SQL Databases¶
Recommendation types¶
Delete unused¶
Fires when a database has had fewer than deleteConnectionThreshold daily connections on average and near-zero CPU and DTU (both peak CPU% and peak DTU% below 1%) across the lookback window. Both conditions must hold together: low connections alone could be a maintenance window; near-zero compute alone could be a cold standby that accepts occasional bursts. The combination is a reliable signal that the database is not in use.
Rightsize¶
Fires when peak CPU% and peak DTU% are both well below what the current SKU provisions, leaving enough margin for the engine to recommend a cheaper tier in the same family. For DTU-based databases, the DTU percentage is the primary signal. For vCore-based databases (General Purpose, Business Critical, Hyperscale), CPU percentage is used instead.
Idle pause¶
Fires for serverless databases where auto-pause is configured and average app CPU stays below idlePauseThresholdPct across the lookback window. This indicates the database is pausing frequently. The recommendation does not calculate a direct savings figure (auto-paused databases already bill at a reduced rate) but flags the database for review: the auto-pause delay may be longer than necessary, or the database could be deleted if it is genuinely unused.
Thresholds¶
| Threshold | Default | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| CPU headroom % | 30 | Candidate tier must provision at least 30% more CPU/DTU capacity than the observed peak |
| Idle pause threshold % | 5 | Average app CPU below this triggers the idle-pause recommendation for serverless databases |
| Delete connection threshold | 1 | Average daily connections below this value (combined with near-zero CPU/DTU) triggers delete-unused |
Auto-implementation¶
The engine detects implementation automatically on each run. Detection applies to any recommendation in the In Review, Planned, Snoozed, or Ignored status. A team member may act on a recommendation that was not formally planned, and those savings are captured regardless of what status the recommendation was in at the time.
- Delete unused: when the database's inventory status changes to
Deleted, the recommendation is markedimplemented. - Rightsize: when the current SKU in inventory matches the recommended SKU, the recommendation is marked
implemented. - Idle pause: no auto-implementation. The recommendation requires manual review and action.