Getting Started with Azure Storage Services and Options

Azure Storage Services offer a range of options to meet different needs, from storing large amounts of data to serving static websites.

To get started, you can choose from three main types of storage: Blob, File, and Queue.

Each type of storage has its own unique features and use cases. For example, Blob Storage is ideal for storing unstructured data such as images and videos, while File Storage is better suited for storing files that need to be accessed by multiple users.

Azure Storage Services also offer a range of tools and features to help you manage your data, including data encryption, access control, and data replication.

For more insights, see: Azure Files vs Blob

Azure provides a variety of storage tools and services to suit different needs. You can review your storage options in the Azure Cloud Adoption Framework to determine which technology is best for your scenario.

Azure Blob Storage is a cloud-native object storage option for housing unstructured data, such as text, binary data, and multimedia files, at scale. It's ideal for storing large volumes of unstructured data, like multimedia content, log files, or backup data.

Explore further: What Is the Data Storage in Azure Called

Azure Blob Storage offers optimized solutions to store massive volumes of data in various formats. It features data tiering with hot, cool, and archive tiers to optimize costs based on access frequency.

Azure Blob Storage also incorporates multiple Blob types to improve storage for different data operations: Block blobs for streaming, page blobs for random access, and append blobs for append operations.

Azure Files enables you to set up highly available network file shares that can be accessed using the SMB protocol, NFS protocol, and Azure Files REST API.

Azure Files can be accessed from anywhere in the world using a URL that points to the file and includes a shared access signature (SAS) token. This makes it a great option for collaboration and data sharing.

Azure NetApp Files is an enterprise-class, high-performance, metered file storage service that's highly available by default. It supports any workload type and allows you to select service and performance levels.

Here are some common scenarios where Azure Files can be used:

Account management is crucial for Azure Storage Services, and you can manage your storage accounts through the Azure portal. You can also use the Azure CLI or Azure PowerShell to manage your accounts.

To create a new storage account, you'll need to choose a unique name and select a deployment model. The deployment model determines the location of your storage account and its associated resources.

You can manage access to your storage account by creating and managing access keys, which are used to authenticate and authorize access. Access keys are also used to sign requests to Azure Storage.

Worth a look: How to Manage Onedrive Storage

Creating a new storage account is a straightforward process that can be accomplished in a few different ways. You can use the Azure Portal to create a new storage account.

The Azure Portal offers a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to set up a new storage account. I've used it myself to create accounts for various projects, and it's always been a breeze.

Suggestion: Create Azure Storage Account

Alternatively, you can use Azure PowerShell or Azure CLI to create a new storage account. These command-line tools offer a flexible and efficient way to manage your storage accounts.

Both Azure PowerShell and Azure CLI provide a high degree of control and flexibility when creating new storage accounts. This can be particularly useful for larger-scale deployments or complex storage scenarios.

Looking up the account URL is a crucial step in accessing your Azure Storage account. You can find the storage account's blob service URL using the Azure Portal, Azure PowerShell, or Azure CLI.

The Azure Portal is a great place to start, as it provides a user-friendly interface to manage your account settings. With the Azure Portal, you can easily locate the blob service URL for your storage account.

Alternatively, you can use Azure PowerShell or Azure CLI to retrieve the blob service URL. These command-line tools offer a more programmatic approach to managing your Azure resources.

Here are the tools you can use to find the storage account's blob service URL:

Remember, having the correct URL is essential for interacting with your Azure Storage account. Make sure you have the right credentials and permissions to access your account before proceeding.

Azure Storage offers several types of storage accounts, each supporting different features and having its own pricing model.

You can choose from these types, depending on your specific needs and requirements.

Azure Storage account overview provides more information about the available types of storage accounts.

Each type of storage account has its own unique characteristics, so it's essential to understand the differences before making a decision.

Storage account types are designed to cater to various use cases, from small projects to large-scale applications.

For more information about storage account types, see Azure storage account overview.

Here's an interesting read: Azure Storage Types

You can access Azure storage using various methods, including Azure Active Directory (AAD) token credentials, shared access signatures (SAS), and storage account shared keys.

To use AAD token credentials, you'll need to obtain an instance of the desired credential type from the azure-identity library, such as DefaultAzureCredential. This requires some initial setup, but it provides a secure way to authenticate your client.

