Azure Documentation

Azure Files Overview

Azure Files offers fully managed cloud file shares that are accessible via the industry-standard Server Message Block (SMB) protocol and Network File System (NFS) protocol. This means you can "lift and shift" legacy applications that rely on file shares to Azure without significant code changes.

Azure Files Architecture Diagram

Key Features of Azure Files

  • Managed File Shares: Azure manages the underlying hardware and infrastructure, so you don't have to.
  • SMB & NFS Support: Access your shares from Windows, Linux, and macOS clients using standard protocols.
  • Cloud-Native: Seamless integration with other Azure services.
  • Hybrid Scenarios: Use Azure File Sync to cache frequently accessed files on-premises for local performance while retaining cloud benefits.
  • Scalability: Azure Files scales to meet your needs, from small shares to petabytes of data.
  • Security: Features like Azure AD DS integration, private endpoints, and encryption at rest and in transit.

Use Cases

  • Application Configuration: Store shared configuration files for multiple application instances.
  • Development & Testing: Provide shared storage for development tools and test data.
  • Lift and Shift Applications: Migrate applications that require traditional file shares to the cloud.
  • Shared Access for Multiple VMs: Allow multiple virtual machines to access the same file data.
  • Backup and Archiving: Store backups and archive data in a scalable and accessible manner.

Getting Started with Azure Files

To start using Azure Files, you'll need an Azure Storage Account. You can create one through the Azure portal, Azure CLI, or Azure PowerShell.

Creating a File Share

Once you have a storage account, you can create a file share. Here's a simplified example using Azure CLI:

az storage share create \ --name myfileshare \ --account-name mystorageaccount \ --quota 100 \ --output table

This command creates a file share named myfileshare within your storage account mystorageaccount with a quota of 100 GiB.

Mounting a File Share

You can mount the file share to your client machine. The method varies by operating system.

On Windows:

net use : \\mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net\myfileshare /u:

Replace , mystorageaccount, , and with your specific details.

On Linux (using SMB):

sudo mount -t cifs //mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net/myfileshare /mnt/myfileshare -o vers=3.0,username=mystorageaccount,password=,dir_mode=0777,file_mode=0777,serverino

Tip: For enhanced security, consider using Azure AD DS for identity-based authentication and avoid hardcoding credentials in scripts.

Further Reading