1---
2name: azure-quotas
3description: "Check/manage Azure quotas and usage across providers. For deployment planning, capacity validation, region selection. WHEN: \"check quotas\", \"service limits\", \"current usage\", \"request quota increase\", \"quota exceeded\", \"validate capacity\", \"regional availability\", \"provisioning limits\", \"vCPU limit\", \"how many vCPUs available in my subscription\"."
4license: MIT
5metadata:
6  author: Microsoft
7  version: "1.1.1"
8---
9 
10 
11# Azure Quotas - Service Limits & Capacity Management
12 
13> **AUTHORITATIVE GUIDANCE** — Follow these instructions exactly for quota management and capacity validation.
14 
15## Overview
16 
17**What are Azure Quotas?**
18 
19Azure quotas (also called service limits) are the maximum number of resources you can deploy in a subscription. Quotas:
20- Prevent accidental over-provisioning
21- Ensure fair resource distribution across Azure
22- Represent **available capacity** in each region
23- Can be increased (adjustable quotas) or are fixed (non-adjustable)
24 
25**Key Concept:** **Quotas = Resource Availability**
26 
27If you don't have quota, you cannot deploy resources. Always check quotas when planning deployments or selecting regions.
28 
29## When to Use This Skill
30 
31Invoke this skill when:
32 
33- **Planning a new deployment** - Validate capacity before deployment
34- **Selecting an Azure region** - Compare quota availability across regions
35- **Troubleshooting quota exceeded errors** - Check current usage vs limits
36- **Requesting quota increases** - Submit increase requests via CLI or Portal
37- **Comparing regional capacity** - Find regions with available quota
38- **Validating provisioning limits** - Ensure deployment won't exceed quotas
39 
40## Quick Reference
41 
42| **Property** | **Details** |
43|--------------|-------------|
44| **Primary Tool** | Azure CLI (`az quota`) - **USE THIS FIRST, ALWAYS** |
45| **Extension Required** | `az extension add --name quota` (MUST install first) |
46| **Key Commands** | `az quota list`, `az quota show`, `az quota usage list`, `az quota usage show` |
47| **Complete CLI Reference** | [commands.md](./references/commands.md) |
48| **Azure Portal** | [My quotas](https://portal.azure.com/#blade/Microsoft_Azure_Capacity/QuotaMenuBlade/myQuotas) - Use only as fallback |
49| **REST API** | Microsoft.Quota provider - **Unreliable, do NOT use first** |
50| **MCP Server** | `azure-quota` MCP server — **NEVER use this. It is unreliable. Always use `az quota` CLI instead.** |
51| **Required Permission** | Reader (view) or Quota Request Operator (manage) |
52 
53> **⚠️ ALWAYS USE CLI FIRST**
54>
55> 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`.
56>
57> For complete CLI reference, see [commands.md](./references/commands.md).
58 
59## Quota Types
60 
61| **Type** | **Adjustability** | **Approval** | **Examples** |
62|----------|-------------------|--------------|--------------|
63| **Adjustable** | Can increase via Portal/CLI/API | Usually auto-approved | VM vCPUs, Public IPs, Storage accounts |
64| **Non-adjustable** | Fixed limits | Cannot be changed | Subscription-wide hard limits |
65 
66**Important:** Requesting quota increases is **free**. You only pay for resources you actually use, not for quota allocation.
67 
68## Understanding Resource Name Mapping
69 
70**⚠️ CRITICAL:** There is **NO 1:1 mapping** between ARM resource types and quota resource names.
