Azure File Share Setup and Management Guide

Azure File Share is a cloud-based storage solution that allows you to store and share files across your organization. It's accessible from anywhere, at any time, making it a great option for teams with remote workers.

To set up an Azure File Share, you'll need to create a storage account. This can be done through the Azure portal, where you can choose from various storage account types, including Standard and Premium.

Azure File Share supports SMB 3.0, which means you can access your files using the same protocols as your on-premises file shares. This makes it easy to integrate with your existing infrastructure.

Here's an interesting read: Azure What Is a Storage Account

Storage options for Azure file shares are flexible and cater to different needs. You can choose between provisioned v2, pay-as-you-go, and provisioned v1 billing models.

For HDD file shares, you can select between the provisioned v2 and pay-as-you-go billing models. The provisioned v2 model is recommended for new file share deployments.

Here are the three main combinations of kind and SKU for Azure Files:

You can access your Azure file share directly using its UNC path, which is a bit like a special address for your file share. To do this, enter the following into File Explorer: \\storageaccountname.file.core.windows.net\myfileshare.

Just replace storageaccountname with your actual storage account name and myfileshare with your actual file share name. You'll be prompted to sign in with your network credentials.

Sign in with the Azure subscription under which you've created the storage account and file share. If you don't get prompted for credentials, you can add them using the command: cmdkey /add:StorageAccountName.file.core.windows.net /user:localhost\StorageAccountName /pass:StorageAccountKey.

For Azure Government Cloud, use a different server name: \\storageaccountname.file.core.usgovcloudapi.net\myfileshare.

A storage account is a shared pool of storage in Azure where you can deploy file shares or other storage resources. This pool of storage can be used to deploy multiple file shares.

You can create a storage account in the Azure portal by searching for storage accounts and selecting the matching result. From there, you can click + Create to create a new storage account.

See what others are reading: How to Create Onedrive

Storage accounts have two properties: kind and SKU, which dictate the billing model, media tier, and redundancy of the file shares deployed in the storage account. There are three main combinations of kind and SKU to consider for Azure Files: HDD with provisioned v2 or pay-as-you-go billing models, and SSD with provisioned v1 billing model.

Here are the three main combinations of kind and SKU for Azure Files:

To create a storage account, you'll need to select the Azure subscription, resource group, and instance details, including the storage account name, which must be all lowercase and between 3 and 24 characters. You'll also need to select the region and primary service.

Once you've created a storage account, you can access it via its UNC path by entering the following into File Explorer: \\storageaccountname.file.core.windows.net\myfileshare. You'll need to sign in with your network credentials or add the credentials using the cmdkey command.

Soft delete is enabled by default for file shares, but you may choose to disable this setting if shares are frequently created and deleted as part of a business workflow.

Soft deleted file shares are billed for their used capacity, even in provisioned models.

Azure Files supports encryption at rest, and you can choose the encryption type, which controls who holds the encryption key for the data placed in this storage account.

To enable infrastructure encryption, which provides an additional layer of security, check the box next to "Enable infrastructure encryption".

You can also choose to retain soft deleted file shares for a longer period of time, but be aware that this can result in greater expenses due to soft-delete.

Here's a summary of the encryption options for Azure Files:

Data protection is a crucial aspect of security, and Azure Files offers a range of features to help protect your data. You can enable soft delete for file shares, which allows you to recover accidentally deleted shares.

Soft delete is enabled by default, but you can choose to disable it if you frequently create and delete shares as part of a business workflow. Soft deleted file shares are billed for their used capacity, even in provisioned models.

To enable soft delete for file shares, go to the Data protection tab and check the box next to "Enable soft delete for file shares." This setting is only applicable to Azure Files.

The default retention period for soft deleted file shares is 7 days, but you can increase or decrease this number depending on your requirements. Keep in mind that retaining soft deleted file shares for a longer period of time can result in greater expenses due to the used capacity.

