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Common questions about Azure Data Manager for Energy

This article answers commonly asked questions about Azure Data Manager for Energy.

General

What is Azure Data Manager for Energy?

Azure Data Manager for Energy is a fully managed, cloud-based data platform solution for the energy industry. This enterprise-grade service is based on the OSDU® Data Platform. It brings together the security and trust of the Microsoft Azure cloud platform and the domain expertise of SLB.

Access

How can I get access to Azure Data Manager for Energy?

Azure Data Manager for Energy is available to all customers and partners who have a valid Azure subscription. You can create an instance by going to Azure Marketplace and searching for Azure Data Manager for Energy.

Why can't customers update the specific configuration for country of origin?

The OSDU® platform doesn't offer APIs for making country/region-specific configuration changes. These configuration settings are stored in .json files within the legal service container, and any changes require a service restart to take effect. The Azure Data Manager for Energy service architecture also doesn't expose the underlying infrastructure to customers, which prevents them from making these changes directly.

External Data Services

What's the effect of data sharing across tenancy boundaries on security, privacy, and compliance?

Any data transferred across tenancy boundaries by the data provider and data consumer is the responsibility of the data provider and the data consumer. Microsoft doesn't store or process customer data outside the customer-specified geography without your authorization. The data provider and consumer can use customer-managed encryption keys and private links to secure data at rest and during transit.

How are the network bandwidth/data transfer charges handled with External Data Services usage?

The deployment topology decided by the data provider and data consumer determines the network bandwidth/data transfer costs.

Would data integrity be maintained when the data provider deletes source data?

Currently, External Data Services doesn't support reconciling deleted data, so deleting data at the data provider's level might result in inconsistent records at the data consumer's level.

What's the effect of secret key rotation at the data consumer's end?

Key rotation is fully supported, so it doesn't have an effect on External Data Services functionality.

When will External Data Services be generally available on Azure Data Manager for Energy?

External Data Services is a preview feature in Azure Data Manager for Energy. We want to learn from customer implementation of the External Data Services preview feature to ensure that functionality, performance, and scalability needs are met before the feature is generally available.

Data residency

Where does Azure Data Manager for Energy store customer data?

By default, Azure Data Manager for Energy replicates customer data to Azure paired regions for resiliency. The service doesn't replicate or move data outside the geography in which the customer created the instance. In some regions with requirements for data to remain within the single region, the service always keeps customer data within the same region. These regions are documented at Data residency in Azure. For more information on the regions that support disaster recovery and cross-region data replication, see Reliability in Azure Data Manager for Energy.

Pricing and billing

Where can I learn about pricing for Azure Data Manager for Energy?

How is Azure Data Manager for Energy priced?

Azure Data Manager for Energy includes a fixed instance fee for each base instance and for each data partition after the first one. The fixed instance pricing includes the capacity, which can scale up to allow for peak workloads and the need for a higher number of data partitions.

Does Azure Data Manager for Energy charge even if the instance is idle and not being used?

Yes. The fixed instance fee for Azure Data Manager for Energy applies to all active instances. The fee is charged even if the instance is idle or running with no usage.

Are there any charges for data storage?

Azure Data Manager for Energy will introduce charges for storage from 1 August 2026.

Does storage billing increase Azure Data Manager for Energy pricing?

No. The Azure Data Manager for Energy rate card covering the instance and data partitions price is unchanged. However, you will see a change in your monthly invoice. Storage at standard Azure rates has been listed as a billable dimension on the pricing page of Azure Data Manager for Energy since GA in July 2023, but Microsoft is implementing the passthrough of those charges to your invoice starting on 1 August 2026.

Will my Azure discounts on storage apply to Azure Data Manager for Energy storage billing charges?

Yes. Because charges flow through the standard Azure storage meters, any Azure storage entitlements you have apply automatically, including Enterprise Agreement (EA), Microsoft Customer Agreement (MCA) negotiated price sheet discounts, commitment-based and volume-based offers covering the relevant Azure storage SKUs. However, reservation based pricing discounts is not applicable for data on Azure Data Manager for Energy.

How will storage billing charges appear on my invoice?

As standard Azure storage line items associated with your Azure Data Manager for Energy deployment, using the standard Azure storage meters. This provides transparency into the underlying consumption and ensures negotiated discounts are applied at the meter level.

