# Idle Recovery Services Vault Backups and Suboptimal Backup Storage Tiering

Canonical: https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/idle-recovery-services-vault-backups-and-suboptimal-backup-storage-tiering

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# Idle Recovery Services Vault Backups and Suboptimal Backup Storage Tiering

## Explanation

This inefficiency occurs when backup data remains in a Recovery Services Vault after the original protected resource has been deleted. These orphaned backups continue to consume storage and generate cost despite no longer supporting an active workload. In addition, long-retained backups that are rarely accessed are often kept in higher-cost tiers, increasing storage spend without providing additional value.

## Relevant Billing Model

Recovery Services Vault backup costs are driven by the amount of backup data stored and the storage tier used. Backup data continues to incur storage charges even after the protected resource is deleted, and higher-cost tiers are billed continuously regardless of access frequency.

## Detection

- Review whether backup items exist for resources that are no longer deployed

- Identify backups that have not had recent successful backup activity

- Assess whether long-term retained backups are infrequently accessed

- Evaluate whether backup storage tiers align with access and retention requirements

## Remediation

- Remove backup items associated with deleted or decommissioned resources

- Transition infrequently accessed, long-retained backup data to lower-cost archival tiers where appropriate

- Reassess vault configuration decisions, such as redundancy and secondary-region backups, to ensure they match business and recovery needs

## Relevant Documentation

- [https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/backup/backup-overview](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/backup/backup-overview)

- [https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/backup/backup-azure-vm-archive](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/backup/backup-azure-vm-archive)

- [https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/backup/backup-azure-recovery-services-vault-overview](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/backup/backup-azure-recovery-services-vault-overview)

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## At a glance

Reference

CER-0281

Cloud provider

Azure

Service

Azure Recovery Services Vault

Category

[Storage](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/service-category/storage)

Inefficiency type

Orphaned backup data and inefficient storage tiering

## Contributed by

- Deepak Sreedhar 

### Deepak Sreedhar

Azure FinOps Specialist @ Sodexo

[LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/deepak-sreedhar-235260168)

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Source: the public page above. Product screenshots and illustrative interfaces are examples, not live customer data.