Is there a way to reduce time between Azure deployment start and role OnStart() code being invoked?

Question

Currently when I create a deployment using Windows Azure Management Portal it takes about 9 (nine!) minutes to have the code in my role OnStart() being run. I f

Answer 1

If you are referring to existing VMs in Azure that you stop (deallocate) and start once in a while, then yes - there is a way to make it super fast, but you pay for it. You have to move your VMs to use premium storage.

Main difference is, premium storage is not only on much faster SSD drives, but it does not get archived when not in use - so you pay for it even while you VM is offline. See, normal stoage VM, when you start it they copy to VHD into another storage where it runs from, when you are done it is archived and you do not pay for that disk.

But with premium storage your VHD always stay ready to run, so when you start your VM it is not copied anywhere. this makes it much faster. Downside: you pay for the VHD even when the VM is deallocated.

So, up to you if you want to pay that or not - but there is a way to do it.

(I am not an azure specialist but I did ask a few fellow MVPs about it and that's what they explained. Would love to hear if this is not accurate).