Windows Azure Stopped VM Data Persistance

Question

I cannot find any information on the Azure site clarifying this - possibly it's my understanding of how these work - please can someone confirm I am correct.

If I have a VM (Windows generated from their template which I have then installed some software on) and shut it down (using the portal to deallocate it), I am no longer charged compute costs. I am still charged storage for the VHD file but there will be no storage transactions as the machine is switched off.

As and when I start it, a new instance is deployed, from the VHD I previously configured (this is important to start with the software installed still) and I will then be charged for storage transactions and compute minutes.

Also, for the storage on VHD files, is this goo-redundant or locally-redundant or do I choose when creating the VM?

Answer 1

If you create a storage account first, you have a choice of enabling geo-replication or not. Default value is enabled. If you create a virtual machine, creation of a new storage account is an option. This account will default have geo-replication enabled.

You are correct on the charging.