3 Simple Power Automate Workflows to Automatically Identify and Terminate Unused Cloud Resources

Cloud platforms make it incredibly easy to spin up virtual machines, databases, and storage with only a few clicks. The downside is that many of these resources are forgotten once the job is done and continue running in the background. This unchecked growth, commonly known as cloud sprawl, quietly drives up monthly costs.

For Small/Medium Businesses in Orange County, CA, this is a growing concern. According to HashiCorp’s State of Cloud Strategy Survey 2024, the biggest contributors to cloud waste are skills gaps, idle or underused resources, and overprovisioning. Here at Newport Solutions, we believe that cloud environments should work efficiently for your business, not silently drain your budget.

Why Should I Care About Cloud Resources?

The financial impact of unmanaged cloud resources is very real. Many organizations report cloud spending overruns of approximately 17%, often without immediately understanding why. Automation offers a practical and measurable solution.

A strong example comes from VLink, which significantly reduced its non-production cloud costs by implementing automated shutdown policies. All development and testing environments not tagged as “Production” were automatically powered down outside normal business hours (8:00 AM to 6:00 PM). That single automation reduced non-production cloud spending by nearly 40%, freeing up budget for strategic growth initiatives instead of wasted infrastructure costs.

3 Power Automate Workflows

Tracking unused cloud resources manually can feel like chasing ghosts. Power Automate allows you to eliminate the guesswork by enforcing automated cleanup processes. Below are three simple but powerful workflows that help identify and remove waste automatically.

1. Automate the Shutdown of Development VMs

Development and testing environments are some of the biggest contributors to cloud sprawl. A virtual machine may be created for a short project and then forgotten once the work ends.

You can prevent this by creating a Power Automate flow that runs daily and queries Azure for virtual machines tagged with something like “Environment: Dev.” The workflow then evaluates performance metrics. If CPU utilization has remained below 5% for 72 hours, the flow automatically shuts down the VM.

This approach doesn’t delete anything—it simply powers down unused resources so you’re no longer paying for idle compute time. Developers still have the flexibility to restart machines when needed, but unnecessary costs are eliminated.

2. Identify and Report Orphaned Storage Disks

When a virtual machine is deleted, its attached storage disks are often left behind. These orphaned disks continue accumulating storage charges even though they’re no longer in use.

A weekly Power Automate workflow can identify these unattached managed disks. The flow scans your Azure subscription and generates a report listing disk names, storage size, and estimated monthly cost. This report can then be emailed automatically to IT leadership or finance teams.

Rather than deleting resources blindly, this creates an informed decision-making process and a clear cleanup list that aligns with governance and cost-control goals.

3. Terminate Expired Temporary Resources

Many cloud resources are designed to be temporary, such as short-term databases or blob storage containers used for file transfers or data analysis. The problem arises when expiration is never enforced.

To solve this, integrate expiration dates directly into your deployment process by tagging resources with a “Deletion Date.” A Power Automate flow can then run daily, checking all tagged resources and comparing the current date against the expiration date.

If a resource has reached or passed its defined end date, the flow automatically deletes it. This ensures temporary resources never become permanent expenses and removes reliance on human memory for cleanup tasks.

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Troubleshoot Your Automated Workflows

Automation is powerful, but destructive actions must be implemented carefully. Always begin by running workflows in report-only or notification mode. For example, instead of deleting expired resources immediately, configure the workflow to send alerts for the first few weeks.

This allows your team to validate logic, confirm tagging accuracy, and identify potential exceptions. For higher-risk actions, such as deleting large storage volumes, you can add approval steps to ensure human oversight where necessary.

These safeguards ensure automation improves control without introducing unintended consequences.

Take Control of Your Cloud Spend

These three Power Automate workflows provide a strong starting point for organizations using Microsoft Azure. They shift your cloud cost strategy from reactive troubleshooting to proactive governance, ensuring you only pay for what your business actively uses.

For Small/Medium Businesses in Orange County, CA, Newport Solutions helps design and implement automation strategies that reduce waste, improve visibility, and optimize cloud spending. Stop paying for unused resources—contact us today to take control of your Azure environment and start saving.

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About Newport Solutions 

Newport Solutions has been helping small businesses in Orange County, CA for almost 20 years. Our dedicated team provides comprehensive IT services, ensuring your business operates smoothly and efficiently. From IT support to cybersecurity, we've got you covered. Discover how we can become your business's IT department today. 

We proudly serve the following areas: Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Costa Mesa, and the greater Orange County region. 

Contact Us to learn more.