Azure Docs

Inserting Entities into Azure Storage Tables

This document details how to insert entities into an Azure Storage table using various SDKs and REST APIs. Azure Table Storage is a NoSQL key-attribute store that allows you to store large amounts of structured, non-relational data.

Understanding Entities and Operations

An entity in Azure Table Storage is a set of properties that can be treated as a single unit. Each entity is uniquely identified by its PartitionKey and RowKey. Inserting an entity means adding a new record to a table.

Common Insertion Methods

1. Using the Azure Storage SDK for .NET

The .NET SDK provides convenient methods for interacting with Azure Storage. The CloudTableClient and TableOperation objects are central to performing operations.

using Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.Table;
using System;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

// Assuming 'cloudTable' is an initialized CloudTable object

// Create an entity
var customer = new DynamicTableEntity("Partition1", "Cust1")
{
    Properties = new Dictionary()
    {
        { "FirstName", new EntityProperty("John") },
        { "LastName", new EntityProperty("Doe") },
        { "Email", new EntityProperty("john.doe@example.com") },
        { "IsActive", new EntityProperty(true) }
    }
};

// Create an insert operation
var insertOperation = TableOperation.Insert(customer);

// Execute the operation
var result = await cloudTable.ExecuteAsync(insertOperation);

if (result.HttpStatusCode >= 200 && result.HttpStatusCode < 300)
{
    Console.WriteLine("Entity inserted successfully.");
}
else
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Error inserting entity: {result.HttpStatusCode}");
}
            

2. Using the Azure Storage SDK for Python

The Python SDK offers a similar, intuitive approach.

from azure.cosmosdb.table.tableservice import TableService
from azure.cosmosdb.table.models import Entity

# Replace with your actual storage account connection string
connection_string = "YOUR_AZURE_STORAGE_CONNECTION_STRING"
table_service = TableService(connection_string=connection_string)
table_name = "Customers"

# Create an entity
entity = Entity()
entity.PartitionKey = "Partition1"
entity.RowKey = "Cust2"
entity.FirstName = "Jane"
entity.LastName = "Smith"
entity.Email = "jane.smith@example.com"
entity.IsActive = True

try:
    table_service.insert_entity(table_name, entity)
    print("Entity inserted successfully.")
except Exception as e:
    print(f"Error inserting entity: {e}")
            

3. Using the Azure Storage REST API

You can also interact with Azure Table Storage directly using HTTP requests.

To insert an entity, you would typically send a POST request to the table's URI with an application/json payload.

Request URL:

https://<your-storage-account>.table.core.windows.net/<table-name>

Request Headers:

Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: SharedKey <your-storage-account>:<signature>
Date: <formatted-date>
Accept: application/json;odata=fullmetal
            

Request Body (JSON):

{
    "PartitionKey": {"String": "Partition1"},
    "RowKey": {"String": "Cust3"},
    "FirstName": {"String": "Peter"},
    "LastName": {"String": "Jones"},
    "Email": {"String": "peter.jones@example.com"},
    "IsActive": {"Boolean": true}
}
            

Batch Insertions

For improved performance, especially when inserting multiple entities, consider using batch operations. Azure Table Storage supports batch operations for up to 100 entities. Note that batch operations must all belong to the same partition.

.NET Example for Batch Insert

var batchOperations = new List<TableOperation>();
batchOperations.Add(TableOperation.Insert(entity1));
batchOperations.Add(TableOperation.Insert(entity2));
// ... up to 100 operations

var batchResult = await cloudTable.ExecuteBatchAsync(batchOperations);

foreach (var result in batchResult)
{
    if (result.HttpStatusCode < 200 || result.HttpStatusCode >= 300)
    {
        Console.WriteLine($"Error in batch: {result.HttpStatusCode}");
    }
}
            

Considerations for Insertion

• PartitionKey and RowKey: Choose these keys wisely for efficient querying and distribution.
• Data Types: Ensure properties are correctly typed when inserting.
• Concurrency: For concurrent updates or inserts, consider using InsertOrReplace or InsertOrMerge operations, or implement optimistic concurrency control.
• Performance: Batch operations are recommended for inserting multiple entities within the same partition.