Introduction

Azure File Storage provides fully managed file shares in the cloud that are accessible via the SMB (Server Message Block) protocol. It is designed for applications that rely on shared storage and need the scalability and reliability of cloud storage. This guide will take you through the detailed steps to create file storage in Azure, from setting up an Azure account to configuring your storage and accessing it from different platforms.

Step 1: Setting Up an Azure Account

If you don’t already have an Azure account, sign up at the Azure sign-up page. Azure offers a free tier with a limited amount of free resources, which is perfect for getting started.

1.2 Activate Subscription

After signing up, you will need to activate your subscription. Follow the prompts to provide billing information and set up your account. Azure provides a $200 credit for the first 30 days, which can be used to explore and experiment with its services.

Step 2: Accessing the Azure Portal

Navigate to the Azure Portal and log in with your Microsoft account credentials.

2.2 Explore the Portal

Take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the Azure Portal interface. The dashboard provides quick access to all your Azure resources and services.

Step 3: Creating a Storage Account

3.1 Navigate to Storage Accounts

In the Azure Portal, click on the “Create a resource” button (+) in the left-hand menu. In the search box, type "Storage account" and select it from the list of available services.

3.2 Start the Creation Process

Click the “Create” button to start the storage account creation process.

3.3 Basic Settings

Fill in the required fields under the "Basics" tab:

Subscription: Select the Azure subscription you want to use.
Resource Group: Choose an existing resource group or create a new one. Resource groups are used to group related resources.
Storage Account Name: Enter a unique name for your storage account. The name must be between 3 and 24 characters and can include numbers and lowercase letters only.
Region: Select the Azure region closest to your users to reduce latency.
Performance: Choose between Standard and Premium. Standard is suitable for general-purpose storage, while Premium offers high-performance SSD storage.
Replication: Choose the replication option that meets your durability and availability requirements (LRS, ZRS, GRS, or RA-GRS).

Step 4: Configuring the Storage Account

4.1 Advanced Settings

In the "Advanced" tab, you can configure additional settings such as:

Data Lake Storage Gen2: Enable hierarchical namespace for big data analytics.
Security: Enable encryption and set up network rules.
Access Tier: Choose between Hot, Cool, or Archive depending on how frequently you need to access your data.

4.2 Networking

In the "Networking" tab, configure the network options to control access to your storage account. You can choose to make it accessible over the public internet or restrict access to specific virtual networks.

4.3 Data Protection

In the "Data protection" tab, configure options such as soft delete for blobs and blob containers, which allows you to recover deleted data within a specified retention period.

4.4 Review and Create

After configuring all the necessary settings, click the "Review + create" button. Review your settings, and if everything looks correct, click "Create" to deploy your storage account. This process may take a few minutes.

5.1 Access the Storage Account

Once your storage account is created, navigate to it from the "All resources" section or directly from the dashboard.

In the storage account overview, select "File shares" under the "Data storage" section. Click the "+ File share" button to create a new file share.

Enter a name for your file share and configure the following settings:

Quota: Set the maximum storage quota for the file share. This limits the amount of data that can be stored.
Tier: Choose the appropriate access tier (Transaction optimized, Hot, Cool) based on your usage patterns and performance requirements.

Click "Create" to finalize the creation of your file share.

Navigate to your newly created file share from the storage account overview.

6.2 Get the Connection String

To connect to your file share, you will need the connection string. Click on the "Connect" button to get the details. Azure will provide instructions for different platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.

6.3 Connecting from Windows

On a Windows machine, you can map the file share as a network drive:

Open File Explorer.
Right-click on "This PC" and select "Map network drive".
Choose a drive letter and enter the UNC path provided by Azure (e.g., \\<storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net\<file-share-name>).
Click "Finish". You will be prompted to enter your Azure storage account credentials.

6.4 Connecting from macOS and Linux

For macOS and Linux, you can use the SMB protocol to mount the file share. Use the connection string provided by Azure and the appropriate commands for your operating system.

Step 7: Managing Access and Permissions

7.1 Configure Access Policies

To manage access to your file share, you can set up Shared Access Signatures (SAS) or configure access policies. Navigate to the "Access policy" section of your file share to define rules for access.

7.2 Shared Access Signatures (SAS)

SAS tokens allow you to grant limited access to your storage account resources without sharing your account keys. You can generate SAS tokens from the "Shared access signature" section of the storage account settings.

7.3 Assigning NTFS Permissions

For more granular control, you can assign NTFS permissions to individual users or groups. This can be done through the File Explorer on Windows or using command-line tools on other operating systems.

Step 8: Using Azure File Sync

8.1 Overview of Azure File Sync

Azure File Sync allows you to centralize your organization's file shares in Azure Files, while keeping the flexibility, performance, and compatibility of an on-premises file server. You can cache data on your local servers for fast access and use the cloud as a backup or for long-term storage.

8.2 Setting Up Azure File Sync

Install the Azure File Sync Agent: Download and install the Azure File Sync agent on your Windows Server.
Register the Server: Use the Azure File Sync agent to register your Windows Server with your Azure subscription.
Create a Sync Group: In the Azure Portal, navigate to your storage account and create a sync group. A sync group defines the sync topology and contains the cloud endpoint (an Azure file share) and the server endpoints (registered servers).

8.3 Configuring Sync

After creating the sync group, add your registered server as a server endpoint. Configure the folders you want to sync and set up any required sync policies.

Step 9: Monitoring and Managing Your File Storage

9.1 Monitoring

Azure provides various tools for monitoring the performance and usage of your file storage. Navigate to the "Monitoring" section in your storage account to access metrics, logs, and insights.

9.2 Alerts

Set up alerts to notify you of specific events or thresholds. For example, you can create alerts for high storage usage or unusual access patterns.

9.3 Cost Management

Use the Azure Cost Management and Billing tools to keep track of your storage costs. Azure provides detailed reports and cost analysis features to help you optimize your spending.

Conclusion

Creating and managing Azure File Storage involves a series of well-defined steps, from setting up your Azure account to configuring your storage and accessing it from different platforms. By following this guide, you can effectively utilize Azure File Storage to store and manage your data securely and

efficiently. Azure's robust feature set ensures that your data is always accessible, scalable, and protected, allowing you to focus on building and deploying your applications without worrying about the underlying infrastructure.

Azure Evolution: Day 11 - How to Create File Storage in Azure Cloud