Bilko Azure Observability + MS for Startups Credit Setup (2026-06-15)

Purpose

Cross $100/month in foundational Azure spend to automatically unlock the Microsoft for Startups $25K credit tier. The model is usage-triggered, not referral-gated: once cumulative Azure spend reaches the threshold, the Founders Hub dashboard upgrades the credit allocation automatically. This work establishes the baseline infrastructure telemetry and security services that generate billable spend from day one.

What Was Done (MC #103599, 2026-06-15)

Application Insights Wiring

• Resource: appi-bilko
• Resource group: rg-bilko-demo
• Region: swedencentral
• Workspace-linked to: workspace-rgbilkodemo6lnV (Log Analytics, PerGB2018 billing tier)
• Wired into Bilko Container Apps via APPLICATIONINSIGHTS_CONNECTION_STRING environment variable on both services.

Container App Revisions (state at time of work)

Note (Proveo-corrected): bilko-web-demo--0000001 carries 0% traffic; a second deploy superseded it. Do not confuse with the active revision when diagnosing issues.

Microsoft Defender for Containers

• Tier: Standard, enabled on subscription 5b0b4d9b
• Enablement timestamp: 2026-06-15T06:37:35Z
• FREE TRIAL: 29-day trial applies. Billable Defender spend begins approximately 2026-07-14.
• Role: deferred backstop for ongoing security spend. Immediate spend for credit threshold comes from App Insights + Log Analytics ingest.

Spend Mechanics

• Immediate (day 1): App Insights data ingest + Log Analytics PerGB2018 billing begins as soon as telemetry flows.
• Deferred (~2026-07-14): Defender for Containers billable after free trial expires.
• Credit unlock: Watch Founders Hub dashboard for $25K tier upgrade within 30 days of crossing $100/month cumulative spend.

Verification

Independently verified by Proveo (Angie Jones). Verdict: PARTIAL — only a revision-name reporting discrepancy found (--0000001 vs --0000002 for bilko-web-demo), no functional defect.

• Evidence: /tmp/evidence-103599-proveo/verification.md
• Evidence: /tmp/evidence-103599/verification.md

Telemetry Status

Wired and operational. First metrics pending ingestion delay of approximately 10–15 minutes from fresh deploy (normal behaviour for App Insights cold start).

Open Items (flagged, out of scope for MC #103599)

• GCP-vs-Azure canonical demo routing: Bilko CF Worker still routes brand domains toward a dead GCP endpoint. Azure is the active demo environment but is not yet the canonical DNS target.
• UNLEASH_URL env drift: UNLEASH_URL environment variable on bilko-api-demo may be stale/incorrect.
• Unleash plaintext credentials in ACA: Unleash credentials stored in plain ACA env vars. Securion review recommended — migrate to Azure Key Vault references.

How to Verify

# Confirm App Insights resource is healthy
az monitor app-insights component show --app appi-bilko -g rg-bilko-demo

# Check Defender pricing tier
az security pricing show --name Containers

# Check Container App active revision
az containerapp revision list -n bilko-api-demo -g rg-bilko-demo --query "[].{name:name,traffic:properties.trafficWeight,state:properties.runningState}"

# Monitor spend trajectory toward $100/month threshold
# Azure Portal: Cost Management > bilko subscription > cost analysis

Watch the Microsoft Founders Hub dashboard for automatic $25K credit tier upgrade once monthly spend crosses $100.

References

• MC #103599 — Bilko Azure Observability + MS for Startups Credit Setup
• Memory: project_microsoft_startups_azure_credits_2026-06-15
• Subscription: 5b0b4d9b (Bilko demo Azure subscription)
• Resource group: rg-bilko-demo (swedencentral)