Azure Storage Documentation

Deploying Azure Files

This guide provides detailed instructions and best practices for deploying Azure Files, a fully managed cloud file share service. Azure Files offers fully managed file shares in the cloud that are accessible via the industry-standard Server Message Block (SMB) protocol and the Network File System (NFS) protocol.

Note: Ensure you have an Azure subscription and appropriate permissions before proceeding with the deployment.

Prerequisites

  • An Azure subscription.
  • An Azure Storage account. If you don't have one, create it via the Azure portal, Azure CLI, or PowerShell.
  • Permissions to create and manage storage accounts and file shares.

Deployment Options

Option 1: Using the Azure Portal

The Azure portal provides a user-friendly graphical interface for deploying Azure Files.

  1. Navigate to your Storage Account in the Azure portal.
  2. In the left-hand menu, under "Data storage", select "File shares".
  3. Click "+ File share".
  4. Enter a unique name for your file share.
  5. Set the desired tier (e.g., Transaction Optimized, Hot, Cool).
  6. Specify the quota for the share.
  7. Click "Create".

Option 2: Using Azure CLI

Deploy Azure Files programmatically using the Azure Command-Line Interface.


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

Replace myshare with your desired share name and mystorageaccount with your storage account name.

Option 3: Using Azure PowerShell

Deploy Azure Files using Azure PowerShell cmdlets.


New-AzRmStorageShare -StorageAccountName "mystorageaccount" -Name "myshare" -EnabledProtocol SMB -CapacityGB 1024

Remember to authenticate with your Azure account first using Connect-AzAccount.

Configuring Access

Once deployed, you can mount your Azure File share to on-premises machines or Azure VMs.

Mounting with SMB (Windows)

You can mount an Azure File share using the net use command.


net use Z: \\mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net\myshare /u:Azure\mystorageaccount <storage_account_key>
Tip: You can find your storage account key in the Azure portal under your storage account's "Access keys" section.

Mounting with SMB (Linux)

Use the mount command with the cifs option.


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

Mounting with NFS (Linux)

NFS v4.1 is supported for premium tier file shares.


sudo mount -o sec=sys,vers=4.1 mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net:/mystorageaccount/myshare /mnt/myshare
Important: NFS mounts require specific network configurations and access policies. Refer to the official Azure documentation for detailed NFS setup.

Security Best Practices

  • Use Azure AD DS or on-premises AD DS for robust identity-based access control.
  • Restrict access to storage accounts using firewall rules and virtual network service endpoints.
  • Encrypt data in transit using SMB 3.0+ or NFSv4.1.
  • Regularly rotate storage account access keys.

This guide covers the fundamental steps for deploying Azure Files. For advanced configurations, integration scenarios, and detailed troubleshooting, please refer to the official Azure Files documentation.