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 are available from Microsoft's Documentation

Recommended Approach – Billing Account or Management Group Export

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
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

Review and Create > Create.

💡 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
   • Leave the Automatically mangage exports unchecked
   • 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.

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.

Alternative – Per Subscription Export & Permissions

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

Step 1. Configure the Export for the subscription

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
   Directory*	e.g. costexports
   File Format	CSV
   Compression Type	Gzip
   Overwrite data	Checked (this is an important option to reduce storage costs)

   Important: Keep all values marked * consistent for all subscriptions.

4. Review and Create > Create.

Step 2. Assign Roles to the Application

For each subscription you want to connect:

1. Navigate to Subscriptions → Access Control (IAM)
2. Click Add → Add role assignment
3. Assign the Reader role (minimum required)
4. Search for your new App Registration and select it
5. Save

💡 Reader access is sufficient for most Azure accounts.

Repeat for each subscription you wish to include.

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
   • Leave the Automatically mangage exports unchecked
   • 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 names (Comma separated list, one for each subscription)
4. Click Submit to validate and save the connection.

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

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.

✅ 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.

Related Pages

• Application Registration
• CSP Export Setup
• Troubleshooting Azure Connections