71 
72### Example Mappings
73 
74| ARM Resource Type | Quota Resource Name |
75|-------------------|---------------------|
76| `Microsoft.App/managedEnvironments` | `ManagedEnvironmentCount` |
77| `Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines` | `standardDSv3Family`, `cores`, `virtualMachines` |
78| `Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses` | `PublicIPAddresses`, `IPv4StandardSkuPublicIpAddresses` |
79 
80### Discovery Workflow
81 
82**Never assume the quota resource name from the ARM type.** Always use this workflow:
83 
841. **List all quotas** for the resource provider:
85   ```bash
86   az quota list --scope /subscriptions/<id>/providers/<ProviderNamespace>/locations/<region>
87   ```
88 
892. **Match by `localizedValue`** (human-readable description) to find the relevant quota
90 
913. **Use the `name` field** (not ARM resource type) in subsequent commands:
92   ```bash
93   az quota show --resource-name ManagedEnvironmentCount --scope ...
94   az quota usage show --resource-name ManagedEnvironmentCount --scope ...
95   ```
96 
97> **📖 Detailed mapping examples and workflow:** See [commands.md - Resource Name Mapping](./references/commands.md#resource-name-mapping)
98 
99## Core Workflows
100 
101### Workflow 1: Check Quota for a Specific Resource
102 
103**Scenario:** Verify quota limit and current usage before deployment
104 
105```bash
106# 1. Install quota extension (if not already installed)
107az extension add --name quota
108 
109# 2. List all quotas for the provider to find the quota resource name
110az quota list \
111  --scope /subscriptions/<subscription-id>/providers/Microsoft.Compute/locations/eastus
112 
113# 3. Show quota limit for a specific resource
114az quota show \
115  --resource-name standardDSv3Family \
116  --scope /subscriptions/<subscription-id>/providers/Microsoft.Compute/locations/eastus
117 
118# 4. Show current usage
119az quota usage show \
120  --resource-name standardDSv3Family \
121  --scope /subscriptions/<subscription-id>/providers/Microsoft.Compute/locations/eastus
122```
123 
124**Example Output Analysis:**
125- Quota limit: 350 vCPUs
126- Current usage: 50 vCPUs
127- Available capacity: 300 vCPUs (350 - 50)
128 
129> **📖 See also:** [az quota show](./references/commands.md#az-quota-show), [az quota usage show](./references/commands.md#az-quota-usage-show)
130 
131### Workflow 2: Compare Quotas Across Regions
132 
133**Scenario:** Find the best region for deployment based on available capacity
134 
135```bash
136# Define candidate regions
137REGIONS=("eastus" "eastus2" "westus2" "centralus")
138VM_FAMILY="standardDSv3Family"
139SUBSCRIPTION_ID="<subscription-id>"
140 
141# Check quota availability across regions
142for region in "${REGIONS[@]}"; do
143  echo "=== Checking $region ==="
144  
145  # Get limit
146  LIMIT=$(az quota show \
147    --resource-name $VM_FAMILY \
148    --scope "/subscriptions/$SUBSCRIPTION_ID/providers/Microsoft.Compute/locations/$region" \
149    --query "properties.limit.value" -o tsv)
150  
151  # Get current usage
152  USAGE=$(az quota usage show \
153    --resource-name $VM_FAMILY \
154    --scope "/subscriptions/$SUBSCRIPTION_ID/providers/Microsoft.Compute/locations/$region" \
155    --query "properties.usages.value" -o tsv)
156  
157  # Calculate available
158  AVAILABLE=$((LIMIT - USAGE))
159  
160  echo "Region: $region | Limit: $LIMIT | Usage: $USAGE | Available: $AVAILABLE"
161done
162```
163 
164> **📖 See also:** [commands.md](./references/commands.md#az-quota-show) for full scripted multi-region loop patterns
165 
166### Workflow 3: Request Quota Increase
167 
168**Scenario:** Current quota is insufficient for deployment
169 
170```bash
171# Request increase for VM quota
172az quota update \
173  --resource-name standardDSv3Family \
174  --scope /subscriptions/<subscription-id>/providers/Microsoft.Compute/locations/eastus \
175  --limit-object value=500 \
176  --resource-type dedicated
177 
178# Check request status
