About the retirement of general-purpose v1 (GPv1) storage accounts

Azure storage is retiring the general-purpose v1 (GPv1) storage account type. This article explains why the change is occurring, what it means for your workloads, and how to prepare for the transition to general-purpose v2 (GPv2) accounts.

Reasons for retiring GPv1

GPv1 was introduced to support early Azure storage scenarios across Blobs, Tables, Queues, and Files. However, GPv2 has since become the default standard for storage accounts, offering broader feature support, improved consistency, and better performance.

By retiring GPv1, Azure can simplify the platform, eliminate legacy metering inconsistencies, and ensure all customers benefit from modern capabilities and pricing models.

Differences between GPv1 and GPv2

GPv2 supports all capabilities of GPv1 and adds several enhancements, including cost optimization and richer management tools.

Retirement timeline and key milestones

The retirement takes effect globally across all Azure regions.

Pricing considerations when upgrading to GPv2

Estimate costs before upgrading

1. Capture a baseline of monthly operations by type (read, write, list/metadata) and any egress.
2. Use the Azure Pricing Page page to compare per-GB and per-operation rates for your region, redundancy (LRS/ZRS/GRS/GZRS), and intended access tier (hot/cool/cold/archive).
3. Map data to the right tiers and include early-deletion minimums for cool/cold/archive.
4. Plan lifecycle policies (for example, move from hot → cool after 30 days of no access, then archive later) and factor in their transaction effects.
5. Compare your current GPv1 bill to the modeled GPv2 bill (with tiers and lifecycle rules).

Important facts about the upgrade process

• The upgrade is in-place and requires no downtime; it changes the account kind in Azure Resource Manager.
• Upgrading to GPv2 is permanent.
• Set your default access tier (hot or cool) during the upgrade to avoid unintended charges. For details, see upgrade to general purpose v2 (GPv2).
• The upgrade is non-disruptive; your data and endpoints remain the same.

Preparing for the migration

To minimize risk and ensure a smooth migration:

1. Inventory your accounts: Use Azure Resource Graph, CLI, Azure Inventory, or the Portal to identify all GPv1 accounts.
2. Evaluate workloads: Review applications using GPv1 and verify compatibility with GPv2.
3. Plan for pricing changes: Understand the new GPv2 pricing model, which includes per-blob tiering and transaction costs. Use the Azure pricing calculator to estimate costs based on your usage patterns.
4. Upgrade accounts: Use the Azure portal, CLI, or automation tools to upgrade from GPv1 to GPv2. Learn more about the upgrade process.
5. Validate behavior: Confirm that workloads continue functioning and that billing reflects expected changes post-upgrade.
6. Monitor usage: After migration, keep an eye on your storage account metrics to identify any unexpected changes in usage patterns or costs.

Azure Resource Graph - Example Query

Azure Resource Graph is a powerful tool for exploring and querying your Azure resources at scale. You can use it to identify all General Purpose v1 (GPv1) and legacy Blob storage accounts in your environment and assess their configurations. This helps you plan your migration to GPv2 more effectively.

Here’s an example Azure Resource Graph query to identify all General Purpose v1 (GPv1) storage accounts (kind Storage) and legacy Blob storage accounts (kind BlobStorage) within your subscription that are impacted by the retirement:

Resources
| where type == "microsoft.storage/storageaccounts"
| where sku.name in~ ("Standard_LRS", "Standard_GRS", "Standard_ZRS", "Standard_RAGRS", "Standard_RAGZRS")
| where kind != "StorageV2"
| extend Version = tostring(properties.siteProperties.propertiesid)
| project name, type, tenantId, kind, location, resourceGroup, subscriptionId, managedBy, sku, plan, properties, tags, identity, zones, extendedLocation, Version

[!NOTE] This query identifies both GPv1 accounts (kind Storage) and legacy blob storage accounts (kind BlobStorage) regardless of redundancy. Since both account types are being retired, be sure to review and include all affected accounts in your migration plan.

What happens if you don't migrate by the deadline

Where to get help and support

If you have questions, get answers from community experts in Microsoft Q&A.

If your organization or company has partnered with Microsoft or works with Microsoft representatives, such as cloud solution architects (CSAs) or customer success account managers (CSAMs), contact them for additional resources for migration.

If you have a support plan and you need technical help, create a support request in the Azure portal:

• Search for Help + support in the Azure portal.

Need help?

Learn more about related features and how to migrate:

• Upgrade a storage account to GPv2
• Storage account overview
• Azure Storage pricing