Azure Databricks Meters vs Databricks SKUs from system.billing table

Escarigasco
New Contributor III

When it comes to DBU, I am being charged by Azure for the following meters:


- Premium Jobs Compute DBU <-- DBUs that my job computes are spending
- Premium Serverless SQL DBU <-- DBUs that the SQL Warehouse compute is spending
- Premium All-Purpose Photon DBU <-- Photon DBUs that Personal Computes are spending
- Premium All-purpose Compute DBU <-- DBUs that Personal Computes are spending
- Premium Automated Serverless Compute DBU <-- ???
- Premium Interactive Serverless Compute DBU <-- ???
- Premium Jobs Compute Photon DBU <-- Photon DBUs that jobs computes are spending

Can someone advise if my understanding is correct and clear the remaining meters which I cannot explain?

Also how those these maps to Databricks SKUs coming from system.billing table:

- PREMIUM_JOBS_SERVERLESS_COMPUTE_US_EAST_2
- PREMIUM_JOBS_COMPUTE_(PHOTON)
- PREMIUM_ALL_PURPOSE_SERVERLESS_COMPUTE_US_EAST_2
- PREMIUM_ALL_PURPOSE_COMPUTE_(PHOTON)
- PREMIUM_SERVERLESS_SQL_COMPUTE_US_EAST_2
- PREMIUM_ALL_PURPOSE_COMPUTE
- PREMIUM_JOBS_COMPUTE

Many thanks!
Federico

bianca_unifeye
Databricks MVP

Hi Federico,

Great question, Azure billing meters vs. Databricks SKUs can be confusing because:

  • Azure exposes meters (what you get invoiced for),

  • Databricks exposes SKUs (logical product categories),

  • And system.billing surfaces SKU usage, not Azure meter names.

Premium Jobs Compute DBU

Billed for classic jobs clusters running non-Photon workloads.

Premium Jobs Compute Photon DBU

Same as above but when the job cluster uses Photon.

 Premium Serverless SQL DBU

DBUs consumed by Serverless SQL Warehouses.

Premium All-Purpose Compute DBU

DBUs consumed by interactive / all-purpose clusters (not using Photon).

 Premium All-Purpose Photon DBU

Same as above but when the cluster uses Photon.

🔸 Premium Automated Serverless Compute DBU

This is for Serverless Jobs Compute — the serverless replacement for classic jobs clusters.

Used when:

  • You run a Job with Jobs Compute = Serverless

  • No cluster provisioning — Databricks runs the compute in its serverless pool

Equivalent Databricks SKU:
PREMIUM_JOBS_SERVERLESS_COMPUTE_<region>

Premium Interactive Serverless Compute DBU

This is for Serverless All-Purpose Compute (in Public Preview in some regions).

Used when:

  • You create a Serverless All-Purpose Workspace cluster

  • Interactive notebook sessions run in serverless mode

  • Photon is on by default

Equivalent Databricks SKU:
PREMIUM_ALL_PURPOSE_SERVERLESS_COMPUTE_<region>

Below is the clean 1:1 mapping:

Azure Meter (what Azure bills you for) Corresponding Databricks SKU (system.billing)
Premium Jobs Compute DBUPREMIUM_JOBS_COMPUTE
Premium Jobs Compute Photon DBUPREMIUM_JOBS_COMPUTE_(PHOTON)
Premium Serverless SQL DBUPREMIUM_SERVERLESS_SQL_COMPUTE_<region>
Premium All-Purpose Compute DBUPREMIUM_ALL_PURPOSE_COMPUTE
Premium All-Purpose Photon DBUPREMIUM_ALL_PURPOSE_COMPUTE_(PHOTON)
Premium Automated Serverless Compute DBUPREMIUM_JOBS_SERVERLESS_COMPUTE_<region>
Premium Interactive Serverless Compute DBUPREMIUM_ALL_PURPOSE_SERVERLESS_COMPUTE_<region>

View solution in original post

Escarigasco
New Contributor III

Thank you Bianca, great answer!