Does enabling Azure SQL Auditing at the server level incur additional costs?

Question

Does enabling Azure SQL Auditing at the server level incur additional costs?
Auditing charge is not mentioned in the pricing calculator and we want to enable auditing on microsoft sql server (server level) as recommended by Microsoft defender for cloud.

Answer 1

Enabling Azure SQL Auditing at the server level does incur costs, particularly when audit logs are stored in Azure Storage or sent to Log Analytics. The costs are associated with the storage of audit logs and the ingestion rates for Log Analytics. It is important to consider these costs when configuring auditing, especially if you plan to store a large volume of audit logs or if you choose to enable auditing to Log Analytics, which has associated costs based on ingestion rates.

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References:

• Auditing best practices for production environments
• Playbook for addressing common security requirements with Azure SQL Database and Azure SQL Managed Instance

Answer 2

Hey Aman Kumar! It sounds like you’re curious about the costs related to enabling Azure SQL Auditing at the server level.

Enabling Azure SQL Auditing itself does not incur any additional charges, so you won't see a direct fee for enabling this feature. However, there are some factors to consider regarding the storage and management of your audit logs.

Here’s the detailed breakdown:

1. Storage Costs: While the auditing feature itself doesn't have an additional fee, the destination you choose to store the audit logs (Azure Storage, Log Analytics, or Event Hubs) may have associated costs:
   • Azure Storage: You’ll incur charges based on the storage account you use to store the logs.
   • Log Analytics: The ingestion of data into the Log Analytics workspace also incurs costs based on the volume of data monitored.
   • Event Hubs: Using Event Hubs may also have a pricing model associated with message retention and throughput.
2. Microsoft Defender for Cloud: If you've enabled Microsoft Defender for SQL in conjunction, that service may have separate fees based on your subscription plan. You might want to check the Microsoft Defender for Cloud pricing page for specific details regarding SQL auditing and any related costs.

In summary, while activating the auditing feature does not directly result in charges, associated data storage methods do incur costs based on usage.

I hope this helps! Let me know if there are any other aspects you'd like clarification on or if you have any more questions.

References:

• Azure SQL Database Auditing Overview
• Microsoft Defender for Cloud Pricing
• Azure Storage Pricing
• Log Analytics Pricing

Feel free to reach out if you need further assistance!