tailwindlabs / tailwindcss
github.com·23h ago
Developer Tools
Databricks Blog·May 27·5 min read
Introducing Always-On pricing: automatic savings for Databricks Lakebase
TL;DR
Managed databases typically force users to choose between serverless (pay-per-query) or provisioned (fixed capacity) pricing models, creating cost inefficiency. Databricks introduced Always-On pricing for Lakebase, a unified analytics platform combining data warehouse and lakehouse capabilities, which automatically optimizes costs by scaling resources based on actual workload demand.
✦ Why It Matters
Engineers can now optimize database costs automatically without choosing between unpredictable per-query fees or wasteful fixed reservations.
Key Takeaways
- Disable scale-to-zero for consistent workloads to save costs.
- Set autoscaling parameters to handle demand spikes efficiently.
- Benefit from a 50% promotional discount until January 31, 2027.
- Avoid manual rightsizing and long-term commitments with Always-On pricing.
How It Works
Users can turn off the scale-to-zero feature and define an autoscaling range for their Lakebase project. The minimum capacity set becomes the Always-On baseline, which is billed at a lower rate after 24 hours of continuous use.
Any usage above this baseline is billed at standard autoscaling rates, allowing for seamless scaling during peak loads.