How to Access Azure Cost Data Stored in Nested Subfolders from Blob Storage in Grafana?

Question

How to Access Azure Cost Data Stored in Nested Subfolders from Blob Storage in Grafana?

B, Hema 0

I have Azure cost data stored inside a Blob Storage container. Grafana is configured to read data from this storage account and container, but I’m unable to fetch any data from the cost-data container.

The issue is that the cost files are stored in multiple nested subfolders, and Azure Storage does not allow me to move, flatten, or reorganize the folders. Because of this structure, I am also unable to generate a SAS URL that correctly points to the nested paths.

Due to these folder and SAS limitations, Grafana is unable to access or read the files.

Does anyone know how to properly access or restructure this data so that Grafana can successfully read it from Azure Blob Storage? Any guidance or best practices would be appreciated.

Naveena Patlolla 7,505 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-19T17:20:48.0966667+00:00

Hi B, Hema
We are re-replicating the environment and will update you shortly.
B, Hema 0 Reputation points

2025-11-21T07:26:34.1633333+00:00

Hi Naveena,

Thank you for the update. Since this issue is currently impacting my work, I would appreciate it if the update could be shared at the earliest convenience.

Thanks for your support
Naveena Patlolla 7,505 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-21T16:00:27.0433333+00:00

Hi B, Hema
The data cannot be fetched because the cost files are stored in multiple nested folder levels. Azure Blob Storage treats folders as virtual paths and generating a SAS URL that accurately targets the nested subdirectories.

As a result, Grafana is unable to traverse these nested paths or list the blobs correctly, which causes it to fail when attempting to read the files.

Use an Azure Storage account configured as ADLS Gen2 (Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2) with Hierarchical Namespace enabled. When Hierarchical Namespace is enabled:

Azure Storage works with true directories, not simulated “virtual folders”.

You can generate directory-level SAS tokens (not just container or blob level).

You can use filesystem-style APIs to list files inside nested folders.

Applications like Grafana (and client libraries) can perform hierarchical listing, so they can navigate subfolders properly.

Reference:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/blobs/data-lake-storage-namespace

Please let me know if you face any challenge here, I can help you to resolve this issue further
B, Hema 0 Reputation points

2025-11-24T03:55:07.32+00:00

Hi Naveena

Thank you for the detailed explanation.

I have one clarification-- after enabling ADLS Gen2 with Hierarchical Namespace and generating the directory-level SAS, how can I pull my costdata into my Grafana Dashboard?

Also, is there any alternative method to bring Azure cost data into Grafana, apart from using the cost export CSV files from storage?

Appreciate your quick guidance on this.

Thank You
Naveena Patlolla 7,505 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-24T16:11:02.35+00:00

Hi B, Hema
We’re checking on this and will provide you with an update soon.
Naveena Patlolla 7,505 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-25T06:44:48.76+00:00

Hi B, Hema

To ensure Grafana can successfully access and visualize the cost export data, the recommended approach is to use an Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 (ADLS Gen2) account with Hierarchical Namespace enabled, along with a directory-level SAS token. This allows Grafana to read files recursively from nested folders, which is not supported in the standard Blob Storage setup.

Proposed Implementation Steps

1)Create or use an ADLS Gen2 Storage Account

Ensure Hierarchical Namespace is enabled

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/blobs/create-data-lake-storage-account

2)Store Azure Cost Export files in the ADLS Gen2 container

Continue using automated cost exports (CSV or Parquet).

3)Generate a Directory-Level SAS Token

Permissions: Read, List, Traverse

This bypasses the limitation caused by nested folder paths.

4)Configure Grafana

Add a Blob/ADLS-compatible data source.

Authenticate using the SAS token.

Point Grafana to the container/folder path.

5)Build Dashboards

Grafana will now be able to enumerate and read files across the nested directory structure.
Naveena Patlolla 7,505 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-28T04:36:56.5233333+00:00

Hi B, Hema
Just want to check if the solution worked for you or else please let us know if any help, we are always here to help whenever you need us.
Deleted

This comment has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The comment was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.

1 answer

Your answer

Naveena Patlolla 7,505 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-19T17:20:48.0966667+00:00

Hi B, Hema
We are re-replicating the environment and will update you shortly.
B, Hema 0 Reputation points

2025-11-21T07:26:34.1633333+00:00

Hi Naveena,

Thank you for the update. Since this issue is currently impacting my work, I would appreciate it if the update could be shared at the earliest convenience.

