Upload blobs to Azure Blob Storage
This guide will walk you through the process of uploading blobs to Azure Blob Storage using various methods, including the Azure CLI, Azure SDKs, and AzCopy.
Prerequisites
- An Azure Storage account. If you don't have one, you can create it through the Azure portal.
- A container within your storage account.
Methods for Uploading Blobs
1. Using the Azure CLI
The Azure Command-Line Interface (CLI) provides a straightforward way to manage your Azure resources, including uploading blobs.
Upload a single blob
az storage blob upload --account-name --container-name --name --file --auth-mode login Replace the placeholders with your actual storage account name, container name, desired blob name, and the path to your local file.
Upload multiple blobs recursively
To upload all files from a local directory to a container, use the --recursive flag.
az storage blob upload-batch --account-name --container-name --source --auth-mode login Note: The --auth-mode login uses your Azure CLI login credentials. You can also use other authentication methods like connection strings or shared access signatures (SAS) tokens.
2. Using Azure SDKs
Azure provides SDKs for various programming languages to interact with Azure services. Here's a basic example using the Azure Blob Storage SDK for Python.
Python Example
# Install the SDK: pip install azure-storage-blob
from azure.storage.blob import BlobServiceClient, BlobClient, ContainerClient
import os
connect_str = os.getenv("AZURE_STORAGE_CONNECTION_STRING")
container_name = ""
local_file_path = ""
blob_name = os.path.basename(local_file_path)
try:
# Create the BlobServiceClient object
blob_service_client = BlobServiceClient.from_connection_string(connect_str)
# Get a client to interact with a specific blob
blob_client = blob_service_client.get_blob_client(container=container_name, blob=blob_name)
# Upload the blob
with open(local_file_path, "rb") as data:
blob_client.upload_blob(data)
print(f"Successfully uploaded {local_file_path} to {blob_name} in container {container_name}.")
except Exception as ex:
print('Exception: {}'.format(ex)) Ensure you have set your connection string as an environment variable named AZURE_STORAGE_CONNECTION_STRING.
3. Using AzCopy
AzCopy is a command-line utility designed for high-performance copying of data to and from Azure Blob Storage and Azure Files.
Upload a file
azcopy copy "" "https://.blob.core.windows.net//" You'll typically need a SAS token or an account key for authentication with AzCopy.
Upload a directory
azcopy copy "" "https://.blob.core.windows.net//" --recursive=true Important: For AzCopy, replace <YOUR_SAS_TOKEN> with your actual Shared Access Signature token. You can generate a SAS token from the Azure portal.
Best Practices for Uploading
- Large Files: For very large files, consider using block blobs and breaking the file into chunks for parallel uploads, which can significantly improve performance. Azure SDKs and AzCopy often handle this automatically.
- Network Bandwidth: Ensure you have sufficient network bandwidth for efficient uploads.
- Error Handling: Implement robust error handling in your applications to manage potential network issues or authentication failures.
- Security: Use managed identities or SAS tokens with the least privilege required rather than account keys for enhanced security.