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. Verify Permissions

Before connecting, confirm that you've completed the Application Registration setup, including:

• Reader or custom role on subscriptions or management group (Step 3)
• Storage Blob Data Reader on the storage account (Step 6)

💡 If you used a different storage account than planned, go back to Step 6 of the Application Registration to grant access.

Step 4. Add a Credential in Cloud Ctrl

1. Go to Settings → Cloud Connections → Microsoft Azure
2. Click + Add Credential
3. Select a credential type:

Azure Entra App (most common):

• Azure Tenant ID
• Azure Application (Client) ID from your App Registration
• Azure Client Secret from your App Registration

Managed Identity (when Cloud Ctrl is hosted in your Azure environment):

• Storage Account Name
• Container Name

4. Click Save to validate and store the credential.

Cloud Ctrl will verify the credential is valid.

Step 5. Add a Cloud Account in Cloud Ctrl

1. From Settings → Cloud Connections → Microsoft Azure, scroll down to the Cloud Accounts section
2. Click + Add Cloud Account
3. Select the credential you just added
4. Select Microsoft Azure Cost Management Export as the account type
5. Enter:
   • Name: A name for your cloud account
   • Leave the Automatically manage exports unchecked
   • Storage Account Name (if using Azure Entra App credential)
   • Container Name (if using Azure Entra App credential)
   • Directory name that you specified when setting up the export
   • Export name
6. Click Submit to validate and save the cloud account.

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

Step 6. 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*	Use the dedicated storage account you created earlier
   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. Add a Credential in Cloud Ctrl

If you haven't already added a credential for this Azure tenant:

1. Go to Settings → Cloud Connections → Microsoft Azure
2. Click + Add Credential
3. Select a credential type:

Azure Entra App (most common):

• Azure Tenant ID
• Azure Application (Client) ID from your App Registration
• Azure Client Secret from your App Registration

Managed Identity (when Cloud Ctrl is hosted in your Azure environment):

• Storage Account Name
• Container Name

4. Click Save to validate and store the credential.

Step 5. Add a Cloud Account in Cloud Ctrl

1. From Settings → Cloud Connections → Microsoft Azure, scroll down to the Cloud Accounts section
2. Click + Add Cloud Account
3. Select the credential you added
4. Select Microsoft Azure Cost Management Export as the account type
5. Enter:
   • Name: A name for your cloud account
   • Leave the Automatically manage exports unchecked
   • Storage Account Name
   • Container Name
   • Directory name that you specified when setting up the export
   • Export names (Comma separated list, one for each subscription)
6. Click Submit to validate and save the cloud account.

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

Step 6. 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