Azure Cosmos DB Scale-Out Storage and Throughput

Azure Cosmos DB is a globally distributed, multi-model database service that allows you to scale out storage and throughput to meet the needs of your application.

Scaling out storage in Cosmos DB is done by increasing the provisioned storage capacity of a container. This can be done by manually adjusting the container's storage capacity or using the automatic provisioning feature, increasing storage capacity as needed.

Scaling out throughput in Cosmos DB is done by increasing the provisioned throughput of a container. Throughput is measured in request units (RUs) per second and is used to perform operations such as reads, writes, and queries. You can increase the throughput of a container by manually adjusting the throughput or by using the automatic provisioning feature, which increases throughput as needed.

Both storage and throughput can be scaled out elastically and independently, meaning you can increase one without affecting the other.

Cosmos DB's automatic provisioning feature allows you to automatically increase storage and throughput as needed, based on the traffic to your application. This feature can help you to save costs by only paying for the resources you need while ensuring that your application has the resources it needs to perform well.

It's important to note that scaling out storage and throughput can impact your application’s performance, so monitoring your application's performance and adjusting resources as needed is crucial. In addition, you can follow up on the available best practices from Microsoft.