Azure Credit Regeneration (*August 13, 2025*) A Standard B2S VM will regain credits after exhaustion, but the process follows specific mechanics that determine how quickly recovery occurs. How Credit Recovery Works: Credits accumulate automatically when the VM operates below its baseline CPU performance threshold. For a B2S VM, this baseline is typically around 30% CPU utilization per core. The regeneration follows this formula: ![[fdf13ca162b9f71d6b5ecbd89f9de437.png]] When the VM runs at zero CPU utilization (idle), it accumulates credits at the maximum rate possible for that VM size. This means credits will regenerate fastest during periods of complete inactivity. Recovery Timeline Factors: The speed of credit recovery depends on several variables. Workload intensity directly impacts regeneration, lower CPU usage means faster credit accumulation. VM size specifications determine both the baseline performance threshold and maximum credits that can be banked. Most B-series VMs can accumulate their maximum credits (equivalent to 24 hours of baseline performance) within a day of idle operation. However, if the workload continues consuming CPU above baseline, recovery will be slower or impossible until usage patterns change. Events That Reset Credits: Certain Azure operations cause complete credit loss, regardless of previous accumulation. VM redeployment to different host nodes results in total credit reset. Live migration events initiated by Azure's platform also reset credits to initial levels. However, stop/start operations on the same node preserve accumulated credits, allowing the VM to retain its credit balance. Performance During Recovery: While credits regenerate, the VM remains throttled to baseline performance until sufficient credits accumulate for bursting. This means applications may experience reduced responsiveness until the credit balance rebuilds to support higher CPU demands. For workloads requiring consistent high-performance CPU, consider migrating to non-burstable VM series (like D-series) to avoid credit-based limitations entirely.