Azure Cost Control

💰 Shelvera Azure Cost Control

Generate copy-ready Ubuntu commands for Dev + QA Azure cost-control automation. Use this page to produce the cron entries, manual start/stop commands, enforcement enable/disable commands, bash aliases and log cleanup configuration from one set of inputs.

1. Generate Commands

# AnchorCommands prepared

Shelvera Azure Cost-Control Command Builder

Generate copy-ready Ubuntu/bash commands for Dev + QA Azure automation: manual start/stop, 15-minute cost-control enforcement, cron entries, aliases, log viewing and log cleanup.

Enforcement every 15 minutesTimezone: America/New_YorkStart 19:00 / Stop 23:00Ubuntu cron + bash aliases

Folders and Timezone

These values drive every generated script path, log path and time command.

Automation Root Folder

Folder containing enforce/start/stop Azure automation scripts.

Logs Folder

All generated log commands and aliases write to or read from this folder.

Timezone

Used by the current-time and next-cron-run helper commands.

Script Names

Keep these defaults unless you renamed the shell scripts.

Enforcement Script

Stops Dev + QA Azure resources when enforcement is enabled.

Manual Start Script

Starts Dev + QA Azure resources for work/testing.

Manual Stop Script

Stops Dev + QA Azure resources manually.

Schedule

The enforcement cron is the cost-control safety net. Daily start/stop entries are optional convenience jobs.

Enforce Every N Minutes

Creates */N cron syntax.

Tail Lines

Used by tail commands.

Start Hour

24-hour format.

Start Minute

0-59.

Stop Hour

24-hour format.

Stop Minute

0-59.

Include optional daily start cron entryAdds a cron entry for start-dev-qa-azure.sh.Include optional daily stop cron entryAdds a cron entry for stop-dev-qa-azure.sh.

Show advanced disable files, locks and log filenames

Disable Files

These files turn individual scheduled jobs on/off.

Enforcement Disable File

Start Job Disable File

Stop Job Disable File

Lock Files

flock prevents duplicate concurrent executions.

Enforcement Lock File

Start Lock File

Stop Lock File

Log Filenames

Only filenames are needed here because the Logs Folder is configured above.

Enforcement Cron Log

Enforcement Manual Log

Enforcement Control Log

Start Cron Log

Start Manual Log

Stop Cron Log

Stop Manual Log

Resolved paths from your inputs

Main script

/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/enforce-dev-qa-stopped-azure.sh

Disable file

/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/.disable-enforce-dev-qa-stopped

Cron log

/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/logs/enforce-dev-qa-stopped-cron.log

Prepare Folder Permissions

Run this after copying scripts into the automation folder, or use it to repair missing folders and executable permissions.

sudo mkdir -p "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure"
sudo mkdir -p "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/logs"
sudo chown -R "$USER":"$USER" "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure"
chmod +x "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/enforce-dev-qa-stopped-azure.sh" "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/start-dev-qa-azure.sh" "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/stop-dev-qa-azure.sh"

Manual Enforcement Run

Runs the every-15-minute enforcement script manually with flock protection and manual logging.

/usr/bin/flock -n "/tmp/shelvera-enforce-dev-qa-stopped.lock" "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/enforce-dev-qa-stopped-azure.sh" 2>&1 | \
  tee -a "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/logs/enforce-dev-qa-stopped-manual.log"

Manual Start Dev + QA

Use this when you intentionally need Dev + QA running for work or testing.

/usr/bin/flock -n "/tmp/shelvera-start-dev-qa.lock" "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/start-dev-qa-azure.sh" 2>&1 | \
  tee -a "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/logs/start-dev-qa-manual.log"

Manual Stop Dev + QA

Use this to stop Dev + QA immediately without waiting for the next enforcement cycle.

/usr/bin/flock -n "/tmp/shelvera-stop-dev-qa.lock" "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/stop-dev-qa-azure.sh" 2>&1 | \
  tee -a "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/logs/stop-dev-qa-manual.log"

Disable Enforcement

Create the disable file. The enforcement script should do nothing while this file exists.

touch "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/.disable-enforce-dev-qa-stopped"

Enable Enforcement

Remove the disable file so the scheduled enforcement can resume.

rm -f "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/.disable-enforce-dev-qa-stopped"

Check Enforcement Status

if [[ -f "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/.disable-enforce-dev-qa-stopped" ]]; then
  echo "ENFORCEMENT DISABLED"
else
  echo "ENFORCEMENT ENABLED"
fi

Check Start Job Status

if [[ -f "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/.disable-start-dev-qa" ]]; then
  echo "START JOB DISABLED"
else
  echo "START JOB ENABLED"
fi

Check Stop Job Status

if [[ -f "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/.disable-stop-dev-qa" ]]; then
  echo "STOP JOB DISABLED"
else
  echo "STOP JOB ENABLED"
fi

Check Current Time

TZ="America/New_York" date "+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S.%3N %Z"

Generated Cron Entries

Copy these into crontab with crontab -e. Review start/stop timing carefully before saving.