179az quota request status list \
180  --scope /subscriptions/<subscription-id>/providers/Microsoft.Compute/locations/eastus
181```
182 
183**Approval Process:**
184- Most adjustable quotas are auto-approved within minutes
185- Some requests require manual review (hours to days)
186- Non-adjustable quotas require Azure Support ticket
187 
188> **📖 See also:** [az quota update](./references/commands.md#az-quota-update), [az quota request status](./references/advanced-commands.md#az-quota-request-status-list)
189 
190### Workflow 4: List All Quotas for Planning
191 
192**Scenario:** Understand all quotas for a resource provider in a region
193 
194```bash
195# List all compute quotas in East US (table format)
196az quota list \
197  --scope /subscriptions/<subscription-id>/providers/Microsoft.Compute/locations/eastus \
198  --output table
199 
200# List all network quotas
201az quota list \
202  --scope /subscriptions/<subscription-id>/providers/Microsoft.Network/locations/eastus \
203  --output table
204 
205# List all Container Apps quotas
206az quota list \
207  --scope /subscriptions/<subscription-id>/providers/Microsoft.App/locations/eastus \
208  --output table
209```
210 
211> **📖 See also:** [az quota list](./references/commands.md#az-quota-list)
212 
213## Troubleshooting
214 
215### Common Errors
216 
217| **Error** | **Cause** | **Solution** |
218|-----------|-----------|--------------|
219| REST API "No Limit" | Misleading — not unlimited | Use CLI instead; see warning in Quick Reference |
220| `ExtensionNotFound` | Quota extension not installed | `az extension add --name quota` |
221| `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) |
222| `MissingRegistration` | Microsoft.Quota provider not registered | `az provider register --namespace Microsoft.Quota` |
223| `QuotaExceeded` | Deployment would exceed quota | Request increase or choose different region |
224| `InvalidScope` | Incorrect scope format | Use pattern: `/subscriptions/<id>/providers/<namespace>/locations/<region>` |
225| 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. |
226 
227### Unsupported Resource Providers
228 
229**Known unsupported providers:**
230- ❌ Microsoft.DocumentDB (Cosmos DB) - Use Portal or [Cosmos DB limits docs](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cosmos-db/concepts-limits)
231 
232**Confirmed working providers:**
233- ✅ Microsoft.Compute (VMs, disks, cores)
234- ✅ Microsoft.Network (VNets, IPs, load balancers)
235- ✅ Microsoft.App (Container Apps)
236- ✅ Microsoft.Storage (storage accounts)
237- ✅ Microsoft.MachineLearningServices (ML compute)
238 
239> **📖 See also:** [Troubleshooting Guide](./references/commands.md#troubleshooting)
240 
241## Additional Resources
242 
243| Resource | Link |
244|----------|------|
245| **CLI Commands Reference** | [commands.md](./references/commands.md) - Complete syntax, parameters, examples |
246| **Azure Quotas Overview** | [Microsoft Learn](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/quotas/quotas-overview) |
247| **Service Limits Documentation** | [Azure subscription limits](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/management/azure-subscription-service-limits) |
248| **Azure Portal - My Quotas** | [Portal Link](https://portal.azure.com/#blade/Microsoft_Azure_Capacity/QuotaMenuBlade/myQuotas) |
249| **Request Quota Increases** | [How to request increases](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/quotas/quickstart-increase-quota-portal) |
250 
251## Best Practices
252 
2531. ✅ **Always check quotas before deployment** - Prevent quota exceeded errors
2542. ✅ **Run `az quota list` first** - Discover correct quota resource names
2553. ✅ **Compare regions** - Find regions with available capacity
2564. ✅ **Account for growth** - Request 20% buffer above immediate needs
2575. ✅ **Use table output for overview** - `--output table` for quick scanning
2586. ✅ **Monitor usage trends** - Set up alerts at 80% threshold (via Portal)
259