BigQuery datasets containing detailed usage cost data

[Steve_O]

Hi,

“For BigQuery datasets containing standard usage cost data or detailed usage cost data, if I configure the dataset to use a multi-region location (EU or US), the dataset includes Google Cloud billing data incurred from the start of the previous month.”

Is there a way to request a dataset that includes cost data older than just the prior month?

[ms4446]

Unfortunately, there’s no direct method to retrieve Google Cloud cost data older than the previous month through the standard BigQuery billing export feature. Here’s an overview of the limitations and some potential workarounds:

Limitations:

• Billing Export Design: Google Cloud’s billing export to BigQuery is designed for current cost tracking. The datasets update daily, offering data from the start of the previous month onward.
• Data Retention: Detailed billing records within BigQuery aren’t kept indefinitely. This is to optimize the system for recent data analysis.

Workarounds:

1. Cloud Billing Reports:

   • Go to the Cloud Billing Reports in your Google Cloud console (https://cloud.google.com/billing/docs/how-to/reports).
   • You’ll find historical cost data here, though potentially less granular than BigQuery.

2. Export Billing Data to Storage:

   • Set up regular exports of your billing data to Cloud Storage (https://cloud.google.com/billing/docs/how-to/export-data-bigquery).
   • This creates an archive you can query with BigQuery, but you must set this up in advance.

3. Third-Party Tools:

   • Consider specialized cloud cost management tools. These often keep historical data longer and have advanced analytics.

[Steve_O]

Is there an indirect method? Another cloud service provider offers longer historic data lookback through support request.

[ms4446]

See the workarounds above.