Fabric Cost and Fabric SQL Database backup

[PriyaJha]

MSFT states that in Fabric cost is based on compute and storage separately.

I have a fabric capacity created in Azure which would include the compute capacity that I pay month on month.

where does MSFT charge for the storage aspect? Is it within the Azure subscription or at tenant level? And what is the cost associated with storage and where to check the overall storage?

Also in Fabric SQL Database, MSFT states : https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/database/sql/backup

that full backups are created weekly and retention period of the backup is 7 days. So does it mean it overrides the full backup every time a new full backup is created? So at any point there is only 1 full backup available? 

And does the fabric SQL database create transaction log files even if there are no transactions involved during that time period? 

[v-dineshya]

Hi @PriyaJha ,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Community Forum.

1. Microsoft Fabric separates billing for compute and storage:

Compute Cost: Billed through your Fabric capacity in Azure. Based on vCores and memory used. Even when idle, a minimum compute footprint (e.g., 2 GB memory) is provisioned and billed for at least 15 minutes after activity stops.

Storage Cost: Storage is billed separately from compute. Storage is handled through OneLake, which is automatically provisioned and shared across all Fabric workloads.

Billing Location: Storage costs are charged within your Azure subscription, not at the tenant level.

Backup Storage: You get free backup storage equal to your provisioned database size. If your backup usage exceeds that, additional charges apply.

Where to Check Storage Usage: Use the Billing and Utilization Reporting tools in Microsoft Fabric to monitor both compute and storage consumption.

2. Fabric SQL Database Backup Behavior
Microsoft Fabric SQL Databases use an automated backup system with the following characteristics:

Backup Frequency

Full backups: Weekly, Differential backups: Every 12 hours, Transaction log backups: Every ~10 minutes (frequency depends on activity and compute size)

Retention and Overwriting : The retention period is 7 days. Yes, older full backups are overwritten once a new full backup is created and the retention period expires. At any given time, the system retains only the backups necessary to support point-in-time restore (PITR) within the last 7 days.

Transaction Log Behavior : Transaction log backups are created even if no transactions occur, but their size and frequency are minimal in such cases.

Backup Storage Location : Stored in Zone-Redundant Storage (ZRS) when available, or Locally Redundant Storage (LRS).

Please refer Microsoft official documents and community thread for your reference.

Pricing Calculator | Microsoft Azure

Understand your Fabric capacity Azure bill - Microsoft Fabric | Microsoft Learn

Billing and Utilization Reporting - Microsoft Fabric | Microsoft Learn

Microsoft Fabric - Pricing | Microsoft Azure

Frequently asked questions for SQL database in Microsoft Fabric (preview) - Microsoft Fabric | Micro...

Automatic backups in SQL database - Microsoft Fabric | Microsoft Learn

Announcing backup storage billing for SQL database in Microsoft Fabric: what you need to know | Micr...

Solved: Cost comparison between a SQL database and a wareh... - Microsoft Fabric Community

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Thank you.

[v-dineshya]

Hi @PriyaJha ,

We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if you have a resolution yet.do click Accept Answer and Yes for was this answer helpful. And, if you have any further query do let us know.

Thank you.

[v-dineshya]

Hi @PriyaJha ,

We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if you have a resolution yet.do click Accept Answer and Yes for was this answer helpful. And, if you have any further query do let us know.

Thank you.

[burakkaragoz]

Hi @PriyaJha ,

These are great questions about Fabric costs and backup management. Let me provide some clarity on each point:

1. Fabric Cost – Compute and Storage

• In Microsoft Fabric, you are charged separately for compute and storage.
• Compute charges are based on the capacity you provision (F SKU, P SKU, etc.) and are billed monthly, as you described.
• Storage charges are based on the total amount of data stored in OneLake (the underlying storage for Fabric). This includes data in Lakehouses, Warehouses, SQL Endpoints, etc.
• Microsoft bills storage at the Azure subscription level associated with your Fabric workspace, not at the tenant level. You can check and manage storage usage in the Azure Portal under your storage account/OneLake details.
• Pricing details for storage are available on the official Microsoft Fabric pricing page. Storage is typically billed per TB per month.

2. Where to Check Storage Usage

• You can see overall storage usage in the Azure Portal by navigating to the relevant storage account or through the Microsoft Fabric admin portal under OneLake storage metrics.
• This helps you track, monitor, and optimize your storage consumption across all Fabric workloads.

3. Fabric SQL Database Backup Policy

• According to Microsoft’s documentation, Fabric SQL Databases create a full backup every week, and the retention period is 7 days.
• Each new full backup will overwrite the previous one, so at any given time, only the most recent full backup is retained and available for restore.
• This means you always have access to a single, most recent full backup (not multiple weekly snapshots).

4. Transaction Log Files

• Yes, Fabric SQL Databases generate transaction log files even if there are no active transactions during a period. This is necessary to maintain database consistency and for recovery operations.
• However, the size and growth of the transaction log will be minimal if there is no activity, but the log structure will still exist.

Summary

• Storage is billed at the Azure subscription level.
• Only the latest weekly full backup is kept.
• Transaction log files are always maintained, even during inactivity.

You can always refer to the official documentation or Azure Portal for the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding your subscription and usage.

Let me know if you have more questions or need help locating specific metrics!