Thanks for your support
Naveena Patlolla 7,505 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-21T16:00:27.0433333+00:00

Hi B, Hema
The data cannot be fetched because the cost files are stored in multiple nested folder levels. Azure Blob Storage treats folders as virtual paths and generating a SAS URL that accurately targets the nested subdirectories.

As a result, Grafana is unable to traverse these nested paths or list the blobs correctly, which causes it to fail when attempting to read the files.

Use an Azure Storage account configured as ADLS Gen2 (Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2) with Hierarchical Namespace enabled. When Hierarchical Namespace is enabled:

Azure Storage works with true directories, not simulated “virtual folders”.

You can generate directory-level SAS tokens (not just container or blob level).

You can use filesystem-style APIs to list files inside nested folders.

Applications like Grafana (and client libraries) can perform hierarchical listing, so they can navigate subfolders properly.

Reference:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/blobs/data-lake-storage-namespace

Please let me know if you face any challenge here, I can help you to resolve this issue further
B, Hema 0 Reputation points

2025-11-24T03:55:07.32+00:00

Hi Naveena

Thank you for the detailed explanation.

I have one clarification-- after enabling ADLS Gen2 with Hierarchical Namespace and generating the directory-level SAS, how can I pull my costdata into my Grafana Dashboard?

Also, is there any alternative method to bring Azure cost data into Grafana, apart from using the cost export CSV files from storage?

Appreciate your quick guidance on this.

Thank You
Naveena Patlolla 7,505 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-24T16:11:02.35+00:00

Hi B, Hema
We’re checking on this and will provide you with an update soon.
Naveena Patlolla 7,505 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-25T06:44:48.76+00:00

Hi B, Hema

To ensure Grafana can successfully access and visualize the cost export data, the recommended approach is to use an Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 (ADLS Gen2) account with Hierarchical Namespace enabled, along with a directory-level SAS token. This allows Grafana to read files recursively from nested folders, which is not supported in the standard Blob Storage setup.

Proposed Implementation Steps

1)Create or use an ADLS Gen2 Storage Account

Ensure Hierarchical Namespace is enabled

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/blobs/create-data-lake-storage-account

2)Store Azure Cost Export files in the ADLS Gen2 container

Continue using automated cost exports (CSV or Parquet).

3)Generate a Directory-Level SAS Token

Permissions: Read, List, Traverse

This bypasses the limitation caused by nested folder paths.

4)Configure Grafana

Add a Blob/ADLS-compatible data source.

Authenticate using the SAS token.

Point Grafana to the container/folder path.

5)Build Dashboards

Grafana will now be able to enumerate and read files across the nested directory structure.
Naveena Patlolla 7,505 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-28T04:36:56.5233333+00:00

Hi B, Hema
Just want to check if the solution worked for you or else please let us know if any help, we are always here to help whenever you need us.
Deleted

This comment has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The comment was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.

Answer 1

To access your Azure cost data stored in nested subfolders within a Blob Storage container using Grafana, you can consider the following approaches:

Use SAS URLs for Each Nested Path: Since Azure Storage allows generating SAS URLs for individual blobs or containers, you can create a SAS URL for each specific file or nested folder you want to access. This may require you to manually generate SAS tokens for each path, which can be cumbersome but effective.
Ingest Data into a New Table: If restructuring the data is not possible, you might consider ingesting the data into a new table in Azure Data Explorer or another database service that Grafana can query. This way, you can flatten the structure and make it easier for Grafana to access the data.
Use File Filters: If you can specify file filters when configuring your data ingestion, you might be able to filter the files based on their paths or extensions, allowing you to access only the relevant data without needing to reorganize the folder structure.
Direct Access: If you have the necessary permissions, you can access the data directly by providing the fully qualified name to the data object, which might bypass the need to navigate through the folder structure in the Azure portal or Grafana.
Review Grafana Configuration: Ensure that your Grafana configuration is set up correctly to access Azure Blob Storage. Check that the authentication method is properly configured and that the necessary permissions are granted to the Grafana instance to read from the Blob Storage.

These approaches should help you access your Azure cost data despite the limitations posed by the folder structure and SAS URL generation.

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How to Access Azure Cost Data Stored in Nested Subfolders from Blob Storage in Grafana?

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