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Use this workflow when the question is about what exists today in Azure, not just what is defined in source control. This is the Cloud sync workflow. It uses a least-privilege service principal to read deployed Azure resources, export deployment templates, and enrich the graph with Network Watcher topology when that permission is available.

Best for

Subscription reviews

Review a scoped Azure estate with current deployed-state context.

Environment health checks

Check active resources, topology, and report readiness before planning work.

Architecture and cost baselines

Generate baseline cost and architecture reports from the same project.

Stakeholder snapshots

Share a project or read-only view when the review needs a broader audience.

Workflow

1

Create an Azure Cloud sync connection

Use a least-privilege service principal and the CloudEval Live Sync Reader role.
2

Scope the source

Choose the subscription or resource groups that match the review boundary.
3

Create and sync the project

Create a project from the connection, then run the initial sync.
4

Run reports

Generate cost and architecture reports from the synced project.
5

Share evidence

Share the project internally or publish a read-only view when the result is appropriate to distribute.

What makes this workflow valuable

It gives you current-state context. That is useful when the real question is about drift, active cost exposure, or the architecture that is actually running now.

Good output

A good first review ends with:
  • one project per environment or scope that matters
  • a recent cost snapshot
  • an architecture score the team can discuss
  • a short list of fixes or follow-up questions

Common mistake

Do not start with a huge multi-subscription scope if your goal is to validate the product quickly. Start with one representative environment, then expand.
Do not use Contributor for production sync. Use the CloudEval Live Sync Reader custom role from Azure Cloud sync permissions.

Next step

Use Connect an Azure environment to set it up, then continue to Run your first reports.
Last modified on July 1, 2026