Here's a summary of the key points to consider when it comes to data protection with Azure Files:

By understanding these data protection features and settings, you can better protect your data and ensure business continuity in the event of accidental deletions.

Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) is a crucial setting for Azure storage accounts, especially when developing for browsers.

To set up CORS, you need to create new rules for your storage account in the Azure portal and Azure Storage Explorer. This will ensure that your storage account is accessible from different domains.

You can create CORS settings for debugging by allowing all origins, verbs, headers, and exposing all headers. For example, you can set the following CORS settings:

To authenticate the client, you'll need to choose one of the supported methods.

Azure Storage supports two main ways to authenticate: Shared Key and Shared access signatures.

You can create an instance of a Storage client, such as ShareServiceClient, ShareClient, or ShareDirectoryClient, to interact with the Azure Storage File Share service.

A ShareServiceClient requires an URL to the file share service and an access credential.

You can also use a shared access signatures (SAS) to authenticate the client.

Here are the two main authentication methods supported by Azure Storage:

You can change the cost and performance characteristics of an Azure file share by adjusting its provisioning or access tier.

There are two types of file shares: provisioned v1, provisioned v2, and pay-as-you-go. Each has its own set of options for modifying cost and performance.

For provisioned v1 file shares, you can change the provisioned storage size, which will also change the amount of provisioned IOPS and provisioned throughput.

You can modify a provisioned v1 file share with the Update-AzRmStorageShare cmdlet or the az storage share-rm update command.

For provisioned v2 file shares, you can change one or all three of the provisioned quantities: storage, IOPS, and throughput.

You can modify a provisioned v2 file share with the Set-AzResource cmdlet or the az resource patch command.

For pay-as-you-go file shares, you can change the access tier, which dictates the ratio of storage to IOPS/throughput costs. The access tier can be transaction optimized, hot, or cool.

You might like: Shared Access Signature in Azure

Changing the tier of the Azure file share results in transaction costs for the movement to the new access tier.

You can also change the quota, which is a limit on the size of the file share. The maximum file share size for a pay-as-you-go file share is 100 TiB.

Here are the steps to update the access tier of your file share:

And here are the steps to update the quota of your file share:

Managing an Azure File Share is relatively straightforward. You can access your file share through the Azure portal.

To ensure your file share is secure, you can configure access controls, such as setting permissions for users and groups. This will help prevent unauthorized access to your files.

Regular maintenance tasks, like checking for corrupted files and updating your file share's configuration, can be performed through the Azure portal.

Readers also liked: Azure Access

Delete a file share is a crucial part of management and maintenance. You can delete unused or outdated file shares using the instructions provided.

Curious to learn more? Check out: Remove Shared File from Google Drive

To delete a file share, start by selecting File shares under Data storage in the storage account table of contents. This is where you'll find the list of file shares.

In the file share list, select the ... for the file share you want to delete. This will open a context menu with the option to delete the share.

You'll be prompted to enter the file share name to confirm deletion. This is a security measure to ensure you don't accidentally delete the wrong share.

To recover a deleted file share, you'll need to check if the storage account has soft delete enabled. If it does, you can recover the share within the retention period.

You can also use the Remove-AzRmStorageShare cmdlet or the az storage share-rm delete command to delete a file share. Remember to replace the variable values with the desired values for your file share.

Here's a step-by-step guide to deleting a file share:

Regular inspections are crucial to ensure equipment is in good working order. This can be done by checking for signs of wear and tear, such as loose bolts or worn-out seals.

A schedule should be created to ensure regular maintenance is performed. This can be done on a weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis, depending on the equipment's usage and manufacturer's recommendations.

Equipment should be properly lubricated to prevent overheating and damage. For example, a compressor's motor should be lubricated with the recommended type and amount of oil.

Cleaning the equipment regularly can prevent the buildup of dust and debris. This can be done using compressed air or a soft brush.

Proper storage of equipment can help prevent damage and extend its lifespan. For example, a generator should be stored in a dry, well-ventilated area to prevent rust.