diff --git a/data-explorer/.openpublishing.redirection.json b/data-explorer/.openpublishing.redirection.json index 390e7e9752..09f4d6a99e 100644 --- a/data-explorer/.openpublishing.redirection.json +++ b/data-explorer/.openpublishing.redirection.json @@ -1,5 +1,10 @@ { "redirections": [ + { + "source_path": "start-for-free-upgrade.md", + "redirect_url": "/azure/data-explorer/start-for-free-move-to-paid", + "redirect_document_id": false + }, { "source_path": "security-baseline.md", "redirect_url": "/security/benchmark/azure/baselines/data-explorer-security-baseline", diff --git a/data-explorer/media/start-for-free-upgrade/start-for-free-upgrade-cluster-details.png b/data-explorer/media/start-for-free-upgrade/start-for-free-upgrade-cluster-details.png deleted file mode 100644 index 89419fddc6..0000000000 Binary files a/data-explorer/media/start-for-free-upgrade/start-for-free-upgrade-cluster-details.png and /dev/null differ diff --git a/data-explorer/media/start-for-free-upgrade/start-for-free-upgrade-cluster.png b/data-explorer/media/start-for-free-upgrade/start-for-free-upgrade-cluster.png deleted file mode 100644 index 25c39a1b11..0000000000 Binary files a/data-explorer/media/start-for-free-upgrade/start-for-free-upgrade-cluster.png and /dev/null differ diff --git a/data-explorer/start-for-free-event-hubs.md b/data-explorer/start-for-free-event-hubs.md index 54b140ad00..f1f68201cb 100644 --- a/data-explorer/start-for-free-event-hubs.md +++ b/data-explorer/start-for-free-event-hubs.md @@ -81,6 +81,6 @@ To delete a data connection: ## Related content -- [Upgrade your free cluster](start-for-free-upgrade.md) +- [Move to a paid cluster](start-for-free-move-to-paid.md) - [Learn more about Azure Data Explorer](data-explorer-overview.md) - [Learn more about Kusto Query Language](/kusto/query/index?view=azure-data-explorer&preserve-view=true) diff --git a/data-explorer/start-for-free-move-to-paid.md b/data-explorer/start-for-free-move-to-paid.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..2ef45cf939 --- /dev/null +++ b/data-explorer/start-for-free-move-to-paid.md @@ -0,0 +1,128 @@ +--- +title: Move from a free cluster to a paid Azure Data Explorer cluster +description: Learn how to move from a free Azure Data Explorer cluster to a paid cluster by creating a new cluster, exporting and importing your data, validating the move, and deleting the free cluster. +#customer intent: As a free cluster user, I want to move my data to a paid Azure Data Explorer cluster so that I can run production workloads with the full feature set and an SLA. +ms.reviewer: smorshtein +ms.topic: how-to +ms.date: 11/01/2026 +--- + +# Move from a free cluster to a paid Azure Data Explorer cluster + +A [free cluster](start-for-free.md) is for exploring Azure Data Explorer. When you're ready for production workloads, move to a paid Azure Data Explorer cluster in your Azure subscription. A paid cluster removes the free cluster quotas and provides the full feature set, including a service level agreement. + +Moving to a paid cluster is a customer-managed migration: you create the new cluster, move your schema and data, switch your clients, and then delete the free cluster. + +> [!IMPORTANT] +> +> * Your free cluster isn't converted, moved, or deleted automatically. +> * The free cluster keeps working while you migrate, and stays in place until you delete it. +> * Deleting the free cluster is your responsibility. Delete it after you confirm that everything runs on the paid cluster. + +## Prerequisites + +* A [free Azure Data Explorer cluster](start-for-free-web-ui.md) with the data you want to move. +* An Azure subscription. [Create a free Azure account](https://azure.microsoft.com/free/). +* Contributor permissions or greater in the Azure subscription. +* An Azure Storage account to hold the exported data, and a way to grant access to it, such as a shared access signature (SAS). For more information, see [Storage connection strings](/kusto/api/connection-strings/storage-connection-strings?view=azure-data-explorer&preserve-view=true). +* Complete or stop ingestion into the free cluster before you export, so that the exported data is complete. + +## Step 1: Create a paid cluster and database + +1. In the Azure portal, [create an Azure Data Explorer cluster](create-cluster-and-database.md#create-a-cluster). Choose the same region as your free cluster to keep latency low. The **Dev/Test** workload is a good starting point for data that fits a free cluster. You can [scale the cluster](manage-cluster-vertical-scaling.md) later. +1. [Create a database](create-cluster-and-database.md#create-a-database) with the same name as each database in your free cluster. Using the same names keeps your queries and functions unchanged. + +## Step 2: Export your