User cost attribution: Add custom costs

User cost attribution allows you to add custom-defined costs to your monthly cost report. These custom costs are processed into the report alongside the regular Azure costs, and are considered as part of your shared costs. Like all shared costs, these are then distributed to all users within your report depending on the allocation method.

Apply custom costs to your monthly report

Custom costs are managed via an option in Settings > Nerdio environment in Nerdio Manager, and applied on a per-configuration basis.

When applying custom costs, they can be individually added and removed via the user interface or bulk ingested via a CSV spreadsheet.

To manage custom costs via the user interface:

1. Navigate to Settings > Nerdio environment, and then do the following:

• Classic UI: In the User cost attribution tile, select custom costs next to the report config you want to manage.

• New UI: Scroll to and expand the User cost attribution section, and then next to the report config you want to manage, select custom costs.

2. Select Add new row.

   

3. Enter the following information:

   • Name: Type the name of the cost being added. For example, Licensing.

   • Cost: Type the amount, in US dollars, to be added to the report.

   • Start Month: Optionally, type the start month in yyyy-mm format.

   • End Month: Optionally, type the end month in yyyy-mm format.

   • Rebuild report after save: Optionally, select this option to rebuild the report after you save the custom costs.

4. Add additional rows as desired.

5. If desired, select the X next to a row to delete it.

6. Once you have entered all the desired information, select Save.

Bulk import of custom costs

1. Navigate to Settings > Nerdio environment, and then do the following:

• Classic UI: In the User cost attribution tile, select custom costs.

• New UI: Scroll to and expand the User cost attribution section, and then next to the report config you want to manage, select custom costs.

2. In the User cost attribution tile, select custom costs.

3. Select Export CSV template.

   A CSV template file is saved to your browser's default download folder.

   Note: You do not have to use Nerdio Manager's CSV template file, but it ensures that the file's format is correct.

4. Enter you cost information in the CSV file, and save the file.

5. Do the following:

• Classic UI: Return to the User cost attribution tile, and select custom costs.

• New UI: Return to the User cost attribution section, and select custom costs.

6. Select Import CSV.

7. Locate and select the CSV file.

8. Review the imported information and make any desired changes.

9. Optionally, select Rebuild report after save to rebuild the report after you save the custom costs.

10. Once you have entered all the desired information, select Save.

Custom costs use case

As an AVD environment owner, I have costs outside of Azure that contribute to the cost of running my AVD environment that need to be included in my cost report.

After analysis, I have identified the following costs that need to be considered:

These costs then need to be entered in CSV file with the required layout, as discussed above, with the appropriate start months and end months.

After uploading, the changes are reflected in the custom costs:

Select Save. Costs are then be applied to the report, and a rebuild of the report for October 2024 begins. Once complete, this rebuilt report updates to include the $22,000 Software Licensing’ and the $500 On-Prem Servers costs that were added to the CSV file.

Reference

• Custom costs are defined on a per-configuration basis. Any custom costs applied to the Complete AVD deployment configuration are not reflected in any others.

• Custom costs are only applied upon report rebuild. Any custom costs added to a report configuration are not be immediately reflected upon report load. They are only applied when a report is automatically or manually rebuilt.

• Custom costs can be applied retroactively. For example, if custom costs are added on December 2024, they can still be applied to reports from January 2024,if the date range for the cost is applicable.

Custom costs logic

Costs

• Costs must be applied in USD.

• Costs should not have any formatting applied.

  

Start month and end month

Start month and end month are used to define the months that a custom cost should be applied to. Together, they form a date range, and any cost that falls between the start month and end month dates are applied to that report.