Can I estimate my Azure Data Manager for Energy storage charges?

Yes. Review your current data footprint within your Azure Data Manager for Energy instance(s), model the expected cost in the Azure Pricing Calculator using the regional storage meters, and apply your known storage discounts. Your Microsoft account team can assist with a joint projection.

Will Azure Data Manager for Energy storage charges applied retroactively?

No. Storage passthrough billing applies to storage consumption on and after 1 August 2026 only. Storage costs will be charged for all data on the instances as of the mentioned date irrespective of when the data was ingested on the instance.

Are there any charges for data transfer?

Standard Azure data transfer rates are currently not charged on Azure Data Manager for Energy. This would be enabled in the future.

Do prices differ regionally?

Pricing for Azure Data Manager for Energy varies by region. To understand regional differences, select a region and currency by using the pricing filters in the pricing calculator.

Is there a charge for Analytics Consumption Zone (ACZ)?

Yes. Starting in early November 2026, ACZ is billed as an add-on to Azure Data Manager for Energy. Charges apply only to Azure Data Manager for Energy resources that have ACZ enabled and are based on the resource's tier. Pricing for Azure Data Manager for Energy resources and data partitions doesn't change. Pricing details will be available on the Azure Data Manager for Energy pricing page.

How do ACZ charges appear on my invoice?

ACZ charges appear as the "Azure Data Manager for Energy – Analytics" line item. Charges for the destination storage account and for the analytics services that you use with ACZ data are billed separately.

Support policies

How do I raise a support request for Azure Data Manager for Energy?

In the Azure portal, search for Support. Select Help + Support > Create a support request. You can select Azure Data Manager for Energy in the service option to raise a bug with Azure Data Manager for Energy.

Service updates

How do I get the latest updates on Azure Data Manager for Energy?

Azure Data Manager for Energy is a fully managed service that's based on the OSDU® Data Platform. Microsoft fully manages the underlying infrastructure, security updates, new features, and upgrades to new OSDU&reg versions.

Can I move an Azure Data Manager for Energy resource from one subscription or resource group to another?

Currently, you can't move an Azure Data Manager for Energy resource from one subscription or resource group to another. Instead, you can delete the existing Azure Data Manager for Energy instance in the current resource group or subscription, and then create a new Azure Data Manager for Energy instance in the target resource group or subscription. Then, reingest the data into the new instance.

Analytics Consumption Zone

How do I enable Analytics Consumption Zone (ACZ)?

Enable ACZ on your Azure Data Manager for Energy resource in the Azure portal, and then create ACZ instances by using the ACZ REST APIs. ACZ is available on Developer and Standard tier instances. For step-by-step guidance, see Enable Analytics Consumption Zone.

I used ACZ during the preview. What changes at general availability?

  • Billing: Starting in early November 2026, Azure Data Manager for Energy bills ACZ as an add-on. Charges apply to Azure Data Manager for Energy resources that have ACZ enabled, including resources where ACZ was enabled during the preview. Pricing details will be available on the Azure Data Manager for Energy pricing page. If you don't want to keep using ACZ, create a support request to disable it.
  • Azure portal status: If ACZ was enabled on your Azure Data Manager for Energy resource during the preview, the Analytics Consumption Zone page in the Azure portal might show ACZ as not enabled. To sync the portal with your ACZ configuration, add or edit any tag on your Azure Data Manager for Energy resource in the Azure portal, for example on the resource's Overview page. This change doesn't affect your ACZ configuration, identity, or ACZ instances. For steps, see Use tags to organize your Azure resources.
  • Existing ACZ instances: Your existing ACZ instances keep running with no action required. They keep catalog schema version 1 and their current folder layout. To use catalog schema version 2 or the wellboreDDMS folder layout, create a new ACZ instance.

How do I create ACZ instances, and how many can I create?

After you enable ACZ in the Azure portal, create and manage ACZ instances by using the ACZ REST APIs. You can create up to three ACZ instances per data partition. For more information, see Tutorial: Use ACZ APIs.

Can I change the entity types in an ACZ instance after creation?