schema and data, and import them into the paid cluster + +### Recreate the schema + +1. In the free cluster, export the schema of each database as a script: + + ```kusto + .show database MyDatabase schema as csl script + ``` + + The result is a script with the commands that create the tables, functions, materialized views, and policies of the database. + +1. In the paid cluster, run the script against the new database: + + ```kusto + .execute database script <| + // Paste the script from the previous step here + ``` + + For more information, see [.show database schema](/kusto/management/show-schema-database-command?view=azure-data-explorer&preserve-view=true) and [.execute database script](/kusto/management/execute-database-script?view=azure-data-explorer&preserve-view=true). + +### Export the data + +In the free cluster, export each table to your storage account. The following command exports a table as Parquet files: + +```kusto +.export async to parquet ( + h@"https://mystorage.blob.core.windows.net/export;" +) with (namePrefix="MyTable") +<| MyTable +``` + +Repeat the command for each table. For more information, see [Export data to storage](/kusto/management/data-export/export-data-to-storage?view=azure-data-explorer&preserve-view=true). + +### Import the data + +Ingest the exported files into the matching tables in the paid cluster. Use one of the following options: + +* **Get data from Azure Storage** in the Azure Data Explorer web UI. For more information, see [Get data from Azure Storage](get-data-storage.md). +* **LightIngest** for many files or large tables. For more information, see [Use LightIngest to ingest data](lightingest.md). +* The `.ingest into` command for a small number of files: + + ```kusto + .ingest into table MyTable ( + h@"https://mystorage.blob.core.windows.net/export/MyTable_1.parquet;" + ) with (format="parquet") + ``` + + For more information, see [Ingest from storage](/kusto/management/data-ingestion/ingest-from-storage?view=azure-data-explorer&preserve-view=true). + +### Reapply settings + +The schema script doesn't include everything. Recreate the following items in the paid cluster: + +* **Permissions**: Add database users and admins. For more information, see [Manage database permissions](manage-database-permissions.md). +* **Data connections**: Create new Event Hubs or other data connections that point to the paid cluster. For more information, see [Create an Event Hubs data connection](create-event-hubs-connection.md). +* **Client connection strings**: Update applications, SDK clients, dashboards, and Power BI reports to use the paid cluster's query URI and data ingestion URI. + +## Step 3: Validate and switch your clients + +1. Compare the row count of each table in the free cluster and in the paid cluster: + + ```kusto + MyTable | count + ``` + +1. Run your usual queries, functions, and dashboards against the paid cluster and confirm that the results match. +1. Point your applications, dashboards, and ingestion to the paid cluster's URIs. Keep the free cluster only as long as you need it for validation or recovery. + +## Step 4: Delete the free cluster + +The free cluster isn't deleted as part of the move. After everything runs on the paid cluster, delete the free cluster so that you don't keep two copies of your data. + +1. In the [Azure Data Explorer web UI](https://dataexplorer.azure.com/freecluster), select **My cluster**. +1. Select **Delete**, and then confirm. + +Deleting the free cluster is permanent. The cluster and its data can't be recovered. + +## Move your data to an eventhouse instead + +You can also move your data to an [eventhouse](/fabric/real-time-intelligence/eventhouse) in Microsoft Fabric instead of a paid Azure Data Explorer cluster. An eventhouse uses the same Kusto engine and Kusto Query Language, with no cluster to manage. + +1. [Start a Microsoft Fabric trial](/fabric/fundamentals/fabric-trial) and [create an eventhouse](/fabric/real-time-intelligence/create-eventhouse). +1. Export your tables to Azure Storage as described in [Export the data](#export-the-data). +1. In the eventhouse, use **Get data** to ingest the files from Azure Storage. For more information, see [Get data from Azure Storage](/fabric/real-time-intelligence/get-data-azure-storage). +1. Validate the data, switch your clients, and delete the free cluster as described in the previous steps. + +## Related content + +* [What is a free Azure Data Explorer cluster?](start-for-free.md) +* [Create a free Azure Data Explorer cluster](start-for-free-web-ui.md) +* [Quickstart: Create an Azure Data Explorer cluster and database](create-cluster-and-database.md) +* [Select a SKU for your cluster](manage-cluster-choose-sku.md) +* [Try Microsoft Fabric for free](/fabric/fundamentals/fabric-trial) diff --git a/data-explorer/start-for-free-upgrade.md b/data-explorer/start-for-free-upgrade.md deleted file mode 100644 index 55d1c90323..0000000000 --- a/data-explorer/start-for-free-upgrade.