Venture Lab Cloud cost export checklist: Azure, AWS CUR 2.0 and FOCUS columns
Every cloud names its cost columns differently. Use this checklist before you trust a total from a cost export, whichever cloud it came from.
Column map
These are the columns that answer "how much, for what, when, in which currency" in each format. The names come from each vendor's own reference.
| Azure cost details | AWS CUR 2.0 (Data Exports) | FOCUS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | CostInBillingCurrency (EA, MCA); Cost / PreTaxCost (EA, pay-as-you-go) | line_item_unblended_cost | BilledCost (invoiced) and EffectiveCost (amortized) |
| Service | MeterCategory | line_item_product_code | ServiceName, ServiceCategory |
| Date | Date | line_item_usage_start_date (UTC) | ChargePeriodStart (inclusive) |
| Currency | BillingCurrency | line_item_currency_code | BillingCurrency |
| Resource | ResourceId, ResourceName | line_item_resource_id (only if you include resource IDs) | ResourceId, ResourceName |
| Charge kind | ChargeType (Usage, Purchase, Refund) | line_item_line_item_type (Usage, Tax, Credit, Refund and more) | ChargeCategory |
Before you sum anything
- One cost column only. FOCUS has both
BilledCostandEffectiveCost. The spec says they differ when commitment purchases are recorded separately from the charges they cover. Adding both counts the same spend twice. - Actual or amortized? In Azure, actual and amortized are separate exports. In AWS, Savings Plan lines (
SavingsPlanCoveredUsageandSavingsPlanNegation) offset each other. Pick one view and keep it for the whole review. - Currencies kept apart. Group totals by the currency column and never add different currencies.
- Credits, refunds and tax. Decide whether they belong in your review. AWS marks them in
line_item_line_item_type, and Azure marks refunds inChargeType. - Complete period. Azure exports are partitioned by default and can arrive as several files. Check that you have all of them.
- Rounding. Azure adds a rounding-adjustment record once an invoice is ready. A month that is still open will not match the invoice exactly.
- Resource IDs. In CUR 2.0,
line_item_resource_idexists only if you chose to include resources when you created the export.
Then review
- Top services by total, per currency.
- Days that are far above the usual day for a service.
- Resources with an identical cost every day. Some are fine; some are idle.
- Services whose average daily cost keeps rising month over month.
The free BillPrism analyzer recognises the cost, service, date, currency and resource columns listed above. For FOCUS files it uses BilledCost first, and when no currency column is present you can enter the currency yourself.
It runs in your browser, so the file stays on your device. Large exports may need to be split, because the tool reads up to 20,000 rows.
Try it free: Free cloud bill analyzer (CSV)
Drop in a cost export and see top services, totals per currency, daily spend, spikes, flat always-on costs and fast-growing services. No signup.
Open the free tool →About the product: BillPrism
The tool runs in your browser: your data stays on your device. No signup.
Sources
Venture Lab 10 is independent. Other product and service names are used only to describe compatibility or for comparison, and are trademarks of their owners.