In an unannounced move, Microsoft have amended the Dataverse storage usage calculations, meaning potential cost savings for customers.
How was storage usage previously calculated?
As we detailed back in April 2019, Dataverse storage usage is now split into three measurements: Database, File and Log storage. Depending on the Dynamics 365 and Power Platform licences purchased, this would then provide varying allocations of available storage for each measure. However, certain core system tables that were part of every environment were originally counted as database storage. This meant that even a brand new environment could instantly find itself using around 1GB of database storage without a single client record being added.
What has changed?
Two key tables, the WebResourceBase and RibbonClientMetadataBase tables are now being classed as File storage rather than Database storage. Typically, a lot of client systems will have ample storage available for File storage and much less available for Database storage, so this change means those who may have had to pay for additional database storage previously may no longer need this. However, it’s important to review storage capacity usage before making any licence changes.
How can I check my storage usage?
In the Power Platform Admin Center, there is a specific page for Capacity, where overall storage usage is displayed. If you wish to view the usage for a particular environment, this can be viewed on the Storage Capacity tab; simply click the chart icon next to the environment you wish to review.
If you are an existing Strategy 365 client and wish to discuss your Dataverse storage options with one of our experts, click here.