# Azure Quotas

> **AUTHORITATIVE GUIDANCE** — Follow these instructions exactly for quota management and capacity validation.

## Overview

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) 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.

## 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` |
| **Azure Portal** | [My quotas](https://portal.azure.com/#blade/Microsoft_Azure_Capacity/QuotaMenuBlade/myQuotas) — Use only as fallback |
| **REST API** | **Unreliable, do NOT use first** — can show misleading "No Limit" values |
| **MCP Server** | `azure-quota` MCP — **NEVER use. It is unreliable. Always use `az quota` CLI instead.** |
| **Required Permission** | Reader (view) or Quota Request Operator (manage) |

## 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.

## Resource Name Mapping

> **⚠️ CRITICAL:** There is **NO 1:1 mapping** between ARM resource types and quota resource names. Never assume the quota resource name from the ARM type. Always discover it first.

### Discovery Workflow

```bash
# 1. Install quota extension
az extension add --name quota

# 2. List all quotas for the provider to find the quota resource name
az quota list \
  --scope /subscriptions/<id>/providers/<ProviderNamespace>/locations/<region>

# 3. Match by localizedValue (human-readable description)
# 4. Use the name field (not ARM resource type) in subsequent commands
az quota show --resource-name ManagedEnvironmentCount --scope ...
```

## Core Workflows

### Workflow 1: Check Quota for a Specific Resource

```bash
az extension add --name quota

# List all quotas to find the resource name
az quota list \
  --scope /subscriptions/<id>/providers/Microsoft.Compute/locations/eastus

# Show quota limit
az quota show \
  --resource-name standardDSv3Family \
  --scope /subscriptions/<id>/providers/Microsoft.Compute/locations/eastus

# Show current usage
az quota usage show \
  --resource-name standardDSv3Family \
  --scope /subscriptions/<id>/providers/Microsoft.Compute/locations/eastus
```

### Workflow 2: Compare Quotas Across Regions

```bash
REGIONS=("eastus" "eastus2" "westus2" "centralus")
VM_FAMILY="standardDSv3Family"
SUBSCRIPTION_ID="<subscription-id>"

for region in "${REGIONS[@]}"; do
  LIMIT=$(az quota show \
    --resource-name $VM_FAMILY \
    --scope "/subscriptions/$SUBSCRIPTION_ID/providers/Microsoft.Compute/locations/$region" \
    --query "properties.limit.value" -o tsv)

  USAGE=$(az quota usage show \
    --resource-name $VM_FAMILY \
    --scope "/subscriptions/$SUBSCRIPTION_ID/providers/Microsoft.Compute/locations/$region" \
    --query "properties.usages.value" -o tsv)

  echo "Region: $region | Limit: $LIMIT | Usage: $USAGE | Available: $((LIMIT - USAGE))"
done
```

### Workflow 3: Request Quota Increase

```bash
az quota update \
  --resource-name standardDSv3Family \
  --scope /subscriptions/<id>/providers/Microsoft.Compute/locations/eastus \
  --limit-object value=500 \
  --resource-type dedicated

# Check request status
az quota request status list \
  --scope /subscriptions/<id>/providers/Microsoft.Compute/locations/eastus
```

### Workflow 4: List All Quotas

```bash
# Compute quotas
az quota list \
  --scope /subscriptions/<id>/providers/Microsoft.Compute/locations/eastus \
  --output table

# Network quotas
az quota list \
  --scope /subscriptions/<id>/providers/Microsoft.Network/locations/eastus \
  --output table
```

## Troubleshooting

| Error | Cause | Solution |
|-------|-------|---------|
| REST API "No Limit" | Misleading — not unlimited | Use CLI instead |
| `ExtensionNotFound` | Quota extension not installed | `az extension add --name quota` |
| `BadRequest` | Resource provider not supported | Check service limits docs |
| `MissingRegistration` | Microsoft.Quota not registered | `az provider register --namespace Microsoft.Quota` |
| `QuotaExceeded` | Would exceed quota | Request increase or choose different region |

## 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)
- ❌ Microsoft.DocumentDB (Cosmos DB) — Use Portal instead

## Best Practices

1. Always check quotas before deployment
2. Run `az quota list` first to discover correct resource names
3. Compare regions to find available capacity
4. Request 20% buffer above immediate needs
5. Use `--output table` for quick overview scanning
6. Set up Portal alerts at 80% threshold

## Installation

```bash
npx skills add https://github.com/microsoft/azure-skills --skill azure-quotas
```

---

*Mirrored from [https://github.com/microsoft/azure-skills](https://github.com/microsoft/azure-skills) — original author: **microsoft**, license: **MIT**.*
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