# Shelvera Azure cost-control enforcement
*/15 * * * * /usr/bin/flock -n "/tmp/shelvera-enforce-dev-qa-stopped.lock" "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/enforce-dev-qa-stopped-azure.sh" >> "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/logs/enforce-dev-qa-stopped-cron.log" 2>&1

# Optional daily Dev + QA start job
0 19 * * * /usr/bin/flock -n "/tmp/shelvera-start-dev-qa.lock" "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/start-dev-qa-azure.sh" >> "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/logs/start-dev-qa-cron.log" 2>&1

# Optional daily Dev + QA stop job
0 23 * * * /usr/bin/flock -n "/tmp/shelvera-stop-dev-qa.lock" "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/stop-dev-qa-azure.sh" >> "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/logs/stop-dev-qa-cron.log" 2>&1

Next Enforcement Cron Run

TZ="America/New_York" bash -c 'now=$(date +%s); next=$(( ((now / 900) + 1) * 900 )); date -d "@$next" "+Next 15-minute cron run: %Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S %Z"'

Cron Service Commands

Useful when cron is not running or after editing schedules.

crontab -e
crontab -l
sudo systemctl status cron
sudo systemctl start cron
sudo systemctl enable cron
sudo systemctl restart cron

Generated ~/.bashrc Aliases

Paste this block into ~/.bashrc, save, then run source ~/.bashrc.

alias status-devqa-enforcement='{ echo ""; echo "===== $(date "+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S.%3N %Z") | STATUS | enforce-dev-qa-stopped ====="; if [[ -f "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/.disable-enforce-dev-qa-stopped" ]]; then echo "ENFORCEMENT DISABLED"; else echo "ENFORCEMENT ENABLED"; fi; } 2>&1 | tee -a "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/logs/enforce-dev-qa-stopped-control.log"'

alias disable-devqa-enforcement='{ echo ""; echo "===== $(date "+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S.%3N %Z") | DISABLE | enforce-dev-qa-stopped ====="; touch "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/.disable-enforce-dev-qa-stopped"; echo "Disable file created: /opt/shelvera/automation/azure/.disable-enforce-dev-qa-stopped"; echo "ENFORCEMENT DISABLED"; } 2>&1 | tee -a "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/logs/enforce-dev-qa-stopped-control.log"'

alias enable-devqa-enforcement='{ echo ""; echo "===== $(date "+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S.%3N %Z") | ENABLE | enforce-dev-qa-stopped ====="; rm -f "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/.disable-enforce-dev-qa-stopped"; echo "Disable file removed: /opt/shelvera/automation/azure/.disable-enforce-dev-qa-stopped"; echo "ENFORCEMENT ENABLED"; } 2>&1 | tee -a "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/logs/enforce-dev-qa-stopped-control.log"'

alias start-devqa-azure='{ echo ""; echo "===== $(date "+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S.%3N %Z") | MANUAL START | start-dev-qa-azure ====="; /usr/bin/flock -n "/tmp/shelvera-start-dev-qa.lock" "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/start-dev-qa-azure.sh"; echo "===== $(date "+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S.%3N %Z") | END MANUAL START | start-dev-qa-azure ====="; } 2>&1 | tee -a "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/logs/start-dev-qa-manual.log"'

alias stop-devqa-azure='{ echo ""; echo "===== $(date "+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S.%3N %Z") | MANUAL STOP | stop-dev-qa-azure ====="; /usr/bin/flock -n "/tmp/shelvera-stop-dev-qa.lock" "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/stop-dev-qa-azure.sh"; echo "===== $(date "+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S.%3N %Z") | END MANUAL STOP | stop-dev-qa-azure ====="; } 2>&1 | tee -a "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/logs/stop-dev-qa-manual.log"'

alias watch-devqa-enforcement-log='tail -f "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/logs/enforce-dev-qa-stopped-cron.log"'

Reload and Use Aliases

source ~/.bashrc

status-devqa-enforcement
disable-devqa-enforcement
enable-devqa-enforcement
start-devqa-azure
stop-devqa-azure
watch-devqa-enforcement-log

Tail enforcement cron log

tail -100 "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/logs/enforce-dev-qa-stopped-cron.log"

Live-watch enforcement cron log

tail -f "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/logs/enforce-dev-qa-stopped-cron.log"

Tail enforcement manual log

tail -100 "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/logs/enforce-dev-qa-stopped-manual.log"

Tail enforcement control log

tail -100 "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/logs/enforce-dev-qa-stopped-control.log"

Tail start cron log

tail -100 "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/logs/start-dev-qa-cron.log"

Tail stop cron log

tail -100 "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/logs/stop-dev-qa-cron.log"

Tail start manual log

tail -100 "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/logs/start-dev-qa-manual.log"

Tail stop manual log

tail -100 "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/logs/stop-dev-qa-manual.log"

Show start/stop job enable-disable commands

Disable Scheduled Start Job

touch "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/.disable-start-dev-qa"

Enable Scheduled Start Job

rm -f "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/.disable-start-dev-qa"

Disable Scheduled Stop Job

touch "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/.disable-stop-dev-qa"

Enable Scheduled Stop Job

rm -f "/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/.disable-stop-dev-qa"

Show optional logrotate configuration

Log Cleanup Settings

Recommended developer-friendly cleanup: rotate when logs cross a size threshold, keep compressed archives.

