Azure Blob Storage
Table of Contents
Introduction to Azure Blob Storage
Azure Blob Storage is Microsoft's object storage solution for the cloud. It is optimized for storing massive amounts of unstructured data, such as text or binary data. Unstructured data is data that doesn't adhere to a particular data model or definition, like text files, images, or videos.
Blob storage is designed to store data for:
- Serving images or documents directly to a browser.
- Storing files for distributed access.
- Streaming video and audio.
- Writing to log files.
- Storing data for backup and restore, disaster recovery, and archiving.
- Storing data for analysis by an on-premises or Azure-hosted service.
Key Concepts
Understanding the fundamental concepts of Azure Blob Storage is crucial for effective utilization.
Storage Accounts
A storage account provides a unique namespace in Azure for your data object. Every object you store in Blob Storage is referenced or addressed by its unique URL. A storage account can contain any amount of data, but the total capacity of the storage account is limited by the account type.
Containers
A container is a logical grouping of a set of blobs. It's similar to a folder in a file system. All blobs must reside within a container. A storage account can contain an unlimited number of containers, and a container can contain an unlimited number of blobs.
Blobs
A blob is the simplest type of object storage. A blob can contain any amount of text or binary data, up to the current maximum capacity of a storage object. There are three types of blobs:
- Block blobs: Optimized for storing large amounts of unstructured data. They are made up of blocks of data that are individually accessible.
- Append blobs: Optimized for append operations, such as logging data from a virtual machine.
- Page blobs: Optimized for random read/write operations. Used primarily for Azure Virtual Machines' disks.
Common Blob Operations
Put Blob: Uploads a new block blob, append blob, or page blob.Get Blob: Downloads a blob.Delete Blob: Deletes a blob.List Blobs: Lists the blobs within a container.
Getting Started with Azure Blob Storage
To start using Azure Blob Storage, you'll need an Azure subscription and a storage account. Follow these steps:
- Create an Azure Storage Account: You can do this via the Azure portal, Azure CLI, or Azure PowerShell.
- Create a Container: Within your storage account, create a container to organize your blobs.
- Upload Data: Use one of the Azure Storage SDKs or the Azure portal to upload your files as blobs.
Blob Storage REST API
The Azure Blob Storage service exposes a REST API that allows you to interact with your storage data programmatically. This API is the foundation for the Azure Storage SDKs and can be used directly for maximum control.
Key operations include:
- Account Operations (e.g., Get Account Information)
- Container Operations (e.g., Create Container, Delete Container, List Containers)
- Blob Operations (e.g., Upload Blob, Download Blob, Delete Blob, Lease Blob)
- Blob Snapshot Operations
- Blob Tier Operations
You can find the full REST API specification and detailed documentation on operations in the Blob Storage REST API Reference.
Azure Storage SDKs
Azure Storage provides SDKs for popular programming languages, making it easier to integrate Blob Storage into your applications. These SDKs wrap the REST API, providing a more idiomatic and convenient way to manage your data.
Supported SDKs include:
- .NET
- Java
- Python
- JavaScript
- Go
- C++
Explore the SDK Documentation for code examples and usage patterns.