Overview of general purpose (GPv1) with zone redundant storage (ZRS) redundancy retirement

Azure Storage is retiring the general purpose v1 (GPv1) with ZRS redundancy storage account configuration. This article explains what the change means for workloads using general purpose v1 (GPv1) with ZRS redundancy and how to prepare for a smooth transition to general-purpose v2 (GPv2) with modern

Azure Storage is retiring the general purpose v1 (GPv1) with ZRS redundancy storage account configuration. This article explains what the change means for workloads using general purpose v1 (GPv1) with ZRS redundancy and how to prepare for a smooth transition to general-purpose v2 (GPv2) with modern ZRS.

About GPv1 with ZRS redundancy

General purpose v1 (GPv1) with ZRS redundancy refers to legacy Standard_ZRS replication used with GPv1‑era accounts (account kind Storage, not StorageV2). Unlike modern ZRS on GPv2, which replicates synchronously across three availability zones in the same region, GPv1 with ZRS redundancy does not provide that within‑region, three‑zone synchronous design and can rely on different replication topology that may require a platform‑initiated failover to access secondary copies.

For a refresher on modern redundancy options and characteristics (LRS, ZRS, GRS, GZRS, and read‑access variants), see storage redundancy options

Why GPv1 with ZRS redundancy is being retired

Azure is standardizing on GPv2 to deliver consistent resiliency, feature breadth, and management across all storage accounts. GPv2:

Provides modern ZRS (synchronous replication across three availability zones) for higher availability in‑region.
Enables per‑blob access tiers (hot/cool/archive) and lifecycle management for cost optimization.
Supports ADLS Gen2, immutable storage, object replication, and broad ecosystem integrations.
Uses the Azure Resource Manager (ARM) control plane with Azure AD RBAC, tags, and policies for consistent governance.

Retiring GPv1 with ZRS redundancy simplifies the platform and ensures customers benefit from modern capabilities and consistent pricing.

Benefits of migrating to GPv2

The table below summarizes the key differences most customers care about:

Area	General purpose v1 (GPv1) with ZRS redundancy	GPv2 (StorageV2) with ZRS
Replication model	Legacy topology; not synchronous across 3 zones; may require platform failover	Synchronous across three availability zones in the region; no failover required during a single‑zone event
Availability during zone outage	Access may be interrupted until failover	Remains online for reads/writes through a single‑zone outage
Access tiers & lifecycle	Limited; no per‑blob tiering	per‑blob tiering (hot/cool/archive) + lifecycle management
Security & governance	General purpose v1 (GPv1) with ZRS redundancy/GPv1 control plane	ARM‑based; Azure AD RBAC, tags, Azure Policy
Data services	Blobs, Files, Queues, Tables	Blobs, Files, Queues, Tables + ADLS Gen2 (hierarchical namespace)
Eventing & integrations	Limited	Event Grid and broader Azure integrations
Pricing meters	Legacy meters	Consistent GPv2 meters across account types

Note

For high availability in a single region, modern ZRS is recommended. Add GZRS/RA‑GZRS if you also need geo‑redundancy.

Retirement timeline and key milestones

Warning

If you do not migrate your general purpose v1 (GPv1) with ZRS redundancy accounts by the retirement date, Microsoft will automatically upgrade remaining accounts to GPv2 with an equivalent or nearest redundancy setting available in the region. This may change your billing.

Date	Milestone
September 2025	Public announcement and documentation updates.
September 2026	Creation of new GPv1/Blob‑Only/general purpose v1 (GPv1) with ZRS redundancy configurations blocked.
October 2026	Full retirement. Any remaining general purpose v1 (GPv1) with ZRS redundancy accounts are automatically upgraded to GPv2.

Preparing for migration

Tip

Most general purpose v1 (GPv1) with ZRS redundancy workloads can move to GPv2 without code changes. Plan for pricing differences (especially transaction meters) and take advantage of per‑blob tiering and lifecycle rules to optimize cost.

To minimize risk and ensure a smooth migration:

Inventory your general purpose v1 (GPv1) with ZRS redundancy accounts: Use Azure Resource Graph, CLI, Azure Inventory, or the Portal to identify all general purpose v1 (GPv1) with ZRS redundancy storage accounts.
Evaluate workloads: To ensure compatibility with GPv2 (most general purpose v1 (GPv1) with ZRS redundancy workloads require no code changes).
Plan for pricing changes: Understand the new GPv2 pricing model, which includes per-blob tiering and transaction costs. Use the Azure pricing calculator to estimate costs based on your usage patterns.
Migrate to GPv2: Use the Azure portal, CLI, or automation tools to upgrade from GPv1 to GPv2. Learn more about the upgrade process.
Validate workloads: Post-migration to ensure functionality and billing accuracy.
Monitor usage: After migration, keep an eye on your storage account metrics to identify any unexpected changes in usage patterns or costs.

