Microsoft’s New Dataverse and Dynamics 365 Database Storage Model Explained

Introduction

With Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management and Power Platform, customers must pay attention to their Dataverse and Finance and Operations database storage/capacity consumption, as Microsoft will charge you for the space you use.

Microsoft introduced a number of different “Capacity” and “Database” SKUs that fall under two main categories, Dataverse and Dynamics 365 Operations:

Microsoft Dataverse Capacity

Database Capacity

Stores table definitions and data and generates analytics and insights. Each unit increases available tenant-wide shared capacity by 1 GB
$40 per GB/Month (commercial)

File Capacity

Stores attachments to notes or emails in Dynamics Sales, Customer Service, and Field Service applications and Power Apps. These include documents, image files, videos, PDF files, and other crucial files needed in an organization. Each unit increases available tenant-wide shared capacity by 1 GB
$2 per GB/Month (commercial)

Log Capacity

Records table and column data changes over time for sure in analysis and reporting purposes. Log capacity is designed to help organizations meet their auditing, compliance, and governance policies. Each unit increases available tenant-wide shared capacity by 1 GB
$10 per GB/Month (commercial)

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Operations Capacity

Database Capacity

1 GB of additional structured database storage to expand the storage capacity of the Operations tenant.
$40 per GB/Month (commercial)

File Capacity

10 GB of additional unstructured file storage to expand the capacity of the Operations tenant.
$2 per GB/Month (commercial)

Prices differ a whole lot, so it’s extremely important that standard D365 module clean-up tools are run regularly.

Maintaining your D365 database and environments is similar to taking your car to get serviced. It has to be done regularly to avoid larger unexpected bills and repairs.

Database Pricing Example

Per the Microsoft March, 2024 pricing sheet:

1GB of F&O Production Database cost $40 per month
1GB of D365F&O Non-Production cost $30 per month

Dynamics 365 Production database can be purchased in increments of 1GB
Non-production Dynamics 365 database can only be purchased in increments of 1000GB

If a customer has a 1TB Dynamics 365 F&O Production database and 4TB Dynamics 365 F&O non-production database, their database cost will be:

$40 x 1000GB = $40,000 per month = $480,000 for their Dynamics 365 F&O production database annually
$30 x 4000GB = $120,000 per month = $1,440,000 per year for their non-production environments annually

Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Cleanup Routines

In Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management, there are a number of cleanup tools available that should be used on a regular basis. Cadence is something our functional and technical D365 team can assist with, as deeper discovery into what modules you have enabled will be needed before recommending when and what cleanup routines should be performed to optimize your system performance and database size.

For more information, see – https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/fin-ops-core/dev-itpro/sysadmin/cleanuproutines

Microsoft Database Capacity enforcement – When will it happen, and what’s the impact?

In early 2024, a number of Avantiico’s Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain and Dataverse customers received a sequence of almost identical emails with more or less the same message: “You have exceeded your Microsoft Power Pages Capacity”, “File Capacity”, “Log Capacity? Or “Dynamics 356 Operations Capacity”

The Microsoft auto-generated “exceeding Capacity” emails look like the samples below.

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How to Monitor database size in Power Platform?

In mid/late 2023, Microsoft made a number of enhancements that make it easier for users to navigate and monitor the Dataverse and finance and operations capacity limits and usage and to understand where your accrued database capacity stems from. Learn More

In the past given or take 3 months, Microsoft has continued to release enhancements news via their Yammer channel and made some new features available, such as:

Storage reporting is based on customer licenses and capacity add-ons.
Changes have been implemented for exceeding storage capacity entitlements.

Below are a number of screenshots showing the step-by-step guide on how to identify index, table, and database size. This gives you some insight into what database capacity is included in your D365 licenses and how it contributes to your overall storage entitlement.

Step 1: Go to https://admin.powerplatform.microsoft.com/resources/capacity#summary

Step 2: Click Resources, then Capacity.

The below screenshot shows your Dataverse and Finance and Operations database entitlement and capacity, limits, etc.

Step 3: For a more detailed view, you can click on “user licenses” to the right of the database graphics

Step 4: For additional Finance and Operations database insights around indexes and environments, you can click on “Finance and Operations (preview), and you will see below. You can drill into further details by clicking on the colored fields.

Microsoft is also rolling out new features on an ongoing basis. Here is one example

Announcement: Exciting News!

Breakdown of storage consumption for each table in Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O

We’re delighted to unveil an upgrade to the storage capacity experience in the Power Platform Admin Center (PPAC) for Finance and Operations. This enhancement allows administrators to delve into a comprehensive breakdown of storage consumption for each table within the Finance and Operations environment, mirroring the table-level drill-down functionality available for Dataverse tables

For streamlined data analysis and reporting, admins can effortlessly download storage consumption in the form of a CSV report. To explore the table-level storage drill-down feature, click on the “Finance and Operation Database Usage” record for the selected F&O environment in the Power Platform Admin Center.

We invite you to share your thoughts and feedback on the Finance and Operation table-level drill-down experience. Your input is invaluable as we continue to enhance and refine this feature.

Request Consultation & Book a Dynamics 365 Demo Today

Avantiico is committed to empowering businesses by offering robust supply chain management solutions that seamlessly integrate with Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O. As experts in the ERP selection process, Avantiico ensures that organizations choose the best ERP and CRM systems to meet their unique needs. The recent enhancement in the Power Platform Admin Center, which provides a detailed breakdown of storage consumption for each table, is a testament to the continuous improvement in ERP implementation. For businesses looking to refine their technological infrastructure, Avantiico stands as a dedicated Microsoft Solution Partner ready to guide you through the ERP software selection and implementation journey. Request a Microsoft 365 demo with Avantiico today to discover how these advancements can revolutionize your data management strategy.