aiskillstore 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 |
| Azure Portal | My quotas - Use only as fallback |
| REST API | Microsoft.Quota provider - Unreliable, do NOT use first |
| Required Permission | Reader (view) or Quota Request Operator (manage) |
⚠️ CRITICAL: ALWAYS USE CLI FIRST
Azure CLI (
az quota) is the ONLY reliable method for checking quotas. Use CLI FIRST, always.DO NOT use REST API or Portal as your first approach. They are unreliable and misleading.
Why you must use CLI first:
- REST API is unreliable and shows misleading results
- REST API "No Limit" or "Unlimited" values DO NOT mean unlimited capacity
- "No Limit" typically means the resource doesn't support quota API (not unlimited!)
- CLI provides clear
BadRequesterrors when providers aren't supported- CLI has consistent output format and better error messages
- Portal may show incomplete or cached data
Mandatory workflow:
- FIRST: Try
az quota list/az quota show/az quota usage show- If CLI returns
BadRequest: Then use Azure service limits docs- Never start with REST API or Portal - only use as last resort
If you see "No Limit" in REST API/Portal: This is NOT unlimited capacity. It means:
- The quota API doesn't support that resource type, OR
- The quota isn't enforced via the API, OR
- Service-specific limits still apply (check documentation)
For complete CLI command reference and examples, see 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:
List all quotas for the resource provider:
az quota list --scope /subscriptions/<id>/providers/<ProviderNamespace>/locations/<region>Match by
localizedValue(human-readable description) to find the relevant quotaUse the
namefield (not ARM resource type) in subsequent commands:az quota show --resource-name ManagedEnvironmentCount --scope ... az quota usage show --resource-name ManagedEnvironmentCount --scope ...
📖 Detailed mapping examples and workflow: See commands.md - Understanding Resource Name Mapping
Core Workflows
Workflow 1: Check Quota for a Specific Resource
Scenario: Verify quota limit and current usage before deployment
# 1. Install quota extension (if not already installed)
az extension add --name quota
# 2. List all quotas for the provider to find the quota resource name
az quota list \
--scope /subscriptions/<subscription-id>/providers/Microsoft.Compute/locations/eastus
# 3. Show quota limit for a specific resource
az quota show \
--resource-name standardDSv3Family \
--scope /subscriptions/<subscription-id>/providers/Microsoft.Compute/locations/eastus
# 4. Show current usage
az quota usage show \
--resource-name standardDSv3Family \
--scope /subscriptions/<subscription-id>/providers/Microsoft.Compute/locations/eastus
Example Output Analysis:
- Quota limit: 350 vCPUs
- Current usage: 50 vCPUs
- Available capacity: 300 vCPUs (350 - 50)
📖 See also: az quota show, az quota usage show
Workflow 2: Compare Quotas Across Regions
Scenario: Find the best region for deployment based on available capacity
# 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: Multi-region comparison scripts (Bash & PowerShell)
Workflow 3: Request Quota Increase
Scenario: Current quota is insufficient for deployment
# 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, az quota request status
Workflow 4: List All Quotas for Planning
Scenario: Understand all quotas for a resource provider in a region
# 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
Troubleshooting
Common Errors
| Error | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| REST API "No Limit" | REST API showing misleading "unlimited" values | CRITICAL: "No Limit" ≠ unlimited! Use CLI instead. See warning above. Check service limits docs |
| REST API failures | REST API unreliable and misleading | Always use Azure CLI - See commands.md for complete CLI reference |
ExtensionNotFound |
Quota extension not installed | az extension add --name quota |
BadRequest |
Resource provider not supported by quota API | Use CLI (preferred) or service limits docs |
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> |
Unsupported Resource Providers
Known unsupported providers:
- ❌ Microsoft.DocumentDB (Cosmos DB) - Use Portal or Cosmos DB limits docs
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
Additional Resources
| Resource | Link |
|---|---|
| CLI Commands Reference | commands.md - Complete syntax, parameters, examples |
| Azure Quotas Overview | Microsoft Learn |
| Service Limits Documentation | Azure subscription limits |
| Azure Portal - My Quotas | Portal Link |
| Request Quota Increases | How to request increases |
Best Practices
- ✅ Always check quotas before deployment - Prevent quota exceeded errors
- ✅ Run
az quota listfirst - Discover correct quota resource names - ✅ Compare regions - Find regions with available capacity
- ✅ Account for growth - Request 20% buffer above immediate needs
- ✅ Use table output for overview -
--output tablefor quick scanning - ✅ Document quota sources - Track whether from quota API or official docs
- ✅ Monitor usage trends - Set up alerts at 80% threshold (via Portal)
Workflow Summary
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 1. Install quota extension │
│ az extension add --name quota │
└─────────────────┬───────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 2. Discover quota resource names │
│ az quota list --scope ... │
│ (Match by localizedValue) │
└─────────────────┬───────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 3. Check current usage │
│ az quota usage show │
│ --resource-name <name> │
└─────────────────┬───────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 4. Check quota limit │
│ az quota show │
│ --resource-name <name> │
└─────────────────┬───────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 5. Validate capacity │
│ Available = Limit - (Usage + Need) │
└─────────────────┬───────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌────────┴────────┐
│ │
✅ Sufficient ❌ Insufficient
│ │
▼ ▼
Proceed Request increase
or change region