# Suboptimal integration runtime region selection in Azure Data Factory Canonical: https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/suboptimal-integration-runtime-region-selection-in-azure-data-factory-0bcad When Integration Runtimes use the default "Auto Resolve" region setting, the work does not always run in the region where the data lives. By: Jurian van Hoorn Updated: 2026-09-28 [Cloud Efficiency Hub](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub) # Suboptimal Integration Runtime Region Selection in Azure Data Factory The short version When Integration Runtimes use the default "Auto Resolve" region setting, the work does not always run in the region where the data lives. [Jurian van Hoorn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-hoorn/) Operations Senior (Azure Cloud) @ Netcompany Azure service [Azure Data Factory V2](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/azure-data-factory-v2) Category [Networking](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/service-category/networking) Reference CER-0261 Type Inefficient Architecture ## Explanation Why the waste happens and who it affects. For copy activities, Azure makes a best effort to run in the sink data store's region (or the closest region in the same geography) and falls back to the data factory's own region when the sink region cannot be detected; data flows, Lookup, GetMetadata, and Delete activities, and IRs in a managed virtual network run in the data factory's region. For example, a data factory created in US East that processes data stored in West Europe will run its data flows, and copies to sinks whose region cannot be detected, in US East. This causes unnecessary cross-region data transfer, increasing networking costs and pipeline latency. The inefficiency often goes unnoticed because data transfer costs are billed separately from pipeline compute charges. ## Billing model The pricing dimensions that drive this cost. ADF billing includes charges for pipeline activity runs, data movement, and Integration Runtime compute. Data transferred between Azure regions incurs additional network egress costs, which can exceed compute costs when workloads are large or frequent. ## How to detect 4 checks to find it in your estate. - Review Integration Runtime configurations and confirm their assigned regions - Identify data movements that cross Azure region boundaries (e.g., West Europe to US East) - Correlate pipeline-level data movement costs with Integration Runtime region assignments - Assess whether "Auto Resolve" settings are active in environments that have regionally constrained data sources ## How to fix 4 ways to remove the waste. - Explicitly configure Integration Runtimes to run in the same region as the data sources and targets - Avoid the "Auto Resolve" setting unless cross-region data processing is intentional - Establish governance to enforce region alignment across ADF environments - Regularly review Data Factory cost breakdowns to ensure network charges align with expected data movement patterns ## Documentation Vendor references for pricing and configuration. - [Integration Runtime Overview learn.microsoft.com](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-factory/concepts-integration-runtime) ## Related inefficiencies [Browse the library](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub) - Azure Data Factory V2 CER-0450 ### [Idle Azure-SSIS Integration Runtime Left Running](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/idle-azure-ssis-integration-runtime-left-running) An Azure-SSIS integration runtime (IR) is a dedicated cluster of VM nodes that Azure Data Factory or Synapse pipelines use to run lifted-and-shifted SQL Server Integration Services packages. Once started, it bills for every node for as... Compute - Azure Front Door CER-0412 ### [Multiple Front Door Standard or Premium Profiles With Few Endpoints](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/multiple-front-door-standard-or-premium-profiles-with-few-endpoints) Azure Front Door Standard and Premium charge a fixed monthly base fee for every profile, on top of request and data transfer charges. A single profile can hold several endpoints, each with its own routes and custom domains, yet teams often... Networking - Azure Firewall CER-0415 ### [Per-Spoke Azure Firewall Deployments Instead of a Shared Hub Firewall](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/per-spoke-azure-firewall-deployments-instead-of-a-shared-hub-firewall) Azure Firewall is designed to be deployed centrally, in a hub virtual network or a Virtual WAN secured hub, and shared by the spoke virtual networks connected to that hub in the same region. In decentralized estates, application teams or... Networking --- Source: the public page above. Product screenshots and illustrative interfaces are examples, not live customer data.