Azure File Storage

Azure Files offers fully managed cloud file shares that are accessible via the industry-standard Server Message Block (SMB) protocol and the Network File System (NFS) protocol. This means you can "lift and shift" traditional file shares to Azure without needing to replace or modify your applications.

Key Features and Benefits

  • Shared Access: Access file shares concurrently from multiple clients, including on-premises machines and Azure virtual machines.
  • Protocol Support: Supports both SMB and NFS protocols, allowing seamless integration with existing applications.
  • Managed Service: Eliminates the need to manage underlying file server hardware or operating systems.
  • Scalability: Scales to petabytes of data, offering flexible capacity options.
  • Durability and Availability: Data is replicated for high durability and availability.
  • Security: Integrates with Azure Active Directory for identity-based authentication and supports encryption in transit and at rest.
  • Hybrid Capabilities: Azure File Sync can synchronize on-premises Windows File Server files with Azure Files for cloud tiering and centralized management.

Common Use Cases

Azure File Storage is ideal for a variety of scenarios:

  • Replacing on-premises file servers with a cloud-based solution.
  • Providing shared storage for cloud applications.
  • Storing configuration files and application settings.
  • Enabling lift-and-shift scenarios for legacy applications.
  • Centralizing data for DevOps tools and workflows.

Getting Started with Azure Files

You can create and manage Azure File shares using the Azure portal, Azure CLI, PowerShell, or SDKs.

Creating a File Share (Azure Portal)

  1. Navigate to your Storage Account in the Azure portal.
  2. Under "Data storage", select "File shares".
  3. Click "+ File share" to create a new share.
  4. Provide a name, tier (e.g., Transaction optimized, Hot, Cool), and quota.

Mounting a File Share

Once created, you can mount the file share to your clients using SMB or NFS. The Azure portal provides connection strings and commands for easy mounting.

Example (Windows - SMB):


    net use Z: \\yourstorageaccount.file.core.windows.net\yourfileshare /u:Azure\yourstorageaccount yourstorageaccountkey

Example (Linux - NFSv4.1):

Ensure your storage account has NFS enabled and create a network file system export.


    sudo mount -o sec=sys,vers=4.1,tcp,nobrl yourstorageaccount.nfs.core.windows.net:/yourstorageaccount/yourfileshare /your/mount/point

Pricing and Tiers

Azure Files offers different tiers to optimize costs based on access patterns:

  • Transaction optimized: For workloads with high transaction counts and lower storage needs.
  • Hot: For general-purpose file sharing and frequently accessed data.
  • Cool: For infrequently accessed data that can tolerate slightly higher latency.

Refer to the Azure Files pricing page for the most up-to-date information.

Learn More

Explore the following resources to deepen your understanding of Azure File Storage: