Azure File Storage
Secure, fully managed cloud file shares accessible via SMB protocol.
Azure Files offers fully managed cloud file shares that are accessible using the industry-standard Server Message Block (SMB) protocol. You can mount Azure File shares concurrently from your applications running in the cloud or on-premises. Azure Files offers:
- Fully Managed: No need to deploy or manage on-premises file servers or network attached storage (NAS) devices.
- SMB Protocol: Supports standard SMB 2.1 and SMB 3.0/3.1.1.
- Cloud & Hybrid: Access shares from anywhere, including your on-premises environment using Azure Files sync.
- Scalability: Scales to accommodate large file shares with high performance.
- Durability & Availability: Built on Azure Storage, offering high durability and availability.
Key Features and Capabilities
Mounting Azure File Shares
Azure File shares can be mounted as a drive letter on Windows or a mount point on Linux and macOS. This makes them seamlessly integrate with existing applications and workflows.
Example (Windows PowerShell):
New-PSDrive -Name Z -PSProvider FileSystem -Root "\\yourstorageaccount.file.core.windows.net\yourshare" -PersistExample (Linux):
sudo mount -t cifs //yourstorageaccount.file.core.windows.net/yourshare /mnt/yourmountpoint -o vers=3.0,username=yourstorageaccount,password=YOUR_STORAGE_KEY,dir_mode=0777,file_mode=0777,serverinoIdentity and Access Management
Azure Files supports multiple authentication methods:
- Storage Account Keys: Basic authentication using the account key.
- Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) Domain Services: Integrated with Azure AD DS for domain-joined VMs and users.
- Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS): On-premises AD DS integration.
For granular control, you can leverage Network File System (NFS) protocol support for Linux environments, offering POSIX-style permissions.
Performance Tiers
Azure Files offers different performance tiers to meet your workload requirements:
| Tier | Description | Use Cases |
|---|---|---|
| Premium | SSD-backed storage for high-performance workloads. | Latency-sensitive applications, databases, high I/O workloads. |
| Standard | HDD-backed storage for general-purpose file sharing. | General file sharing, content repositories, development environments. |
Security Considerations
Encryption: Data is encrypted at rest by default using AES-256. Encryption in transit is supported via SMB 3.0 with encryption.
Network Security: Restrict access to your file shares using:
- Firewall and virtual networks
- Private Endpoints
Note
Always use strong passwords or access keys and follow the principle of least privilege when granting access to your file shares.
Tip
For hybrid scenarios, consider Azure File Sync to cache frequently accessed files on-premises for faster local access.
Important
Ensure your client operating system supports SMB 3.0 for enhanced security and performance features like encryption.
Pricing
Pricing for Azure Files is based on the storage capacity consumed, transactions, and data egress. Premium tier pricing is also influenced by provisioned IOPS and throughput.
Refer to the Azure Files pricing page for detailed information.