Create an Azure Storage Account for Blob Storage

This tutorial guides you through the process of creating an Azure Storage account, which is the foundational service for utilizing Azure Blob Storage. A storage account provides a unique namespace for your Azure Storage data that is accessible from anywhere in the world over HTTP or HTTPS.

This tutorial uses the Azure portal to create a storage account. You can also create a storage account using Azure CLI, PowerShell, or client libraries.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, you need an Azure subscription. If you don't have one, create a free account before you start.

Steps to Create a Storage Account

  1. Sign in to the Azure portal

    Open your web browser and navigate to https://portal.azure.com/. Sign in with your Azure account credentials.

  2. Create a resource

    On the Azure portal home page, select Create a resource. You can also find this option in the top-left corner of the portal.

  3. Search for Storage Account

    In the Search the Marketplace bar, type "Storage account" and select it from the search results. Then, click Create.

  4. Configure the Storage Account

    On the Create a storage account page, fill in the following details:

    • Subscription: Choose your Azure subscription.
    • Resource group: Select an existing resource group or click Create new to create a new one. A resource group is a logical container for your Azure resources.
    • Storage account name: Enter a globally unique name for your storage account. This name must be between 3 and 24 characters long and can contain only lowercase letters and numbers.
    • Region: Select the Azure region where you want to create your storage account. Choose a region close to your users or other Azure services you'll be using.
    • Performance: Select Standard for general-purpose v2 accounts, which are suitable for most scenarios including Blob storage.
    • Redundancy: Choose a redundancy option based on your availability and durability needs. For most Blob storage scenarios, Locally-redundant storage (LRS) is a cost-effective choice. For higher durability, consider Geo-redundant storage (GRS).
    Note: For Blob storage, it's recommended to choose a General-purpose v2 (GPv2) account, which is the default and supports all Blob storage features.

  5. Advanced Settings (Optional)

    You can configure advanced settings like networking, data protection, and access tiers. For a basic setup, the defaults are usually fine. You can configure these later if needed.

  6. Review and Create

    Click Review + create. Azure will validate your configuration. Once validation passes, review the settings and click Create.

  7. Deployment

    The deployment process will begin. This may take a few minutes. You can monitor the deployment progress on the portal's notification bell or by navigating to the deployment page.

  8. Access Your Storage Account

    Once the deployment is complete, navigate to your storage account resource. You'll find your Access keys on the Access keys page, which you'll need to connect to your storage account using SDKs or tools.

Example Azure CLI Command

You can also create a storage account using the Azure CLI:

az storage account create \ --name mystorageaccountname \ --resource-group myresourcegroup \ --location westus2 \ --sku Standard_LRS \ --kind StorageV2

Remember to replace mystorageaccountname, myresourcegroup, and westus2 with your desired values.

Tip: For production workloads, consider implementing stricter access policies and using Azure Active Directory for authentication.

Next Steps

Now that you have a storage account, you can start creating containers and uploading your first blobs. Explore the following tutorials: