What is the most effective configuration to optimize infrastructure costs for an Azure Virtual Desktop environment that needs to start hosts at 7:00 AM and shut down at 5:00 PM?

Choosing a scaling plan is the most effective configuration for optimizing infrastructure costs in an Azure Virtual Desktop environment that operates from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. A scaling plan allows administrators to automatically manage the number of virtual machines in the environment based on user demand and set schedules.

By implementing a scaling plan tailored to the specified operating hours, organizations can ensure that virtual machines are only running when needed. This approach minimizes resource consumption and costs during off-hours, such as after 5:00 PM when the VMs can be shut down. Given that the environment needs to start hosts at a specific time and handle shutdowns later in the day, the scaling plan directly addresses these requirements through automation and scheduling capabilities.

This configuration is particularly effective for managing costs, as it efficiently aligns resource availability with actual usage patterns, thus avoiding unnecessary expenses associated with idle resources during non-working hours.