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,63 +0,0 @@ ---- -title: Upgrade a free Azure Data Explorer cluster. -description: This article you'll learn how to upgrade a free cluster to into your data using your free cluster. -ms.reviewer: gabil -ms.topic: how-to -ms.date: 09/12/2022 ---- - -# Upgrade a free Azure Data Explorer cluster - -Upgrading your free cluster to a full cluster allows you to use [all the features](start-for-free.md#feature-comparison) provided by Azure Data Explorer. Additionally, the free cluster storage size limitation is removed giving you more capacity for growing your data. - -## Prerequisites - -- A [free Azure Data Explorer cluster](start-for-free-web-ui.md) -- An Azure subscription. Create a [free Azure account](https://azure.microsoft.com/pricing/purchase-options/azure-account?cid=msft_learn) -- [Contributor](/azure/role-based-access-control/built-in-roles#contributor) permissions or greater in the Azure subscription - -> [!NOTE] -> The status of ingestion operations started before the upgrade may not be available after the upgrade. Hence, we highly recommend that you complete all ingestion operations before upgrading your cluster. For more information, see [Ingestion status](/kusto/api/netfx/kusto-ingest-client-status?view=azure-data-explorer&preserve-view=true). - -## Upgrade to a full Azure cluster - -Use the following steps to upgrade your free cluster to a full cluster. If you're using a Microsoft account (MSA), you must use the step to add a user with a valid Azure subscription before you can upgrade. - -> [!NOTE] -> Once the migration has started and until it's completed, you can't delete the cluster and you can't create or delete new databases. -> -> In the last phase of the migration, when data is copied to the new cluster, queries continue to work as normal. No new data is ingested, but data can still be queued for ingestion and shortly after the migration is complete, the data is ingested into the new cluster. -> -> If you don't have Event Hubs owner permission on the cluster, the [ingest from Event Hubs data connection](start-for-free-event-hubs.md) will not migrated to the new cluster. You can create a new data connection to Event Hubs on the new cluster. - -1. Go to [My Cluster](https://aka.ms/kustofree) and select **Upgrade to Azure cluster**. - - :::image type="content" source="media/start-for-free-upgrade/start-for-free-upgrade-cluster.png" alt-text="Screenshot of My Cluster page, showing the Upgrade to Azure cluster option." lightbox="media/start-for-free-upgrade/start-for-free-upgrade-cluster.png"::: - -1. In the "Upgrade cluster" dialog, fill out the cluster details using the following information: - - | Setting | Suggested value | Description | - |--|--|--| - | Cluster name | A unique cluster name | Choose a unique name that identifies your cluster. The domain suffix *\[region\].kusto.windows.net* is appended to the cluster name. The name can contain only lowercase letters and numbers and must be between 4 to 22 characters. | - | Subscription | Your subscription | Select the Azure subscription that you want to use for your cluster. | - | Resource group | Your resource group | Use an existing resource group or create a new resource group. | - | Cluster region | Your region | Select the region that best meets your requirements. | - | Availability Zones | Yes | Use availability zones in the same region (optional). [Azure Availability Zones](/azure/availability-zones/az-overview) are unique physical locations within the same Azure region. They protect an Azure Data Explorer cluster from loss of data. The cluster nodes are created, by default, in the same data center. When you enable availability zones, you can eliminate a single point of failure and ensure high availability. **Deployment to availability zones is possible only when creating the cluster, and can't be modified later.