SKU Selection Matrix
Select SKU based on context.json.intent.budget. Cross-reference with intent.scale for right-sizing.
Budget Tiers
⚠️ F1 (Free) limitations: 1 GB RAM, shared compute (60 min/day CPU), no custom domain, no always-on, no deployment slots, no VNet integration. Only suitable for low-traffic dev/test. Production apps → B1 minimum.
| Service | cost-optimized | balanced | performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Container Apps | Consumption (scale-to-zero) | Consumption | Dedicated |
| App Service | F1 (Free) | B1 / S1 | P1v3 |
| Azure SQL | Basic (5 DTU) | Standard (S0) | Premium / Serverless |
| Cosmos DB | Serverless | Provisioned (400 RU) | Provisioned (autoscale) |
| Storage | Standard_LRS | Standard_GRS | Premium_LRS |
| Static Web Apps | Free | Standard | Standard |
| Key Vault | Standard | Standard | Premium (HSM) |
| Service Bus | Basic | Standard | Premium |
| Redis Cache | Basic C0 | Standard C1 | Premium P1 |
| Functions | Consumption | Flex Consumption | Premium EP1 |
| Log Analytics | PerGB2018 | PerGB2018 | PerGB2018 (dedicated cluster) |
⚠️ Log Analytics
FreeSKU is deprecated. ARM rejects it with some API versions and retention settings. Always usePerGB2018— first 5 GB/month is free anyway.
Modifier Rules
intent.scale = "Large"(100K+ users) → bump minimum one tier above cost-optimizedintent.budget = "performance"+intent.scale = "Small"→ don't over-provision; use balanced tier- Policy denies a SKU → fall back to next available tier, add to
assumptions[] - Cosmos DB Serverless: max 1K RU/s burst, no geo-replication — only for intermittent/dev workloads. Sustained read-heavy → Provisioned.
Default Behavior
- Single-component app + cost-optimized → cheapest viable SKU (App Service F1, Static Web Apps Free)
- Simple web app with no DB → $0–$15/month
- Always output exact SKU codes: "App Service F1 (Free)" not "Free tier"
Auto-Cheapest for Fast-Track
⛔ If prereq-output.json.fastTrackEligible == true AND context.json.intent.budget is unset, treat as cost-optimized. Fast-track means single-component + no DB + no auth + no Dockerfile — by definition this app fits the cheapest tier. Pick App Service F1 (Free) for dynamic apps that need a runtime (Node.js/Python starter templates), or Static Web Apps Free for pure static HTML/JS/CSS with no server-side runtime. The user still sees the SKU + monthly cost in the scaffold approval gate — they can override via "Edit plan" if they want to upgrade. Do NOT ask the user about budget unless they mention cost first (per intent-gathering.md).
⛔ Fast-track free promise can degrade. If the cheapest free tier is unavailable during deploy prep (no F1 quota AND Static Web Apps Free cap reached — see sku-quota-validation.md § After Checking), degrade to the cheapest AVAILABLE tier — do NOT name or assume a specific paid SKU; let the live quota results decide which is cheapest-available. Record an assumptions[] note that states clearly WHY fast-track could not stay free, so the approval gate presents the plan with the resulting cost instead of silently upgrading.