Course Introduction
Introduction to Azure Storage
Blob Storage
Azure Files
Azure Queues
Azure Tables
Azure Disks
Course Summary
This course is intended for those who wish to learn about the basics of Microsoft Azure storage, covering the core storage services in Azure and the different storage account types that are available. You'll watch a demonstration that shows you how to create a storage account in Microsoft Azure.
The course then moves on to look at the storage services in more detail: blob storage, Azure Files, Azure Queues, and Azure Tables. We'll also cover encryption and bursting.
This course contains hands-on demonstrations from the Azure portal so that you can see the concepts covered in this course put into practice. If you have any feedback relating to this course, feel free to reach out to us at support@cloudacademy.com.
Learning Objectives
- Define the major components of Azure Storage
- Understand blob storage and what it offers
- Understand how to use Azure Files
- Learn about Azure Queues and how to create a queue
- Learn why and when to use an Azure Table
Intended Audience
This course is intended for anyone who wants to learn the basics of Azure Storage.
Prerequisites
To get the most out of this course, you should have a basic understanding of the Microsoft Azure platform.
Hello and welcome to an intro to Azure Files. In this lesson, we are going to take a look at what Azure Files is and talk a little bit about what it offers.
Azure Files is an offering that makes file shares available in the cloud. It’s a fully managed solution that supports access to these cloud-based file shares via the industry-standard server message block protocol, or SMB.
You can mount Azure file shares from cloud deployments and on-prem deployments of not only Windows machines, but also Linux, and Mac OS machines. You can also use the Azure file sync service with Azure Files to cache your Azure file shares on Windows servers that are located close to your users. By leveraging Azure file shares with Azure file sync, you can speed data access for your end users.
Organizations will often use Azure Files to replace on-prem file servers or to supplement them. While earlier iterations of Azure Files were not a good replacement for on-prem file servers, this is no longer the case. Because popular operating systems like Windows, Linux, and Mac OS can mount Azure file shares, Azure Files can now completely replace traditional on-prem file servers and even NAS devices. As a matter of fact, the release of Azure Files AD Authentication means Azure file share permissions can even be controlled through on-prem active directories.
Azure Files is also helpful when lifting and shifting applications to the cloud. This is especially true for applications that require file shares to store application data and user data.
Because Azure Files are fully managed, you can create as many file shares as you need without worrying about hardware management and OS installation. This means you also have no need for OS patching or security upgrades.
You can also use familiar PowerShell commands and Azure CLI commands to create, mount, and manage Azure file shares. They can also be created and managed through the Azure portal and through Azure Storage Explorer.
Because Azure Files are built to be resilient, you no longer need to worry about file server upgrades or local power outages and network issues that typically affect access to on-prem file shares.
Join me in the next lesson, where I will show you how to create an Azure file share using the Azure portal.
Tom is a 25+ year veteran of the IT industry, having worked in environments as large as 40k seats and as small as 50 seats. Throughout the course of a long an interesting career, he has built an in-depth skillset that spans numerous IT disciplines. Tom has designed and architected small, large, and global IT solutions.
In addition to the Cloud Platform and Infrastructure MCSE certification, Tom also carries several other Microsoft certifications. His ability to see things from a strategic perspective allows Tom to architect solutions that closely align with business needs.
In his spare time, Tom enjoys camping, fishing, and playing poker.