Aks Cost Optimization

From the author

Analyze advanced AKS cost efficiency. WHEN: "AKS NAP readiness", "AKS bin packing", "AKS node scaling bottleneck", "AKS blocked scale-down", "AKS storage cost". DO NOT USE AS DIRECT ENTRY FOR: overall AKS cost assessments or rightsizing/VPA/CAS/Spot (azure-kubernetes); spend/anomalies/commitments (cost-analysis/cost-optimization); incidents (aks-troubleshooting).

— the description by Microsoft

AutoGineer summary

Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author

This skill provides a structured workflow for analyzing advanced cost efficiency in Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) clusters. It focuses on technical placement and scheduling factors rather than high-level financial reporting. The skill guides users through evaluating Node Auto-Provisioning (NAP) readiness, bin-packing efficiency, node scaling bottlenecks, and storage costs. It is designed to be used for specific technical investigations, requiring the user to route broader cost or incident-related queries to their respective specialized skills.

What it does

Evaluates cluster bin-packing efficiency and identifies consolidation candidates.
Assesses readiness for adopting Node Auto-Provisioning (NAP).
Identifies root causes for node scaling bottlenecks and blocked scale-down events.
Analyzes storage cost and mapping configurations.
Provides evidence-based recommendations for pool adjustments or placement changes.
Requires explicit user approval before any cluster configuration changes.

When to use it

When investigating inefficient resource utilization or poor bin-packing in an AKS cluster.
When evaluating whether to migrate from fixed node pools or Cluster Autoscaler to NAP.
When troubleshooting persistent node scaling bottlenecks or blocked scale-down operations.
When analyzing storage-related costs within an AKS environment.

Advantages

Provides deep technical insights into scheduling and placement constraints.
Prevents conflicting recommendations by routing to specialized skills for financial or incident data.
Ensures safe operations by requiring manual approval for all proposed changes.
Uses standardized evidence collection for consistent analysis across clusters.

Usage examples

“Analyze why my AKS cluster is failing to scale down nodes.”: The agent will investigate blocked scale-down events, check for PDBs or disruption budgets, and identify if the nodes are managed by NAP or CAS to provide a resolution path.
“Is my cluster ready for Node Auto-Provisioning?”: The agent will perform an eligibility check, verify current networking and identity configurations, and report if NAP is a viable and cost-effective alternative for your workload.

Install

Download the skill as a ZIP:
https://autogineer.com/agent-skills/microsoft/aks-cost-optimization/download

Unzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:

mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip aks-cost-optimization.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by Microsoft

When to Use This Skill

Use for advanced existing-cluster analysis requiring scheduling, placement, or verified storage mapping. Route overall AKS cost assessments to azure-kubernetes, spend/anomalies to cost-analysis, commitments to cost-optimization, and incidents to aks-troubleshooting when those skills are available. When called from an overall assessment, return findings for its ranked report.

MCP Tools

Prefer fitting Azure MCP reads. Never invent tools or use az/kubectl without approved shell access and a target-bound context.

Workflow/Steps

Bind the subscription, cluster, resource group, and kube context.
Route to NAP readiness, bin-packing, node-scaling bottlenecks, or storage optimization.
When invoked for AKS commitment context, use the commitment-demand handoff and return demand evidence without benefit analysis or a transaction.
Keep reads non-mutating; require approval for every change.

Error Handling

Missing capability: analyze supplied evidence or provide a collection plan; mark dependent cost or commitment results unavailable.
Evidence conflict: mark the conclusion unconfirmed.

Files

ATTRIBUTION.mdAdded by AutoGineer989 B
LICENSELicence file added by AutoGineer1.1 KiB
SKILL.md1.8 KiB
references/aks-bin-packing.md3.8 KiB
references/aks-nap.md3.2 KiB
references/aks-savings-plans-reservations.md3.5 KiB
references/aks-storage-optimization.md3.5 KiB
references/bin-packing-evidence.md3.8 KiB
references/nap-decisions.md3.3 KiB
references/nap-enablement-and-rollback.md1.8 KiB
references/nap-evidence-collection.md3.9 KiB
references/node-scaling-bottlenecks.md3.8 KiB
references/self-hosted-karpenter-migration.md2.1 KiB
references/storage-container-insights.md2.9 KiB
references/storage-decisions.md3.3 KiB
references/storage-metrics.md3.7 KiB

references/aks-nap.md

AKS Node Auto-Provisioning (NAP)

Assess whether adopting NAP would benefit the cluster and whether it is ready. Recommend enablement only when NAP has a demonstrated placement, cost, or operational advantage over fixed pools or Cluster Autoscaler (CAS).

Use NAP evidence collection with approved capabilities and a bound target. Prefer fitting Azure MCP AKS reads over its CLI fallbacks.

1. Determine Path and Eligibility

Collect SKU, NAP mode, identity, networking, pools, and Karpenter ownership.

If mode is Auto, do not run enablement readiness. Route idle-node and consolidation analysis to bin-packing.

Before enablement, detect self-hosted Karpenter. If present, use the self-hosted Karpenter migration, not normal enablement.

Stop enablement for Windows pools, IPv6, service-principal identity, Basic Load Balancer in a custom VNet, kubenet, Calico, or Azure CNI Pod Subnet with podIpAllocationMode: DynamicIndividual. Confirm acceptance of losing cluster stop and outbound-type changes.

If CAS is enabled, explain the transition to NAP and obtain explicit approval before changing or disabling CAS. Side-by-side CAS and NAP is a temporary migration state only because long-term coexistence can cause unpredictable scaling and double provisioning. Registering the subscription-wide AllowClusterAutoscalerAndNAP feature requires separate explicit approval. Coexistence also requires exclusive taints/tolerations, custom pools, and --node-provisioning-default-pools None.

2. Scheduling Evidence

Read pods and events first. For scheduling issues, fetch nodes once to compare with pod requirements; otherwise skip nodes. Without Kubernetes access, use supplied evidence or provide a scoped plan.

Use unassigned pods whose PodScheduled condition is False with reason Unschedulable. Correlate events by pod UID/time.

For each affected pod, retain node selectors, required affinity/anti-affinity, topology-spread constraints, tolerations, and referenced volume topology. Compare them with existing nodes, including capacity excluded by taints.

Seven-Day Scheduling History

Use seven days of available unschedulable-pod metrics to identify recurring pressure, unless equivalent history exists. Correlate events to determine whether NAP helps; report missing history.

Capacity and Cost History

Reuse verified stranded-capacity and workload-shape findings from bin-packing analysis when available. Otherwise collect only enough node-count, pool-floor, request, utilization, scaling, and cost history to determine whether fixed pools serve the demand poorly. NAP does not repeat consolidation or placement-relaxation modeling. Low utilization alone is not evidence that NAP will save cost.

If cost-analysis is available, invoke it for attributable cluster compute cost. Compare current fixed-pool cost with the expected NAP capacity and any migration overlap. Keep unavailable cost or savings unknown rather than zero.

After eligibility and evidence collection, use NAP decisions to compare alternatives, determine the verdict, and report recommendations.

Requirements and compatibility

Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta

“Works with” means the tool reads the open Agent Skills format; a skill written for one tool may use features others lack.

Needs: Needs Node.js

Security

No issues found by our static scan· No issues found

A static scan is not a guarantee. Skills are third-party content: review a skill before you let an agent use it.

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Download ZIP

The ZIP holds the skill’s files, its licence files and an ATTRIBUTION.md. Download aks-cost-optimization.zip