# Inactive tables in Storage Account | Cloud Efficiency Hub Canonical: https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/inactive-tables-in-storage-account Tables with no read or write activity often represent deprecated applications, obsolete telemetry, or abandoned development artifacts. By: PointFive Updated: 2026-09-28 [Cloud Efficiency Hub](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub) # Inactive Tables in Storage Account The short version Tables with no read or write activity often represent deprecated applications, obsolete telemetry, or abandoned development artifacts. PointFive Research Cloud cost research at PointFive Azure service [Azure Table Storage](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/azure-table-storage) Category [Storage](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/service-category/storage) Reference CER-0093 Type Idle or Unused Resource ## Explanation Why the waste happens and who it affects. Retaining inactive tables increases storage costs and operational complexity. Regularly auditing and cleaning up unused tables helps maintain a streamlined, cost-effective storage environment. ## Billing model The pricing dimensions that drive this cost. Azure Table Storage charges for stored data per GB and separately for read, write, and delete operations. Tables incur ongoing storage costs even if no activity occurs, contributing to unnecessary baseline expenses. ## How to detect 5 checks to find it in your estate. - Identify Azure Table Storage tables with no read or write operations over a defined lookback period, using Table resource logs (StorageTableLogs) collected for that whole period; platform Transactions metrics are reported per storage account and cannot isolate individual tables - Review table creation dates, metadata, and ownership tags to assess relevance and intended retention - Check for compliance, legal hold, or audit requirements before initiating deletions or exports - Evaluate whether table contents require archival, and plan export strategies where needed - Validate findings with application owners, data stewards, or governance teams before proceeding ## How to fix How to remove the waste. Delete tables confirmed to be redundant or obsolete. If long-term retention is required, export the table contents (e.g., to CSV or JSON format) and store them in lower-cost services like Azure Blob Storage Archive tier. Incorporate tagging and lifecycle management practices to prevent reaccumulation of unused tables. ## Documentation Vendor references for pricing and configuration. - [Azure Table Storage Overview learn.microsoft.com](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/tables/table-storage-overview) - [Azure Storage Pricing azure.microsoft.com](https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/storage/tables/) - [Monitoring data reference for Azure Table Storage learn.microsoft.com](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/tables/monitor-table-storage-reference) ## Related inefficiencies [Browse the library](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub) - Azure Recovery Services Vault CER-0281 ### [Idle Recovery Services Vault Backups and Suboptimal Backup Storage Tiering](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/idle-recovery-services-vault-backups-and-suboptimal-backup-storage-tiering) Backup data remains in a Recovery Services Vault after the original protected resource has been deleted. These orphaned backups continue to consume storage and generate cost despite no longer supporting an active workload. In addition,... Storage - Azure Managed Disks CER-0074 ### [Managed Disk Attached to a Stopped VM](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/managed-disk-attached-to-a-stopped-vm) Disks attached to VMs that have been stopped for an extended period, particularly when showing no read or write activity, may indicate abandoned infrastructure or obsolete resources. Retaining these disks without validation leads to... Storage - Azure Managed Disks CER-0073 ### [Managed Disk Attached to a Deallocated VM](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/managed-disk-attached-to-a-deallocated-vm) A VM is deallocated but its attached managed disks are still active and incurring storage charges. While compute billing stops for deallocated VMs, the disks remain provisioned and billable. These disks often persist unintentionally after... Storage --- Source: the public page above. Product screenshots and illustrative interfaces are examples, not live customer data.