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Strange metrics under my Subscription on: Free services for 12 months

Alex Onn 0 Reputation points
2026-03-03T09:45:20.91+00:00

Hi,

I see some strange PostgeSQL metrics under my Subscription: Azure Database for PostgreSQL, Flexible Server Storage, Data Stored This progress bar indicates an error status 189% 60.67 / 32 (1 GB/Month) Exceeded on 2/14/2026. But when I checked all storage sizes related to this server, I see that usage is under limit. It is like 29GB still should be free. So, this 60GB usage looks wrong and not true. And I pay for this wrong quota during few month. Could you support with this issue?

Also possible the same issue can be on: - Azure Database for PostgreSQL, Flexible Server Burstable BS Series Compute, B1MS - Container Registry, Standard Registry Unit - Load Balancer, Standard, Included LB Rules and Outbound Rules

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It repeats every month, stating from Sep 16.

Azure Database for PostgreSQL

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  1. Saraswathi Devadula 16,025 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-04-20T09:03:36.5433333+00:00

    Hello Alex Onn

    The server is provisioned with 32 GB.

    **How standard Postgres flexible server billing works:

    **=> You are billed for the total provisioned storage, not just the used storage.
    => Metrics allow us to see if usage has stayed within the limit.
    => If usage exceeds the limit or reaches 95% of it, the server switches to read-only mode and storage needs to be increased.
    => If storage autogrow is enabled, the server will automatically increase storage when free space drops below a certain threshold (20% or 64 GiB, whichever is less for servers under 1 TiB). For Premium SSD disks, storage allocation doubles, such as 32 GB to 64 GB.

    For the month of March, We checked usage throughout the month, and it never reached 32 GB. 

    On March 23, usage was 4.43 GB and did not exceed the limit.

    We are not familiar with the free services calculation but hope this clarifies how Postgres flexible server works.

    Also, please be informed that provisioned storage from multiple PostgreSQL flexible servers (e.g., 32 GB + 32 GB) can effectively add up at the subscription level for free-tier limits.

    Each server is billed separately, but free-tier usage is evaluated across the whole subscription.

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  2. Saraswathi Devadula 16,025 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-03-03T15:30:14.4366667+00:00

    Hello Alex Onn

    It looks like what you’re seeing in the “Free services” blade is the provisioned storage meter, not simply the size of your tables or indexes on disk:

    1. “Data Stored” in the free-services view tracks the total storage provisioned (and includes things like transaction logs and server overhead), and it uses the same underlying storage_used metric that you can see in Metrics.
    2. Even though your actual database objects may only be a few GB, if your Flexible Server was ever configured (or auto-grew) above 32 GB of provisioned capacity, the free-tier meter will immediately show an overage.
    3. The “Storage Free” chart you pulled (showing ~29 GB free) is just a point-in-time snapshot of remaining provisioned space (for example on a 64 GB disk you’d see ~29 GB free if ~35 GB is allocated). It doesn’t reflect how the free-services blade accumulates usage across the month.

    Kindly check your server’s configured storage size in the Azure portal (Overview → Configuration).
    If it’s above 32 GB, you’ll always exceed the free-tier.

    In the Metrics pane, add the “Storage Used” (storage_used) metric and review it over the full month—in particular look at maximums or daily roll-ups. That will show exactly what the free-services meter is pulling.

    If you truly have never exceeded 32 GB provisioned and the meter is still incorrect, we’ll need to open a billing support ticket to investigate the free-tier meter data for your subscription.

    Please do let me know if you have any further concerns. I am happy to assist you.

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  3. AI answer

    2026-03-03T09:45:42.77+00:00

    The free-tier meter for Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server storage tracks data storage provisioned in GB per month, not the amount of data currently used inside the server.

    For an Azure free account, the documented free limits for PostgreSQL flexible server are:

    • 750 hours of Burstable B1MS compute per month
    • 32 GB storage and 32 GB backup storage per month

    In the free‑services usage blade, the PostgreSQL storage meter is:

    • Meter: Azure Database for PostgreSQL, Flexible Server Storage, Data Stored
    • Description: Tracks data storage provisioned in terms of GB used per month
    • Monthly limit: 32 GB per month

    Because the meter is based on provisioned storage, if the server is configured with storage that results in more than 32 GB of billable storage/backup in the month, the meter will show values such as 60.67 / 32 (1 GB/Month) and a status of Exceeded on <Date>, even if monitoring charts show that only ~29 GB of space is currently used.

    The same principle applies to the other free‑tier meters you listed (compute hours for the B1MS server, Container Registry, Load Balancer): each meter has its own unit (hours, GB, operations, etc.), and the free‑services blade compares your actual metered consumption against the fixed monthly free limit. Once the limit is exceeded, additional usage is billed according to pay‑as‑you‑go rates.

    To avoid further charges while staying within the free tier:

    1. In the Azure portal, go to Subscriptions → Free Trial → Top free services by usage → View all free services and review each meter’s Usage/Limit and Status.
    2. For PostgreSQL flexible server, ensure that the provisioned storage plus backup storage stays within the 32 GB monthly limit documented for the free account.
    3. If the server is only needed intermittently, consider stopping it when not in use; when stopped, there is no compute usage, though storage usage still counts.
    4. If the resources are no longer required, delete the PostgreSQL server or the entire resource group to stop all related charges.

    If the metered values still appear inconsistent with the documented behavior or with your configured storage/compute, open a billing/support request so that Azure Support can review subscription‑level metering and adjust charges if necessary.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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