How to Handle Images Left Running

Virtual machines are the basic building blocks for your deployments. While VMs offer on-demand scalability, if not used judiciously, you may end up paying hefty amounts for unused resources. If you accidentally leave VMs running, or forget to turn off global or desktop images, you will have higher than expected costs on your Azure invoices. For example, by leaving a non-production VM running 24x7, when it is used only 12 hours a day on weekdays, you are wasting 65% of the costs. Simply by turning off resources when not in use, you can significantly reduce your Azure bills.

You can start saving costs on your VMs from the minute you start creating them. To save costs on unused images:

• Nerdio Manager allows you to schedule an automatic power off of a global and desktop images after X hours of powering on the image.

• Nerdio Manager displays a warning message when an image is left powered on for an extended period of time.

• When global or desktop images are powered off, Nerdio Manager automatically changes the OS disk configuration to standard HDD, which is the most cost-effective storage option available. When they are powered back on from the Nerdio Manager portal, the OS disk size is reverted back to its original configuration.

Schedule Automatic Power Off of a Global Image

Nerdio Manager allows you to schedule an automatic power off of a global image after X hours of powering on the global image.

To schedule an automatic power off on a global image:

1. At the MSP level, navigate to Global Images.

2. Locate the global image you wish to work with.

3. Select Power on.

   

4. Enter the following information:

   • Schedule power off: Select this option to schedule a power off after X hours.

   • Power Off After: Type the number of hours, between 1 and 168, after which the global image is automatically powered off.

5. Once you have entered the desire information, select OK.

   Note: On the Global Images page, select the timer icon to see when the power off is scheduled.

   

Schedule Automatic Power Off of a Desktop Image

Nerdio Manager allows you to schedule an automatic power off of a desktop image after X hours of powering on the desktop image.

To schedule an automatic power off on a desktop image:

1. At the Account level, navigate to Desktop Images.

2. Locate the desktop image you wish to work with.

3. Select Power on.

   

4. Enter the following information:

   • Schedule power off: Select this option to schedule a power off after X hours.

   • Power Off After: Type the number of hours, between 1 and 168, after which the desktop image is automatically powered off.

5. Once you have entered the desire information, select OK.

   Note: On the Desktop Images page, select the timer icon to see when the power off is scheduled.

   

Desktop Image Warning Messages

If one or more desktop images have been left running for more than eight hours, Nerdio Manager notifies you by display a warning message at the top of the Desktop Images page.

When you see this warning message, you need to look for all active desktop images in your account(s) and manually power them off. Alternately, if you do wish to keep any images running for more than 8 hours, on the warning message, you need to select Mute for 7 days.