---
title: "Configuring Azure FOCUS Exports"
canonical: "https://ai-docs.certero.com/space/CXCM/167346384/Configuring%20Azure%20FOCUS%20Exports"
format: markdown
---
## Overview

For each Azure billing scope in scope of CerteroX FOCUS Reporting, you will:

- Create a Storage Account to hold your FOCUS data exports
- Generate a Shared Access Signature (SAS) for Certero to access the data
- Configure one or more FOCUS exports
- Optionally export historical data for previous months

## Prerequisites

Certero will provide the preferred Azure region for the Storage Account(s) before you begin (UK customers should currently assume UK South).

## Storage Account

Create an Azure Storage Account as the destination for your FOCUS data exports.

1. In the Azure portal, search for and open **Storage accounts**.
2. Click **Create**.
3. Select your **Subscription** and create or select a **Resource group**.
4. Provide a **Storage account name** (for example, "certeroxfocus").
5. Select the **Region** provided by Certero.
6. Set performance and redundancy options as required. Minimum settings are acceptable.
7. Complete the creation wizard.

> ℹ️ If you cannot use the preferred region, choose one as geographically close to it as possible. This affects data transfer performance.

> ℹ️ Collection of FOCUS data from customer blob storage is performed from a static public IP address. Certero will provide the IP address for whitelisting if customers wish to restrict access to storage accounts containing FOCUS data.

## FOCUS exports

For each billing scope where data is required, configure a FOCUS export.

1. In the Azure portal, go to **Cost Management + Billing**.
2. Select a **Billing scope** from the list.
3. In the left navigation, go to **Cost management**, then **Cost analysis**.
4. Click **Configure billing account** near the top right.
5. Select **Exports**.
6. Click **Create**, then **Cost and usage (FOCUS)**.
7. Enter an **Export prefix** using the billing scope name.
8. Click the edit icon to open the export configuration editor.
9. Configure the export settings:
  - **Type of data**: Cost and usage details (FOCUS) - Preview
  - **Export name**: [billing scope name]-focus-cost
  - **Dataset version**: 1.0r2
  - **Frequency**: Daily export of month-to-date costs
10. Click **Save**, then **Next**.
11. Configure the **Destination** settings:
  - **Storage type**: Azure blob storage
  - **Destination and storage**: Use existing
  - **Subscription**: Select the subscription containing your storage account
  - **Storage account**: Select the storage account you created
  - **Container**: certero-focus (or your preferred name)
  - **Directory**: default
  - **Format**: CSV
  - **Compression type**: None
12. Enable **File partitioning**.
13. Enable **Overwrite data**.
14. Click **Next**, then **Create**.

> ℹ️ If your billing scopes do not have unique names, add additional characters to ensure export names and prefixes are unique.

> ℹ️ The blob storage container and directory are created by the first export and could be reused by exports for all other billing scopes.

## Shared Access Signature (SAS)

Once the first export has run, the blob container will exist; and you can assign container permissions for Certero access. CerteroX FOCUS Reporting accesses the blob container using a container-level Shared Access Signature Token (SAS token) which is a least-privilege, time-bound key.

1. In the Azure portal, navigate to the Storage Account you created and open its properties page.
2. In the left-hand menu go to **Data Storage** > **Containers**.
3. In the main list, select your FOCUS export container to open its properties.
4. In the left-hand menu select **Settings **> **Shared access tokens**.
5. Set **Read **and **List **permissions.
6. Set a suitable expiry date.
7. Click **Generate SAS token and URL**.
8. Scroll down and copy the **Blob SAS URL**.

> 📝 Provide the container name and Blob SAS URL to Certero.

> ℹ️ The Signing key is the Storage Account key that underpins the SAS token. Revoking or regenerating the key will invalidate the SAS token.

> ℹ️ You may be able to use a single Storage Account and SAS token for multiple FOCUS exports.

## Historical FOCUS data

Cloud cost reporting is most useful with at least a full month of data. To accelerate time to value, manually export data for previous months.

1. Navigate to **Cost Management + Billing**, then your billing scope, then **Cost analysis**, then **Configure billing account**, then **Exports**.
2. Locate the FOCUS export you created for the billing scope.
3. Click the context menu (**...**) on the export row.
4. Select **Export selected dates**.
5. Enter the **Start** and **End** dates for a single month (for example, October 1, 2025 to October 31, 2025).
6. Click **Execute**.
7. Repeat for each historical month you want to export.

> ℹ️ You can only export one month at a time. Submit multiple requests and monitor the Run history in the export properties to track progress.

## Provide details to Certero

Send the following to your Certero contact:

- Blob service SAS URL (from the SAS step above)
- Container name