Azure OpenAI Service allows developers, researchers, and students to integrate powerful AI models like GPT-4, GPT-3.5, and DALL·E into their applications. But with great power comes great responsibility and limits. Before you dive into building your next AI-powered solution, it's crucial to understand how quotas and limits work in the Azure OpenAI ecosystem.
This guide is designed to help students and beginners easily understand the concept of quotas, limits, and how to manage them effectively.
What Are Quotas and Limits?
Think of Azure's quotas as your "AI data pack." It defines how much you can use the service. Meanwhile, limits are hard boundaries set by Azure to ensure fair use and system stability.
|
Quota |
The maximum number of resources (e.g., tokens, requests) allocated to your Azure subscription. |
|
Limit |
The technical cap imposed by Azure on specific resources (e.g., number of files, deployments). |
Key Metrics: TPM & RPM
- Tokens Per Minute (TPM)
TPM refers to how many tokens you can use per minute across all your requests in each region.
- A token is a chunk of text. For example, the word "Hello" is 1 token, but "Understanding" might be 2 tokens.
- Each model has its own default TPM. Example: GPT-4 might allow 240,000 tokens per minute.
- You can split this quota across multiple deployments.
- Requests Per Minute (RPM)
RPM defines how many API requests you can make every minute.
- For instance, GPT-3.5-turbo might allow 350 RPM.
- DALL·E image generation models might allow 6 RPM.
Deployment, File, and Training Limits
Here are some standard limits imposed on your OpenAI resource:
|
Resource Type |
Limit |
|
Standard model deployments |
32 |
|
Fine-tuned model deployments |
5 |
|
Training jobs |
100 total per resource (1 active at a time) |
|
Fine-tuning files |
50 files (total size: 1 GB) |
|
Max prompt tokens per request |
Varies by model (e.g., 4096 tokens for GPT-3.5) |
How to View and Manage Your Quota
Step-by-Step:
- Go to the Azure Portal.
- Navigate to your Azure OpenAI resource.
- Click on "Usage + quotas" in the left-hand menu.
- You will see TPM, RPM, and current usage status.
To Request More Quota:
- In the same "Usage + quotas" panel, click on "Request quota increase".
- Fill in the form:
- Select the region.
- Choose the model family (e.g., GPT-4, GPT-3.5).
- Enter the desired TPM and RPM values.
- Submit and wait for Azure to review and approve.
What is Dynamic Quota?
Sometimes, Azure gives you extra quota based on demand and availability.
- “Dynamic quota” is not guaranteed and may increase or decrease.
- Useful for short-term spikes but should not be relied on for production apps.
Example: During weekends, your GPT-3.5 TPM may temporarily increase if there's less traffic in your region.
Best Practices for Students
- Monitor Regularly: Use the Azure Portal to keep an eye on your usage.
- Batch Requests: Combine multiple tasks in one API call to save tokens.
- Start Small: Begin with GPT-3.5 before requesting GPT-4 access.
- Plan Ahead: If you're preparing a demo or a project, request quota in advance.
- Handle Limits Gracefully: Code should manage 429 Too Many Requests errors.
Quick Resources
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