** | - -1. If necessary, select **Add user** and sign in using the user with the subscription you want to use. Use this step if your free cluster uses an MSA, or you want to use a different user. The Azure cluster is created in the selected subscription of the user you add. - - :::image type="content" source="media/start-for-free-upgrade/start-for-free-upgrade-cluster-details.png" alt-text="Screenshot of the upgrade cluster pane, showing the add user options."::: - -1. Select **Upgrade** to start the upgrade process. The process performs the following actions: - 1. Creates a new Azure cluster using the provided cluster details. The free cluster query and ingestion URIs are transferred to the new Azure cluster to make sure all business logic continue to work. - 1. Copies the data from the free cluster to the full Azure cluster. - 1. Deletes the free cluster. - - Once the upgrade is complete, your new cluster is ready to use. Existing ingestions will continue, queries will be available using all of the supported tools, and you can create a new free cluster. - -## Related content - -- [Network security for Azure Data Explorer](security-network-overview.md) -- [What is the ingestion wizard?](ingest-data-overview.md) -- [Visualize data with dashboards](azure-data-explorer-dashboards.md) -- [Monitor your cluster with metrics](using-metrics.md) \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/data-explorer/start-for-free-web-ui.md b/data-explorer/start-for-free-web-ui.md index b903080b15..c85c957982 100644 --- a/data-explorer/start-for-free-web-ui.md +++ b/data-explorer/start-for-free-web-ui.md @@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ title: Create a free Azure Data Explorer cluster description: Learn how to create a free cluster, ingest data, and run queries to gain insights into your data. ms.reviewer: avnera ms.topic: how-to -ms.date: 07/23/2026 +ms.date: 11/01/2026 ai-usage: ai-assisted --- @@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ A Microsoft account or a Microsoft Entra user identity to create a free cluster. On your cluster's overview page, you see the following: -1. Your cluster's name, the option to upgrade to a full cluster, and the option to delete the cluster. +1. Your cluster's name, the option to move to a paid cluster, the option to try Eventhouse in Microsoft Fabric for free, and the option to delete the cluster. 1. Your cluster's location, policies, and URI links for connecting to your cluster via the [Kusto APIs](/kusto/api/index?view=azure-data-explorer&preserve-view=true) or other tools. 1. [Quick actions](#quick-actions) you can take to get started with your cluster. 1. A list of databases in your cluster. @@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ To start a quick action, under **Actions**, select the action you want to perfor ## Related content -* [Upgrade your free cluster](start-for-free-upgrade.md) +* [Move from a free cluster to a paid Azure Data Explorer cluster](start-for-free-move-to-paid.md) +* [Try Eventhouse in Microsoft Fabric for free](start-for-free.md#try-eventhouse-in-microsoft-fabric-for-free) * [Manage Event Hubs data connections in your free cluster](start-for-free-event-hubs.md) * [Learn more about Azure Data Explorer](data-explorer-overview.md) * [Learn more about Kusto Query Language](/kusto/query/index?view=azure-data-explorer&preserve-view=true) diff --git a/data-explorer/start-for-free.md b/data-explorer/start-for-free.md index fccd595223..a60f525cd2 100644 --- a/data-explorer/start-for-free.md +++ b/data-explorer/start-for-free.md @@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ description: Start exploring Azure Data Explorer with a free cluster—no subscr #customer intent: As a new user, I want to create a free Azure Data Explorer cluster so that I can explore its features without needing an Azure subscription. ms.reviewer: avnera ms.topic: how-to -ms.date: 02/04/2026 +ms.date: 11/01/2026 --- @@ -20,11 +20,44 @@ The free cluster can be used for any purpose and is the ideal solution for anyon > * Microsoft may automatically renew the trial period. > * Your data is stored at a location of your choosing in one of three available geographies (Europe, Asia and North America). > * The cluster is provided free of charge, and as such is not subject to service layer agreement. -> * You may upgrade the cluster to a full Azure Data Explorer cluster at any time. +> * You can move to a paid Azure Data Explorer cluster at any time by creating a new cluster and migrating your data. Your free cluster isn't converted, moved, or deleted automatically. For more information, see [Move to a paid cluster](#move-to-a-paid-cluster). +> * You can also get started with Eventhouse in Microsoft Fabric for free. Eventhouse uses the same Kusto engine and Kusto Query Language, with no cluster to manage. For more information, see [Try Eventhouse in Microsoft Fabric for free](#try-eventhouse-in-microsoft-fabric-for-free). > * For additional terms and conditions, see the [Disclaimer](#disclaimer) section below. Start your journey by [creating your own free cluster](https://aka.ms/kustofree) and reviewing the [Microsoft Software License Terms](https://aka.ms/kustofreeeula). +## Try Eventhouse in Microsoft Fabric for free + +[Eventhouse](/fabric/real-time-intelligence/eventhouse) in Microsoft Fabric uses the same Kusto engine and Kusto Query Language as Azure Data Explorer, with no cluster to create or manage. You can try it as part