No. You can't edit an existing ACZ instance. To change the catalog kinds or Wellbore Domain Data Management Service (DDMS) kinds, create a new ACZ instance with the updated configuration. The new instance has a new ACZ ID and output folder, so update your downstream connections. If the data partition already has three ACZ instances, delete one first.

Can I modify the ACZ data directly in Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2?

No. ACZ is a one-way, read-only sync from Azure Data Manager for Energy to Data Lake Storage Gen2. Don't modify, delete, or add files directly in the ACZ folders in Data Lake Storage Gen2. Manual changes to ACZ data corrupt the sync and cause data inconsistencies because ACZ manages all Delta Lake operations, including transaction logs, checkpoints, and compaction. For analytics and reporting, treat the exported data as read-only. All data modifications must occur in Azure Data Manager for Energy.

What happens to the data in Data Lake Storage Gen2 if I delete an ACZ instance?

When you delete an ACZ instance, the sync stops and ACZ removes the configuration. Data already in your Data Lake Storage Gen2 storage account stays intact. You keep full ownership and control of the exported data.

Can ACZ sync data from Reservoir DDMS, Seismic Store DDMS, or Rock and Fluid Samples DDMS?

No. ACZ supports catalog kinds and Wellbore DDMS kinds. Wellbore DDMS export is in preview. ACZ doesn't yet support Reservoir DDMS, Seismic Store DDMS, or Rock and Fluid Samples DDMS.

Are Azure Data Manager for Energy entitlements carried over to the Data Lake Storage Gen2 storage account?

ACZ exports all records that match your entity filters, but it doesn't enforce per-record entitlements in Data Lake Storage Gen2 or downstream analytics platforms. Optional entitlements export (preview) provides OSDU group membership data that you can use with catalog record access control lists to implement downstream filtering. Entitlements export is disabled by default. To enable it for your Azure Data Manager for Energy instance, create a support request. Use Azure role-based access control and Data Lake Storage Gen2 permissions to secure the exported data.

How can I monitor ACZ instances?

The ACZ API reports status (the overall state of the ACZ instance, for example ACTIVE), historicalSnapshotStatus (the progress of the initial data sync, for example PROCESSING or COMPLETED), and maintenance (the status of Delta table maintenance activities). Integration with Azure Monitor isn't currently available for ACZ.

Where does ACZ write data in my storage account?

ACZ uses the basePath that you specify when you create an ACZ instance. The first segment of basePath is the storage container, and any remaining segments are folders. ACZ writes data to a folder named after the ACZ ID inside that location. If you don't specify basePath, ACZ creates a container named after the ACZ ID. For details, see Create an ACZ instance.

Can ACZ write to a storage account that uses a firewall or private endpoint?

Not currently. The destination Data Lake Storage Gen2 storage account must allow public network access. ACZ doesn't support destination storage accounts that have public network access disabled, firewall rules, or private endpoints. You can still use a private endpoint for inbound access to your Azure Data Manager for Energy instance. For more information, see Create a private endpoint for Azure Data Manager for Energy.

Does ACZ enable Delta Change Data Feed?

ACZ doesn't turn on Change Data Feed on its tables, but you can turn it on yourself. If you do, each record update appears in the change feed as a delete followed by an insert. ACZ regularly runs maintenance on its tables, which removes older data files, so read the change feed often and don't rely on it for long-term history. Without Change Data Feed, you can identify new, updated, and deleted records by using the ingestTime and isActive columns. For more information, see Analytics Consumption Zone concepts.

Can I disable ACZ?

You can't disable ACZ in the Azure portal after you enable it. To disable ACZ on an Azure Data Manager for Energy instance, create a support request.

What are the current ACZ limitations?

  • Only one ACZ instance in a data partition can run a historical snapshot at a time. You can't create another ACZ instance in that data partition until the snapshot in the PROCESSING state finishes.
  • ACZ supports a maximum of 100 kinds.
  • For the full list, see Limits.

How does ACZ differ from Geospatial Consumption Zone (GCZ)?

ACZ exports Azure Data Manager for Energy entity data to Data Lake Storage Gen2 in Delta Parquet format for analytics and reporting. GCZ provides geospatial map services (GIS) for Azure Data Manager for Energy data by using a transformer and provider setup on Azure Kubernetes Service. Both make Azure Data Manager for Energy data available outside the core platform, but they serve different use cases.