Multipart upload allows large files to be uploaded in segments. Each part is stored individually until the upload is finalized by a “CompleteMultipartUpload” request. If this final request is never issued—due to a timeout, crash, failed job, or misconfiguration—the parts remain stored but are effectively useless: they do not form a valid object and cannot be retrieved. Without a lifecycle policy in place to clean up these incomplete uploads, the orphaned parts persist and continue to incur storage charges indefinitely.
This inefficiency occurs when a VM is deallocated but its attached managed disks are still active and incurring storage charges. While compute billing stops for deallocated VMs, the disks remain provisioned and billable. These disks often persist unintentionally after a VM is paused, retired, or left unused in dev/test environments, resulting in waste if not explicitly cleaned up.
ListBucket requests are commonly used to enumerate objects in a bucket, such as by backup systems, scheduled sync jobs, data catalogs, or monitoring tools. When these operations are frequent or target buckets with large object counts, they can generate disproportionately high request charges. In many cases, real-time enumeration is not necessary and can be replaced with more efficient alternatives like S3 Inventory, which provides object metadata on a scheduled basis at lower cost.
This inefficiency occurs when a blob container intended for long-term or infrequently accessed data continues to store objects in higher-cost tiers like Hot or Cool, instead of using the Archive tier. This often happens when containers are created without lifecycle policies or default tier settings. Over time, storing archival data in non-archival tiers results in avoidable cost without any performance benefit, especially for compliance data, backups, or historical logs that rarely need to be accessed.
This inefficiency occurs when an EC2 instance is stopped but still has one or more attached EBS volumes. Although the compute resource is not generating charges while stopped, the attached volumes continue to incur full storage and performance-related costs. These volumes are often overlooked in cost reviews, especially if the instance is temporarily paused or has been left in a stopped state long-term. Without regular validation, these volumes may represent unused capacity that delivers no value.
S3 buckets often persist after projects complete or when the associated workloads have been retired. If a bucket is no longer being read from or written to—and its contents are not required for compliance, backup, or retention purposes—it represents ongoing cost without delivering value. Many organizations overlook these idle buckets, especially in shared or legacy accounts, leading to unnecessary storage costs over time.
Some S3 lifecycle policies are configured to transition objects from Standard storage to Intelligent-Tiering after a fixed number of days (e.g., 30 days). This creates a delay where objects reside in S3 Standard, incurring higher storage costs without benefit. Since Intelligent-Tiering does not require prior access history and can be used immediately, it is often more efficient to place objects directly into Intelligent-Tiering at the time of upload. Lifecycle transitions introduce unnecessary intermediate costs that can be avoided entirely through configuration changes.
Storage accounts can accumulate blob data that is no longer actively accessed—such as legacy logs, expired backups, outdated exports, or orphaned files. When these blobs remain in the Hot tier, they continue to incur the highest storage cost, even if they have not been read or modified for an extended period. Without lifecycle management in place, these inactive blobs often go unnoticed and accumulate cost. In many cases, the data could be safely transitioned to a lower-cost tier or deleted altogether, depending on retention needs. Additionally, misconfigured default tier settings at the account or container level can cause even new uploads to be stored in the Hot tier unnecessarily. Azure lifecycle transitions do not incur additional fees, making automation a low-risk optimization method.
GCS buckets often persist after applications are retired or data is no longer in active use. Without access activity, these buckets generate storage charges without providing ongoing value. Leaving stale data in Standard storage—designed for frequent access—results in unnecessary cost. If the data must be retained for compliance or future reference, colder tiers offer substantial savings. If it is no longer needed, the data should be deleted.
Managed Disks frequently remain detached after Azure virtual machines are deleted, reimaged, or reconfigured. Some may be intentionally retained for reattachment, backup, or migration purposes, but many persist unintentionally due to the lack of automated cleanup processes. When these detached disks are also inactive—showing no read or write activity—they represent unnecessary ongoing costs. Identifying and removing these orphaned disks can produce meaningful savings without affecting any active workloads.
