Cloud Ctrl

# Standard Azure Account Export Setup

For Enterprise Agreement (EA), Microsoft Customer Agreement (MCA), and Pay-As-You-Go customers, Cloud Ctrl integrates with Azure Cost Management Exports to import cost and usage data directly from Azure.

Microsoft recommends creating exports at the Billing Account or Management Group level whenever possible.
This ensures complete coverage across all subscriptions and consistent access for cost analysis.

The prerequisites for this process is available from Microsoft's Documentation (opens new window)

If you have access at the Billing Account or Management Group level, follow these steps.

# Step 1. Open Cost Management

  1. Sign in to the Azure Portal (opens new window)
  2. Navigate to Cost Management + Billing
  3. Depending on your access, select:
    • Billing Account (for Enterprise Agreement or MCA customers), or
    • Management Group (for larger environments spanning multiple subscriptions)
  4. In the left menu, select Cost Management → Exports
  5. Click + Add

# Step 2. Configure the Export

Setting Value / Recommendation
Prefix cc-export
Type Actual cost
Scope Billing Account or Management Group (recommended)
Schedule Daily
Storage Account Choose or create a storage account in the same tenant
Container e.g. cc-cost-exports
File Format CSV
Compression Type Gzip
Overwrite data Checked (this is an important option to reduce storage costs)

Review and Create > Create.

New Export Screen in Azure Portal

💡 Exports created at the billing account level include all subscriptions under that billing scope, reducing the need for individual exports.

# Step 3. Grant Access to Cloud Ctrl

Ensure the Cloud Ctrl Application Registration (Service Principal) has Reader access to the billing scope and read or owner access to the storage account where the export is written.

This allows Cloud Ctrl to automatically discover and import the export files.

# Step 4. Connect in Cloud Ctrl

  1. Go to Settings → Azure → Add
  2. Select Azure Account (Cost Management Export).
  3. Enter:
    • Name: A name for your connection
    • Azure Tenant ID
    • Azure Application (Client) Id from you App Registration
    • Azure Client Secret from you App Registration
    • Storage Account Name
    • Container Name
    • Directory name that you specified when setting up the export.
    • Export name
  4. Click Submit to validate and save the connection.

Cloud Ctrl will verify access and begin importing the export data.

# Alternative – Per Subscription Export

If you don’t have billing or management group permissions, you can still configure exports at the subscription level.

  1. Open the Subscription → Cost Management → Exports

  2. Click + Add

  3. Configure as:

    Setting Value / Recommendation
    Prefix cc-export + {unique sub name}
    Type Actual cost
    Scope Billing Account or Management Group (recommended)
    Schedule Daily
    Storage Account Choose or create a storage account in the same tenant
    Container e.g. cc-cost-exports
    File Format CSV
    Compression Type Gzip
    Overwrite data Checked (this is an important option to reduce storage costs)

  4. Review and Create > Create.

Repeat for each subscription you wish to include.

# Step 5. Verify Data in Cloud Ctrl

Once the export runs, Cloud Ctrl will automatically begin importing the files.
Depending on file size, initial ingestion may take several minutes.

You can confirm progress in Cloud Accounts → Azure Connections or in your Cost Explorer dashboard.

✅ Best Practice:

  • Use Billing Account or Management Group exports for a complete, unified view of spend.
  • Use Subscription-level exports only when your Azure role limits access to individual subscriptions.