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    MaxCompute:Optimization of storage tiers configuration

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    MaxCompute:Optimization of storage tiers configuration

    Last Updated:Mar 26, 2026

    Tiered Storage Configuration Optimization analyzes the recent access history of your tables and partitions to identify storage cost savings opportunities. Based on the default or a custom policy, it estimates how much you could save by moving data to infrequent access (IA) or long-term storage — so you can make informed decisions before changing any configuration.

    How it works

    MaxCompute evaluates the last access time of each table or partition and compares it against the active policy thresholds:

    Last access Default recommendation
    No access in the past 30 days Move from standard to IA storage
    No access in the past 180 days Move from standard or IA to long-term storage

    This tool provides a point-in-time assessment: run it, review the estimates, then act on the recommendations using Configure storage tiers for storage resources.

    Important

    IA and long-term storage incur additional fees each time the data is accessed. Estimate your expected access frequency before moving data, especially when using a custom policy — the Estimated Access Cost Change/Month column shows projected access charges based on the past 30 days of access volume.

    Supported regions

    This feature is available in the following regions: China (Hangzhou), China (Shanghai), China (Beijing), China (Shenzhen), China (Chengdu), China (Zhangjiakou), China (Ulanqab), China (Hong Kong), Japan (Tokyo), Singapore, Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), Indonesia (Jakarta), and Germany (Frankfurt).

    Usage notes

    • Scope: Estimates are based on the storage sizes of tables and partitions only. They do not account for other storage objects such as recycle bins, resources, and temporary files. For a complete cost breakdown, cross-reference estimates with your billing console.

    • Supported transitions: Estimates are provided for transitions from standard to IA, standard to long-term, and IA to long-term storage. Reverse transitions (long-term to IA, long-term to standard, or IA to standard) are not estimated.

    • Display threshold: Tables or partitions with estimated cost changes below CNY 0.000001 are not shown in the results.

    Assess costs using the default policy

    The default policy applies the 30-day and 180-day thresholds described in How it works across all projects in your region.

    Prerequisites

    Before you begin, ensure that you have:

    Steps

    1. Log on to the MaxCompute console and select a region in the upper-left corner.

    2. In the left-side navigation pane, choose Intelligent Optimization > Tiered Storage Config Optimization.

    3. In the Overview of Storage Cost Optimization section, review the estimated savings across all projects. Projects are ranked by estimated savings in descending order, so you can prioritize the project with the largest cost reduction potential.

    4. Select a project to view its Storage Cost Optimization Details. For each table or partition that can be optimized, the following information is shown:

      Column Description
      Name Table or partition name
      Storage capacity Current storage size
      Last access time Timestamp of the most recent access
      Current storage tier The tier the data is currently on
      Recommended storage tier The tier recommended by the policy
      Estimated cost savings Projected monthly savings (catalog price). Tables or partitions with savings below CNY 0.000001 are not shown.

    5. To act on the recommendations, see Configure storage tiers for storage resources.

    Assess costs using a custom policy

    Use a custom policy to evaluate specific thresholds or a specific project — for example, to model what savings you would get if you moved data untouched for 60 days instead of 30.

    Prerequisites

    Before you begin, ensure that you have:

    Steps

    1. Log on to the MaxCompute console and select a region in the upper-left corner.

    2. In the left-side navigation pane, choose Intelligent Optimization > Tiered Storage Config Optimization.

    3. Set Optimization to Custom Policy.

    4. Select the project to evaluate.

    5. Enter your tiered storage transformation policy parameters.

    6. Click Estimate Cost Change and wait for the estimation to complete.

    7. Review the Storage Cost Optimization Details for the selected project. In addition to the fields shown in the default policy view, the custom policy results include:

      Column Description
      Partition name Partition identifier (where applicable)
      Access volume in last 30 days Data volume accessed in the past 30 days, used to estimate access costs
      Estimated storage cost change/month Projected change in storage charges
      Estimated access cost change/month Projected change in access charges based on recent access patterns
      Total cost change/month Net monthly cost change (storage + access)
      Note

      Review the Estimated Access Cost Change/Month column before proceeding. If your data is accessed regularly, moving it to IA or long-term storage may increase total costs even as storage fees decrease.

    8. To act on the recommendations, see Configure storage tiers for storage resources.

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