Rotate When Log Reaches

Examples: 5M, 10M, 50M.

Archives to Keep

Old archives beyond this count are removed by logrotate.

Create logrotate config

Paste the generated config into the file below.

sudo nano /etc/logrotate.d/shelvera-azure-automation

Generated logrotate config

/opt/shelvera/automation/azure/logs/*.log {
    size 10M
    rotate 14
    compress
    missingok
    notifempty
    copytruncate
}

Test logrotate config

sudo logrotate -d /etc/logrotate.d/shelvera-azure-automation

2. Recommended Daily Workflow

# AnchorWorkflow reviewed

Before starting Dev + QA manually, run disable-devqa-enforcement.
Confirm status with status-devqa-enforcement.
Start Dev + QA with start-devqa-azure.
Complete your testing or development work.
Stop Dev + QA with stop-devqa-azure if you want immediate cleanup.
Re-enable the safety net with enable-devqa-enforcement.
Watch the next run using watch-devqa-enforcement-log.

Best developer UX

Use the aliases for daily work and keep the full generated commands on this page as the source of truth. The aliases are short, readable and still write control logs so you can audit what happened later.

3. Safety Rules

# AnchorSafety rules reviewed

Keep flock in every cron and manual command to avoid overlapping Azure start/stop operations.
Do not leave enforcement disabled after work unless that is intentional.
Review daily start/stop cron entries carefully so they do not fight the 15-minute enforcement job.
Prefer tail -f while testing new cron entries so failures are visible immediately.
Use logrotate instead of manually deleting active logs. The generated logrotate config keeps archives and safely truncates active files.

Scheduled start vs enforcement

If the 15-minute enforcement job is enabled, it can stop Dev + QA shortly after a scheduled start. Use the scheduled start job only when your start script or your operating procedure intentionally handles the work window.

4. Parameter Guide

# AnchorParameters understood

Input on this page	Generated output	Purpose
Automation Root Folder	Script paths and disable-file paths	Base folder for Shelvera Azure automation scripts.
Logs Folder	All log paths	Central location for cron, manual and control logs.
Timezone	`TZ=... date` helpers	Shows current time and next cron run in your preferred timezone.
Enforcement Script	Manual run and enforcement cron	Script that checks/stops Dev + QA resources.
Manual Start Script	Manual start command and optional start cron	Starts Dev + QA Azure resources.
Manual Stop Script	Manual stop command and optional stop cron	Stops Dev + QA Azure resources.
Disable Files	`touch` / `rm -f` commands	Turns enforcement, start job or stop job on/off.
Lock Files	`/usr/bin/flock -n ...`	Prevents duplicate concurrent script runs.
Enforce Every N Minutes	`/N * * *`	Controls the cost-control enforcement cadence.
Start/Stop Hour and Minute	Daily cron entries	Generates optional daily start and stop jobs.
Tail Lines	`tail -N` commands	Controls how much history to show when viewing logs.
Logrotate Size / Archives	`/etc/logrotate.d/...` config	Rotates logs by size and removes archives beyond the retention count.

5. Alias Catalog

# AnchorAliases verified

Alias	Purpose
`status-devqa-enforcement`	Shows whether 15-minute enforcement is currently enabled.
`disable-devqa-enforcement`	Creates the enforcement disable file and writes a control log entry.
`enable-devqa-enforcement`	Removes the enforcement disable file and writes a control log entry.
`start-devqa-azure`	Starts Dev + QA manually with screen output and log capture.
`stop-devqa-azure`	Stops Dev + QA manually with screen output and log capture.
`watch-devqa-enforcement-log`	Live tails the enforcement cron log.

6. Cron Meaning Reference

# AnchorCron syntax reviewed

Cron expression	Meaning
`/15 * * *`	Every 15 minutes.
`0 19 * * *`	Every day at 7:00 PM server-local cron time.
`0 23 * * *`	Every day at 11:00 PM server-local cron time.

Timezone note

Cron uses the server's cron timezone unless you explicitly configure a timezone for the cron environment. The generated TZ=America/New_York date ... commands are helper commands for checking time; they do not change cron's own timezone.

7. Log Cleanup Recommendation

# AnchorLog cleanup reviewed

The best long-term cleanup approach is logrotate by size for this automation:

Rotate when a log crosses a size threshold such as 10M.
Keep a fixed number of compressed archives, such as 14.
Use copytruncate because shell scripts and cron append to simple log files.
Avoid deleting active logs manually while a script may be writing to them.

The optional logrotate generator above creates a ready-to-paste config for:

/etc/logrotate.d/shelvera-azure-automation

1. Generate Commands​

2. Recommended Daily Workflow​

3. Safety Rules​

4. Parameter Guide​

5. Alias Catalog​

6. Cron Meaning Reference​

7. Log Cleanup Recommendation​