# Infrequently accessed data stored in Azure Cosmos DB Canonical: https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/infrequently-accessed-data-stored-in-azure-cosmos-db Azure Cosmos DB is optimized for low-latency, globally distributed workloads - not long-term storage of infrequently accessed data. By: Chibueze Eke Updated: 2026-09-28 [Cloud Efficiency Hub](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub) # Infrequently Accessed Data Stored in Azure Cosmos DB The short version Azure Cosmos DB is optimized for low-latency, globally distributed workloads - not long-term storage of infrequently accessed data. [Chibueze Eke](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chibuezeeke/) IT Consultant @ IT Consulting Azure service [Azure Cosmos DB](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/azure-cosmos-db) Category [Databases](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/service-category/databases) Reference CER-0142 Type Suboptimal Tier or SKU ## Explanation Why the waste happens and who it affects. Yet in many environments, cold data such as logs, telemetry, or historical records is retained in Cosmos DB due to a lack of lifecycle management. ## Billing model The pricing dimensions that drive this cost. Cosmos DB charges include: - Data storage billed per GB per month, across all regions where data is replicated - Manual provisioned throughput (RU/s), billed per hour for the RU/s provisioned regardless of actual usage; autoscale is billed per hour for the highest RU/s scaled to (never below 10% of the configured maximum), and serverless is billed per RU consumed - Backup storage billed separately (if configured) - Serverless mode available, but subject to limitations on scaling and total RU consumption Storing cold data incurs persistent storage charges and may inflate RU requirements unnecessarily. ## How to detect 4 checks to find it in your estate. - Identify Cosmos DB resources (e.g., containers, collections, or tables) with high storage usage but low request volume - Use Azure Monitor, diagnostic logs, or Azure Cosmos DB insights to assess read/write activity over time - Evaluate whether the data is actively queried or needed for operational workloads - Check whether data retention or lifecycle policies are defined for the resource ## How to fix 7 ways to remove the waste. - Export infrequently accessed data to lower-cost storage services: - Use Blob Storage Cool for rarely accessed but readily retrievable data - Use Blob Storage Archive for long-term retention with delayed retrieval - Use Azure Table Storage for simple key/value access when global distribution is unnecessary - Delete cold data from Cosmos DB after successful archival - Implement data lifecycle automation to routinely transition stale data out of Cosmos DB - Set a time to live (TTL) on containers or items so Cosmos DB automatically deletes cold data after a set period once it is archived or no longer needed ## Documentation Vendor references for pricing and configuration. - [Azure Cosmos DB Pricing azure.microsoft.com](https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/cosmos-db/) - [Plan and manage costs for Azure Cosmos DB learn.microsoft.com](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cosmos-db/plan-manage-costs) - [Create Containers and Databases with Autoscale Throughput learn.microsoft.com](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cosmos-db/provision-throughput-autoscale) - [Azure Blob Storage Access Tiers learn.microsoft.com](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/blobs/access-tiers-overview/) - [Azure Table Storage Overview learn.microsoft.com](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/tables/table-storage-overview/) - [Expire Data With Time to Live learn.microsoft.com](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cosmos-db/time-to-live) ## Related inefficiencies [Browse the library](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub) - Azure Cosmos DB CER-0438 ### [Idle Cosmos DB Containers with Provisioned Throughput](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/idle-cosmos-db-containers-with-provisioned-throughput) Containers and databases created for load tests, migrations, retired features, proofs of concept or one-off data loads often keep their provisioned throughput long after traffic stops. Provisioned RU/s is reserved capacity: it is billed... Databases - Azure Cosmos DB CER-0439 ### [Mismatched Throughput Mode on Cosmos DB Containers](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/mismatched-throughput-mode-on-cosmos-db-containers) Cosmos DB provisioned throughput comes in two modes. Standard (manual) throughput bills the RU/s you set every hour regardless of use. Autoscale lets the system scale between 10% and 100% of a maximum (Tmax) and bills the highest RU/s... Databases - Azure Cosmos DB CER-0440 ### [Missing Reserved Capacity for Steady Cosmos DB Throughput](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/missing-reserved-capacity-for-steady-cosmos-db-throughput) Production Cosmos DB accounts usually carry a stable floor of provisioned throughput that runs every hour of the year: core containers on manual RU/s, the 10% minimum of autoscale containers, and the same throughput repeated in every... Databases --- Source: the public page above. Product screenshots and illustrative interfaces are examples, not live customer data.