Tip

Migrate general-purpose v1 accounts to general-purpose v2 by using the deployIfNotExists Azure Policy. This policy detects and identifies any general-purpose v1 accounts and allows you to do a non-disruptive in-place upgrade of those accounts.

A sample policy is available here: general-purpose v1 Azure policy

Identify GPv1 with ZRS accounts using Azure Resource Graph

Azure Resource Graph is a powerful tool for exploring and querying your Azure resources at scale. You can use it to identify all General Purpose v1 (GPv1) and legacy Blob storage accounts in your environment and assess their configurations. This helps you plan your migration to GPv2 more effectively.

Here’s an example Azure Resource Graph query to identify all General Purpose v1 (GPv1) storage accounts (kind Storage) and legacy Blob storage accounts (kind BlobStorage) within your subscription that are impacted by the retirement:

Resources
| where type == "microsoft.storage/storageaccounts"
| where sku.name in~ ("Standard_LRS", "Standard_GRS", "Standard_ZRS", "Standard_RAGRS", "Standard_RAGZRS")
| where kind != "StorageV2"
| extend Version = tostring(properties.siteProperties.propertiesid)
| project name, type, tenantId, kind, location, resourceGroup, subscriptionId, managedBy, sku, plan, properties, tags, identity, zones, extendedLocation, Version

Note

This query identifies both GPv1 accounts (kind Storage) and legacy blob storage accounts (kind BlobStorage) regardless of redundancy. Since both account types are being retired, be sure to review and include all affected accounts in your migration plan.

Regions without ZRS support

The following regions do not support Zone Redundant Storage (ZRS), if you have a general purpose v1 (GPv1) with ZRS redundancy account in one or more of the following regions, you will need to convert to GPv2 with GPv2 LRS and before finally converting to GPv2 GRS or migrate to a region that supports GPv2 ZRS.

Azure global cloud

Australia Central.
Australia Southeast.
Canada East.
Korea South.
North Central US.
South India.
Sweden South.
UK West.
West Central US.
West India.
West US.

Access-restricted regions

Australia Central 2.
Brazil Southeast.
France South.
Germany North.
Norway West.
South Africa West.
Switzerland West.
UAE Central.

Azure operated by 21Vianet

China East.
China East 2.
China East 3.
China North.
China North 2.

Information required for support request

When contacting support, please provide the following information to help facilitate the migration process:

Subscription ID
Resource Group Name
Name of all Storage Account Names that need to be migrated
List of all regions where the accounts are located
Preferred redundancy option for each account (LRS or GRS)

What if I don't want LRS or GRS as my redundancy option after the upgrade?

If you prefer a different redundancy option and you are in a region that doesn't support ZRS, you can choose to upgrade to GPv2 with LRS or GRS initially and then later migrate your account to a region that supports ZRS. Alternatively, you can create a new GPv2 account in a supported region with your desired redundancy option and migrate your data there.

What happens if you don’t migrate by the deadline

After October 2026, if you don't migrate your GPv1 with ZRS redundancy storage account to general-purpose v2, all existing GPv1 with ZRS redundancy accounts are auto migrated over to a general-purpose v2 account, which may result in higher billing costs. Your decision not to migrate an existing GPv1 with ZRS redundancy account will be construed as consent for Microsoft to migrate the account on your behalf.

Where to get help and support

If you have questions, get answers from community experts in Microsoft Q&A.

If your organization or company has partnered with Microsoft or works with Microsoft representatives, such as cloud solution architects (CSAs) or customer success account managers (CSAMs), contact them for additional resources for migration.

If you have a support plan and you need technical help, create a support request in the Azure portal:

Search for Help + support in the Azure portal.
Select Create a support request.
For Summary, type a description of your issue.
For Issue type, select Technical.
For Subscription, select your subscription.
For Service, select My services.
For Service type, select Storage Account Management.
For Resource, select the resource you want to migrate.
For Problem type, select Upgrade or change account type, tier or replication.
For Problem subtype, select Upgrade to general purpose v2 storage account..
Select Next, then follow the instructions to submit your support request.

Need help?

Learn more about related features and how to migrate: