Azure Storage Tutorial – Tables, Blobs, Queues & File Storage in Microsoft Azure

Microsoft Azure Storage can be considered one of the most massive cloud-storage platforms that are popular today. It has about 8 million active users and is growing significantly every year. It is designed to help users build virtual machines, applications for the web and the phone, and users can store vast amounts of data too. Individuals or organisations looking to use Microsoft Azure Storage must determine their needs before signing up for the service. In this article, we will learn about the different storage types in Azure and the various advantages of using Microsoft Azure Storage Services.

Different Storage Types In Azure

There are several storage types in Azure that are currently in use today:

• Blob
• Table
• File
• Queue
• Disk

1. The blob storage type is known as Binary Large Object and usually consists of large unstructured files like backup files, music files, videos or images. According to the frequency of access, they can be divided into two types: The hot access tier, which is the ones accessed frequently and the cold access tier, which the users do not frequently access. Comparing the two, the cold access tier is way cheaper and allows users to store data at a lower subscription cost. The blob storage is also further divided into three:

1. Page blobs consist of pages and are used for quick read and write operations.

1. Block blobs are mainly used for data streaming and also for parallel uploads.

1. Append blobs are used to append data.

2. For storing semi-structured data, users can look into table storage. The data is stored in a NoSQL database, and that too in a key-value format. Azure table storage is reliable and can store tons of data. Since it is not that expensive, individuals can use table storage to scale.

3. Those who want to move many applications that are dependant on regular file shares can use the file storage in the Azure cloud storage. One of the main reasons why file storage is so popular is that multiple accounts can access it simultaneously.

4. Queue storage helps users decouple their components and also makes way for asynchronous communication too. What users should keep in mind is that the number of queues will depend on the size of the storage account, so make sure to use the right services accordingly.

5. For block-level storage volumes, Azure storage has disks that are either managed or unmanaged for all storage purposes. Among these two types of disks, users can choose either the premium ones or the standard ones.

Various Advantages Of Using Azure

There are plenty of reasons why Microsoft Azure Storage is one of the most popular storage services out there:

1. It is highly scalable and durable enough to provide as much space for users as possible.

2. Users won’t lose their sensitive data as there is already an automated backup option and a recovery option.

3. Individuals can make their data more secure in Azure storage by using data encryption.

4. The service supports storage for multiple data types. There are three main ones: Structured, unstructured and semi-structured. Structured data types are stored in rows and columns and are fairly easy to analyse. Unstructured data, as the name suggests, doesn’t have a defined structure. Semi-structured data, on the other hand, makes use of tags or keys to organise hierarchy.

5. Individuals don’t have to worry about any unnecessary expenses if they are signing up for the Services of Microsoft Azure Storage. Users will only have to pay for the storage they use on the go.

Conclusion

Microsoft Azure Storage is highly scalable, flexible and way lower in cost than most storage options available. With many advantages and storage options, users won’t have difficulty finding something that works for them. If you want to learn more about Microsoft Azure Storage or the various storage types, you can visit our Website, Education Nest, where you can access many learning resources and course materials for free!