of a free [Microsoft Fabric trial](/fabric/fundamentals/fabric-trial) and move to a paid Fabric capacity when you're ready. Your KQL queries, tables, and functions work the same way. + +To get started: + +1. [Start a Microsoft Fabric trial](/fabric/fundamentals/fabric-trial): sign in to the [Fabric portal](https://app.fabric.microsoft.com) and select **Start trial** in the account manager. No credit card is required. +1. [Create an eventhouse](/fabric/real-time-intelligence/create-eventhouse) in your workspace. A KQL database is created with it. +1. Get data: [upload a local file](/fabric/real-time-intelligence/get-data-local-file), connect to Azure Storage, or stream data with Eventstream. +1. Query your data with KQL and build a Real-Time Dashboard. For an end-to-end walkthrough, see the [Real-Time Intelligence tutorial](/fabric/real-time-intelligence/tutorial-1-resources). + +> [!NOTE] +> The Fabric trial requires a work or school account. If you use a personal Microsoft account, see [Start a Microsoft Fabric free trial with your personal email](/fabric/fundamentals/free-trial-account-personal-email). + +To move data from your free cluster into an eventhouse, export your tables to Azure Storage and then use **Get data** in the eventhouse. For more information, see [Move your data to an eventhouse instead](start-for-free-move-to-paid.md#move-your-data-to-an-eventhouse-instead). + +## Move to a paid cluster + +When you're ready for production workloads, create a paid Azure Data Explorer cluster in your Azure subscription and move your data to it. Paid clusters remove the free cluster quotas and provide the full feature set listed in [Feature comparison](#feature-comparison), including a service level agreement. + +> [!NOTE] +> Your free cluster isn't converted, moved, or deleted automatically. You create the new cluster, migrate the data, and delete the free cluster yourself. The free cluster stays in place until you delete it, subject to the terms in the [Disclaimer](#disclaimer). + +The move has four steps: + +1. **Create a new cluster.** In the Azure portal, [create an Azure Data Explorer cluster and database](create-cluster-and-database.md) in your subscription. Choose the same region as your free cluster to keep latency low. +1. **Export and import your data.** Export the schema and data from the free cluster and import them into the new cluster. Reapply permissions, data connections, and client connection strings. +1. **Validate and switch.** Compare row counts, run your queries on the new cluster, and point your applications, dashboards, and ingestion to the new cluster URI. +1. **Delete the free cluster.** After everything runs on the paid cluster, delete the free cluster from **My cluster**. This action is permanent. + +For step-by-step instructions and commands, see [Move from a free cluster to a paid Azure Data Explorer cluster](start-for-free-move-to-paid.md). + ## Specifications The following table describes specifications and quotas for a free cluster. @@ -82,5 +115,8 @@ The following special terms apply to Azure Data Explorer Free Clusters * [Get started with your free cluster](start-for-free-web-ui.md) * [Manage Event Hubs data connections in your free cluster](start-for-free-event-hubs.md) +* [Move from a free cluster to a paid Azure Data Explorer cluster](start-for-free-move-to-paid.md) +* [Eventhouse overview](/fabric/real-time-intelligence/eventhouse) +* [Try Microsoft Fabric for free](/fabric/fundamentals/fabric-trial) * [Learn more about Azure Data Explorer](data-explorer-overview.md) * [Learn more about Kusto Query Language](/kusto/query/index?view=azure-data-explorer&preserve-view=true) diff --git a/data-explorer/toc.yml b/data-explorer/toc.yml index 3f20eb306c..fa654f440b 100644 --- a/data-explorer/toc.yml +++ b/data-explorer/toc.yml @@ -481,8 +481,8 @@ items: items: - name: Manage free cluster href: start-for-free-web-ui.md - - name: Upgrade a free cluster - href: start-for-free-upgrade.md + - name: Move to a paid cluster + href: start-for-free-move-to-paid.md - name: Database items: - name: Manage database permissions diff --git a/data-explorer/whats-new-archive.md b/data-explorer/whats-new-archive.md index f38dd91308..a08979fd66 100644 --- a/data-explorer/whats-new-archive.md +++ b/data-explorer/whats-new-archive.md @@ -457,7 +457,7 @@ Welcome to what's new in Azure Data Explorer archive. This article is an archive | Article title | Description | |--|--| -| [Upgrade a free cluster](start-for-free-upgrade.md) | New Article. Describes how to upgrade a free cluster to a full cluster without losing your data. | +| [Upgrade a free cluster](start-for-free-move-to-paid.md) | New Article. Describes how to upgrade a free cluster to a full cluster without losing your data. | **Management**