Recommended read: Access Azure Blob Storage

A shared access signature (SAS) is a string containing a security token that can be appended to the URI for a storage resource. You can generate a SAS token from the Azure Portal under "Shared access signature" or use one of the generate_sas() functions to create a sas token for the storage account, container, or blob.

Storage account shared keys can be found in the Azure Portal under the "Access Keys" section or by running the following Azure CLI command: az storage account keys list -g MyResourceGroup -n MyStorageAccount.

Here are the different types of credentials you can use to access Azure storage:

Databricks recommends using secret scopes for storing all credentials. You can grant users, service principals, and groups in your workspace access to read the secret scope. This protects the Azure credentials while allowing users to access Azure storage.

Suggestion: How to Access Google Cloud Storage

Encryption is a top priority for Azure Storage, ensuring your data is protected and secure. Azure NetApp Files data traffic is inherently secure by design, staying within customer-owned VNet and not providing a public endpoint.

Azure NetApp Files does not encrypt data-in-flight by default, but NFSv4.1 and SMB3 data-in-flight encryption can be optionally enabled for added security. This provides a secure connection between an Azure VM and Azure NetApp Files.

All Azure NetApp Files volumes are encrypted using the FIPS 140-2 standard, meeting high security standards. This encryption ensures that data is protected at rest, providing an additional layer of security for your data.

Azure Storage client libraries offer methods for encrypting data from the client library before sending it across the wire and decrypting the response. This client-side encryption is also encrypted at rest by Azure Storage, providing end-to-end encryption.

To configure encryption, you can use keyword arguments when instantiating a client, including require_encryption, encryption_version, key_encryption_key, key_resolver_function. The encryption_version should be set to '2.0' for the latest and most secure encryption.

For another approach, see: Azure Blob Storage Encryption

Data Management is a crucial aspect of Azure Storage Services, and Azure Container Storage is a key component. It integrates with Kubernetes and utilizes existing Azure Storage offerings for actual data storage.

Azure Container Storage offers a volume orchestration and management solution purposely built for containers, allowing you to choose from supported backing storage options to create a storage pool for your persistent volumes.

You can scale out stateful pods rapidly, and improve performance for stateful workloads with Azure Container Storage. Kubernetes-native volume orchestration is also a significant benefit.

Here are some of the key benefits of Azure Container Storage:

Queue Storage is a powerful tool for storing and retrieving messages, allowing you to process them asynchronously. It can handle millions of messages, each up to 64 KB in size.

Using queues like Azure Queue Storage can help you decouple components within your cloud applications, making your business infrastructure stronger and more fault-tolerant. This means that disruptions in one part of the system won't bring down the whole operation.

Queues are particularly well-suited for environments like order processing systems, where a smooth flow of information is crucial, especially during high-traffic periods. They help ensure a seamless experience for your customers.

You can use queues to store lists of messages to be processed, such as creating thumbnails for uploaded pictures. This way, your customers don't have to wait for you to process their requests while they're uploading files.

The Storage Blobs Python SDK has a wide range of sample code available to help you get started with common tasks.

You can find these samples in the SDK's GitHub repository, specifically designed for Storage Blobs scenarios.

These samples cover various use cases, including setting Access policies, authenticating and creating the client, and interacting with the blob service.

The samples are available in both synchronous and asynchronous versions, making it easier to choose the approach that suits your needs.

Here are some examples of the sample code available:

To create a container, you'll need to use the Azure Storage Blobs client library for Python, which allows you to interact with three types of resources: the storage account itself, blob storage containers, and blobs.

This library requires a credential that allows you to access the storage account, which you can obtain from the storage account's blob service account URL.

To create a container, you'll need to use the async client, which is a more efficient way to interact with the storage account.

The async client is designed to handle asynchronous operations, making it a great choice for creating containers in the background while your application continues to run smoothly.

You can create a container from where you can upload or download blobs, making it a crucial step in managing your data.

For another approach, see: Create Azure Blob Storage

To download files, you'll need to select the correct file for your platform. Download the file for your platform. If you're not sure which to choose, learn more about installing packages.

The file you'll need is labeled with its version number, in this case, azure_storage_blob-12.24.0.tar.gz. This file is a compressed archive, indicated by the .tar.gz extension.

To proceed, find the details for this specific file, which will provide more information on how to download and install it.

Readers also liked: Download Microsoft Azure Storage Explorer