# Azure AKS optimization | Cloud Efficiency Hub Canonical: https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/azure-aks 6 documented Azure AKS cost inefficiencies, each with how to detect it and how to fix it. [Cloud Efficiency Hub](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub) 6 documented Azure AKS cost inefficiencies, each with how to detect it and how to fix it. ## 6 inefficiencies [All services](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub#browse-by-service) - Azure AKS CER-0099 ### [Orphaned Kubernetes Resources in AKS](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/orphaned-kubernetes-resources-230dd) Kubernetes environments often accumulate unused resources over time as applications evolve. Common examples include Persistent Volume Claims (PVCs) backed by Azure Disks, Services that trigger load balancer provisioning, or stale... Compute - Azure AKS CER-0100 ### [Orphaned and Overprovisioned Resources in AKS Clusters](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/orphaned-and-overprovisioned-resources-in-aks-clusters) Clusters often accumulate unused components when applications are terminated or environments are cloned. These include PVCs backed by Managed Disks, Services that still front Azure Load Balancers, and test namespaces that are no longer... Compute - Azure AKS CER-0557 ### [Overprovisioned Pod Resource Requests in AKS](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/overprovisioned-pod-resource-requests-in-aks) In AKS, the node VMs are what you pay for, and how many nodes a cluster needs is decided by pod resource requests, not by what pods actually use. The Kubernetes scheduler places pods according to their CPU and memory requests, and the... Compute - Azure AKS CER-0570 ### [AKS Node Pools Without Cluster Autoscaler or With a Slow Scale-Down Profile](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/aks-node-pools-without-cluster-autoscaler-or-with-a-slow-scale-down-profile) AKS node pools are Virtual Machine Scale Sets, and every node is a VM that bills for as long as it exists, whether or not pods are scheduled on it. A user node pool created with a fixed node count stays sized for its peak even after pods... Compute - Azure AKS CER-0571 ### [Non-Production AKS Clusters Running Outside Working Hours](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/non-production-aks-clusters-running-outside-working-hours) Development, test and sandbox AKS clusters are usually needed only during business hours, but they are created once and left running around the clock. Outside working hours they often run nothing but system components, yet every node in... Compute - Azure AKS CER-0572 ### [Fault-Tolerant AKS Workloads Not Using Spot Node Pools](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/fault-tolerant-aks-workloads-not-using-spot-node-pools) Many AKS clusters run batch jobs, CI runners, queue consumers, rendering and dev or test services on regular pay-as-you-go node pools, even though these workloads can tolerate a node disappearing. AKS supports Spot node pools backed by... Compute ## More Azure services - [Azure Virtual Machines 12](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/azure-virtual-machines) - [Azure Cognitive Services 10](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/azure-cognitive-services) - [Azure SQL 10](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/azure-sql) - [Azure Managed Disks 9](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/azure-managed-disks) - [Azure Blob Storage 7](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/azure-blob-storage) - [Azure Cosmos DB 6](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/azure-cosmos-db) - [Azure Database for PostgreSQL - Flexible Server 4](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/azure-database-for-postgresql---flexible-server) - [Azure Log Analytics 4](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/azure-log-analytics) - [Azure App Service 3](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/azure-app-service) - [Azure App Service Plans 3](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/azure-app-service-plans) --- Source: the public page above. Product screenshots and illustrative interfaces are examples, not live customer data.