What is the most effective strategy for reducing VM costs during non-business hours?

Setting virtual machines (VMs) to turn off outside of business hours is an effective strategy for reducing costs because it directly addresses resource usage. Many cloud providers charge for compute resources based on their uptime, meaning that if VMs are running but not in use during non-business hours, those associated costs can quickly add up. By scheduling VMs to power down when they are not needed, organizations can significantly lower their expenses related to unused computing power.

Turning off VMs outside of business hours ensures that the organization only incurs costs when the VMs are actively being utilized. This approach not only reduces unnecessary expenditure but also encourages efficient resource management, optimizing the budget for cloud services. It is a proactive measure that can easily be automated via cloud management tools, ensuring that resources are available when needed and cost-efficient when not in use.