CloudCostChefs: Monthly RG Cost Report Generator

Overview

Meet your new FinOps sous-chef: the Monthly RG Cost Report Generator. This PowerShell recipe whips up a sleek, chef-worthy HTML breakdown of every Resource Group’s spending in your Azure subscription—no enterprise fuss, just clear, digestible cost insights that help you plate up smarter cloud budgets.

Ideal for lean teams hungry for monthly cost snapshots without splurging on fancy tools—this PowerShell sous-chef automatically figures out last month’s dates, taps the Azure Cost Management API, and plates a full-course HTML report for every Resource Group (yes, even the zero-cost ones).

Key Features

Prerequisites

Before you fire up the Monthly RG Cost Report Generator, make sure your kitchen is stocked with these essentials:

• PowerShell 5.1 or higher - The script is compatible with both Windows PowerShell and PowerShell Core
• Az PowerShell Module - Required for Azure authentication and resource access
• Azure Subscription - Active subscription with appropriate permissions
• Appropriate Permissions - Reader access to the subscription and Cost Management Reader role

Installation

Setting up the Monthly RG Cost Report Generator is a piece of cake:

1. Download the script - Save the Get-LastMonthRGCostReport.ps1 file to your preferred location
2. Verify execution policy - Ensure your PowerShell execution policy allows running the script
3. Install required modules - Make sure the Az.Accounts module is installed

Usage

Basic Usage

The simplest way to use the script is to run it without parameters. This will:

• Prompt you to select an Azure subscription (if you have access to multiple)
• Generate a report for the previous month's costs
• Save the report as "monthly-rg-costs.html" in the current directory
• Open the report in your default browser

Advanced Usage

The script supports several parameters for more customized usage:

Understanding the Report

The generated HTML report provides a comprehensive view of your Azure Resource Group costs for the previous month. Here's what you'll find in the report:

Customization Options

While the Monthly RG Cost Report Generator works great out of the box, you can customize it to better fit your needs. Here are some common customizations:

# Find this section in the script:
                   $now              = Get-Date
                   $startOfThisMonth = Get-Date -Year $now.Year -Month $now.Month -Day 1 -Hour 0 -Minute 0 -Second 0
                   $startOfLastMonth = $startOfThisMonth.AddMonths(-1)

                   # Modify for a different date range, for example, last 3 months:
                   $now              = Get-Date
                   $startOfThisMonth = Get-Date -Year $now.Year -Month $now.Month -Day 1 -Hour 0 -Minute 0 -Second 0
                   $startOfLastMonth = $startOfThisMonth.AddMonths(-3) # Changed from -1 to -3

# Find the HTML template section (starts with $html = @")
                   # Modify the CSS styles or HTML structure as needed
                   # For example, to change the header color:

                   body {
                       font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif;
                       background-color: #f0f4f8; /* Change this to your preferred color */
                       color: #323130;
                       margin: 0;
                       padding: 40px;
                    }

Automation

For regular reporting, you can automate the Monthly RG Cost Report Generator using various methods:

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues with the Monthly RG Cost Report Generator, here are some common problems and solutions:

Next Steps

After implementing the Monthly RG Cost Report Generator, consider these next steps to enhance your Azure cost management: