Using Azure Cloud

Warning

ZHAW has contracts with Microsoft and Azure must be used for all cloud services.

Process:

1. Go to azure.microsoft.com, search for the needed services and estimate the costs. Please add 20 CHF for additional fees that can occur for management services that run in the background.

2. Discuss the services with the project leader. The project leader is responsible that the estimated costs are included and blocked in the project budget. The costs spent for Azure services must remain on the project even after it is closed so that it can be charged at the end of the year.

3. Formal approval:

   • Write an email to the supervisors that are officially allowed to approve invoices (see below) and ask for their approval. The email must contain the following information:

     • Link to the Azure service

     • Estimated costs

     • Reason why the service is needed

     • Project number

   • Supervisors that can approve invoices:

     • up to 500 CHF: Head of CAI

     • up to 10’000 CHF: Head of CAI and Group Leader

     • 10’000+ CHF: please get in touch with the office

4. Send the approval to office.cai@zhaw.ch and infrastructure.cai@zhaw.ch

   • The office notes the estimated costs in a “shadow accounting system” (“Schattenbuchhaltung”)

   • The infrastructure team creates the Azure service

5. The project leader and the infrastructure team discuss how the how the cost monitoring should be carried out

   • Setup of automatic mail notifications (these can be delayed up to 24h)

Warning

The project leader is responsible to monitor the costs. Automatic messages might be delayed and is not sufficient to detect cost explosions in time (e.g. sending messages in an infinite-loop).