope ... ``` > **📖 Detailed mapping examples and workflow:** See [commands.md - Resource Name Mapping](./references/commands.md#resource-name-mapping) ## Scripts Pre-built scripts handle quota extension installation, usage queries, and capacity calculation. Use these instead of constructing commands manually. A single call returns limits, usage, and available capacity. | Script | Purpose | Usage | |--------|---------|-------| | `scripts/check-quota.ps1` | Returns limit, usage, and available capacity for all quotas (or a single quota when resource name is provided) | Primary script for quota checks | | `scripts/check-quota.sh` | Same as above (bash) | Primary script for quota checks | ## Core Workflows ### Workflow 1: Check Quota for a Specific Resource **Scenario:** Verify quota limits and current usage before deployment Run the script with the resource provider and region. It returns a table of **all** quotas with their limit, current usage, and available capacity in a single call: ```powershell .\scripts\check-quota.ps1 -ResourceProvider <provider> -Region <region> ``` ```bash ./scripts/check-quota.sh <provider> <region> ``` To check a single resource, add the resource name: ```powershell .\scripts\check-quota.ps1 -ResourceProvider <provider> -Region <region> -ResourceName <resource-name> ``` ```bash ./scripts/check-quota.sh <provider> <region> <resource-name> ``` **Example:** ```powershell .\scripts\check-quota.ps1 -ResourceProvider Microsoft.Compute -Region eastus ``` **Example Output:** | Resource | Region | Limit | Usage | Available | |----------|--------|-------|-------|-----------| | cores | eastus | 100 | 50 | 50 | | standardDSv3Family | eastus | 350 | 50 | 300 | | virtualMachines | eastus | 25000 | 5 | 24995 | | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | > **📖 See also:** [az quota show](./references/commands.md#az-quota-show), [az quota usage show](./references/commands.md#az-quota-usage-show) ### Workflow 2: Compare Quotas Across Regions **Scenario:** Find the best region for deployment based on available capacity ```bash # Define candidate regions REGIONS=("eastus" "eastus2" "westus2" "centralus") VM_FAMILY="standardDSv3Family" SUBSCRIPTION_ID="<subscription-id>" # Check quota availability across regions for region in "${REGIONS[@]}"; do echo "=== Checking $region ===" # Get limit LIMIT=$(az quota show \ --resource-name $VM_FAMILY \ --scope "/subscriptions/$SUBSCRIPTION_ID/providers/Microsoft.Compute/locations/$region" \ --query "properties.limit.value" -o tsv) # Get current usage USAGE=$(az quota usage show \ --resource-name $VM_FAMILY \ --scope "/subscriptions/$SUBSCRIPTION_ID/providers/Microsoft.Compute/locations/$region" \ --query "properties.usages.value" -o tsv) # Calculate available AVAILABLE=$((LIMIT - USAGE)) echo "Region: $region | Limit: $LIMIT | Usage: $USAGE | Available: $AVAILABLE" done ``` > **📖 See also:** [commands.md](./references/commands.md#az-quota-show) for full scripted multi-region loop patterns ### Workflow 3: Request Quota Increase **Scenario:** Current quota is insufficient for deployment ```bash # Request increase for VM quota az quota update \ --resource-name standardDSv3Family \ --scope /subscriptions/<subscription-id>/providers/Microsoft.Compute/locations/eastus \ --limit-object value=500 \ --resource-type dedicated # Check request status az quota request status list \ --scope /subscriptions/<subscription-id>/providers/Microsoft.Compute/locations/eastus ``` **Approval Process:** - Most adjustable quotas are auto-approved within minutes - Some requests require manual review (hours to days) - Non-adjustable quotas require Azure Support ticket > **📖 See also:** [az quota update](./references/commands.md#az-quota-update), [az quota request status](./references/advanced-commands.md#az-quota-request-status-list) ### Workflow 4: List All Quotas for Planning **Scenario:** Understand all quotas for a resource provider in a region ```bash # List all compute quotas in East US (table format) az quota list \ --scope /subscriptions/<subscription-id>/providers/Microsoft.Compute/locations/eastus \ --output table # List all network quotas az quota list \ --scope /subscriptions/<subscription-id>/providers/Microsoft.Network/locations/eastus \ --output table # List all Container Apps quotas az quota list \ --scope /subscriptions/<subscription-id>/providers/Microsoft.App/locations/eastus \ --output table ``` > **📖 See also:** [az quota list](./references/commands.md#az-quota-list) ## Troubleshooting ### Common Errors | **Error** | **Cause** | **Solution** | |-----------|-----------|--------------| | REST API "No Limit" | Misleading — not unlimited | Use CLI instead; see warning in Quick Reference | | `ExtensionNotFound` | Quota extension not installed | `az extension add --name quota` | | `BadRequest` | Resource provider not supported by quota API | Check [service limits docs](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/management/azure-subscription-service-limits) | | `MissingRegistration` | Microsoft.Quota provider not registered | `az provider register --namespace Microsoft.Quota` | | `QuotaExceeded` | Deployment would exceed quota | Request increase or choose different region | | `InvalidScope` | Incorrect scope format | Use pattern: `/subscriptions/<id>/providers/<namespace>/locations/<region>` | | CLI commands fail entirely | Auth, extension, or environment issue | Verify Azure CLI login (`az account show`), reinstall quota extension, check network. Do NOT use the `azure-quota` MCP server — it is unreliable. | ### Unsupported Resource Providers **Known unsupported providers:** - ❌ Microsoft.DocumentDB (Cosmos DB) - Use Portal or [Cosmos DB limits docs](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cosmos-db/concepts-limits) **Confirmed working providers:** - ✅ Microsoft.Compute (VMs, disks, cores) - ✅ Microsoft.Network (VNets, IPs, load balancers) - ✅ Microsoft.App (Container Apps) - ✅ Microsoft.Storage (storage accounts) - ✅ Microsoft.MachineLearningServices (ML compute) > **📖 See also:** [Troubleshooting Guide](./references/commands.md#troubleshooting) ## Additional Resources | Resource | Link | |----------|------| | **CLI Commands Reference** | [commands.md](./references/commands.md) - Complete syntax, parameters, examples | | **Azure Quotas Overview** | [Microsoft Learn](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/quotas/quotas-overview) | | **Service Limits Documentation** | [Azure subscription limits](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/management/azure-subscription-service-limits) | | **Azure Portal - My Quotas** | [Portal Link](https://portal.azure.com/#blade/Microsoft_Azure_Capacity/QuotaMenuBlade/myQuotas) | | **Request Quota Increases** | [How to request increases](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/quotas/quickstart-increase-quota-portal) | ## Best Practices 1. ✅ **Always check quotas before deployment** - Prevent quota exceeded errors 2. ✅ **Run `az quota list` first** - Discover correct quota resource names 3. ✅ **Compare regions** - Find regions with available capacity 4. ✅ **Account for growth** - Request 20% buffer above immediate needs 5. ✅ **Use table output for overview** - `--output table` for quick scanning 6. ✅ **Monitor usage trends** - Set up alerts at 80% threshold (via Portal)