Azure File Share Usage

This document provides comprehensive guidance on using Azure File Shares for various cloud and on-premises applications.

Introduction to Azure Files

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

Key benefits include:

  • Managed Service: No need to manage underlying storage hardware or operating systems.
  • Protocol Support: Supports SMB protocol for Windows, macOS, and Linux clients.
  • Scalability: Scales to accommodate large data volumes.
  • Integration: Integrates seamlessly with Azure services.

Creating an Azure File Share

You can create an Azure File Share using the Azure portal, Azure CLI, PowerShell, or SDKs. Here's a quick overview using the 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 for your file share (e.g., myshare).
  5. Set the desired tier (e.g., Transaction optimized, Hot, Cool).
  6. Configure the Quota (maximum size of the share).
  7. Click "Create".

For programmatic creation using Azure CLI:

az storage share create --name myshare --account-name mystorageaccount --quota 1024 --output table

Mounting an Azure File Share

Mounting allows your client machines to access the file share as if it were a local drive. The method varies slightly by operating system.

Mounting on Windows

Use the net use command. You will need the storage account name and either the storage account key or a SAS token.

net use Z: \\mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net\myshare /u:Azure\mystorageaccount YOUR_STORAGE_ACCOUNT_KEY

Mounting on Linux

Install the cifs-utils package and use the mount command.

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install cifs-utils
sudo mount -t cifs //mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net/myshare /mnt/mymountpoint -o vers=3.0,username=mystorageaccount,password=YOUR_STORAGE_ACCOUNT_KEY,dir_mode=0777,file_mode=0777,serverino

Mounting on macOS

Use Finder's "Connect to Server" option or the mount command.

open smb://mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net/myshare -o username=mystorageaccount,password=YOUR_STORAGE_ACCOUNT_KEY

Accessing Files and Folders

Once mounted, you can interact with the Azure File Share like any other network drive or mounted folder. You can create, read, update, and delete files and directories using standard file system operations.

Consider using Azure AD DS or Azure AD Kerberos for integrated authentication for enhanced security and simplified access management.

Tip: For consistent performance, ensure your client machines are geographically close to the Azure region where your storage account is located.

Best Practices for Azure File Shares

  • Choose the Right Tier: Select the appropriate tier (Transaction optimized, Hot, Cool) based on your workload's access patterns to optimize costs.
  • Enable Redundancy: Configure LRS, ZRS, GRS, or RA-GRS based on your availability and durability requirements.
  • Use SMB Multichannel: For higher throughput and resilience on supported clients, enable SMB multichannel.
  • Secure Access: Utilize Shared Access Signature (SAS) tokens for granular, time-limited access, or integrate with Azure AD for identity-based access.
  • Monitor Usage: Regularly check capacity, IOPS, and throughput to ensure optimal performance and cost management.
Important: Azure Files has certain performance limits. Refer to the official documentation for the latest details on IOPS, throughput, and latency.

Monitoring Azure File Share Usage

Azure Monitor provides rich insights into the performance and health of your Azure File Shares. You can track metrics such as:

  • Ingress and Egress data
  • Total requests
  • Average latency
  • Used capacity

Set up alerts to be notified of critical events or performance thresholds being met.