I am designing a web application and it needs to be in the Azure web app. The app is focused on managing files, so it needs to upload files and store them.
As is a cloud app, I suppose that I am not able to create a directory in the web app service. My question is if I have to use the benefits of Azure and create a Storage Account and if this is the solution, What will be the best storage solution, Blob or File?
Thank you in advance.
Best wishes
Container is a Blob Storage, which is a great option for programmable storage, where our program can read and write to the storage account.
If we don't want to allow websites and the public to access the files, we can choose the below options.
Blob Storage Containers can contain any binary files/ binary large objects, there is no ordering and hierarchy, we can have a virtual folder structure.
Containers are usually programmed to share files to access using Shared Access Signature and Access Policy
I suppose that I am not able to create a directory in the web app service
Azure Files is more useful for mounting a file share to a server and multiple servers can mount the same file share. It can have a quota.
File share has a Directory Structure, we can create Directories and Subdirectories in a Hierarchical manner compared to Containers.
The Connect option in the File Share gives you details on how to mount drive onto a Windows/Linux machine.
Use file storage if you need the shared drive protocol, if not we can design the applications and use blob storage.
As per your requirement, if you want to create Directories you can choose AzureFile Share.
Reference link Azure Blob and Fileshare storage mentioned by #deherman-MSFT
Related
I am a total newbie to Azure WebApps and storage, I need some clarification/confirmation. The main thing to take note of, my application (described below) requires a folder hierarchy. Blob is out of the question and file share doesn't allow anonymous access unless I use Shared Access Signature (SAS).
Am I understanding Azure storage correctly, it's either you fit into the Azure storage model or you don't?
Can anyone advise how I can achieve what's required by the CMS application as described below by using Blobs?
The only option I see is to find a way to change the CMS application so that it always has the SAS in the URL to every file it requests from storage in order to serve content on my Web App? If so, is it a problem if I set my SAS to expire sometime in the distant future?
https://<appname>.file.core.windows.net/instance1/site1/file1.jpg?<SAS>
Problem with using Blob
So far my understanding is that Blob storage doesn't allow "sub folders" as it's a container that holds unstructured data, therefore I'm unable to use this based on my application (described below) as it requires folder structure.
The problem with using File Share
File share seemed perfect as it allows for folder hierarchy, naturally that's what I've used.
However, no anonymous access is allowed for files stored in file storage, the access needs to be authorised. One way of authorising the access is to create a SAS on a file/share level with Read permission and then using that SAS URL to access the file.
Cannot access Windows azure file storage document
My application
I've created a Linux Web App running open source CMS application. This application allows creation of multiple websites, for each website's content such as images, docs, multimedia to be stored on a file server. These files are then served to the website via a defined URL.
The CMS application allows for a settings of the location where it should save its files, this would be a folder on the file server. It then creates a new sub folder for every site it hosts in that location.
Example folder hierarchy
/instance1
/site1
/file1
/file2
/site2
/file1
/file2
Am I understanding Azure storage correctly, it's either you fit into
the Azure storage model or you don't?
You can use Azure Storage Model for your CMS Application. You can use either Blob Storage or File Share
Can anyone advise how I can achieve what's required by the CMS
application as described below by using Blobs?
You can use Data Lake Gen 2 storage account if you want to use Azure Blob Storage.
Data Lake Gen 2 storage enables hierarchical namespace so that you can use subfolders in the Blob Storage as per your requirements
Problem with using Blob
Blob Storage allows subfolders if we use Data Lake Gen 2 storage account. You can enable Blob Public Anonymous access
The problem with using File Share
Azure File Share supports but does not allow public anonymous access. You can use Azure Managed Identity (System-Assigned) for your web app to access the Azure File Share.
Then your application would be able to access the Azure File Share without SAS token
The issue of not having real folders in a blob storage shouldn't be any issue for your use case. Just because it doesn't have your traditional folders doesn't mean it can't serve content on e.g. instance1/site1/file1. That's still possible but the instance1/site1/ will just be part of the name of the blob.
Tools like the Azure Portal or Storage Explorer will actually show folders by using the delimiter / and querying data that appears to be inside a folder by using the path as prefix.
I have a problem that I have been wracking my brain about and figured I would need some perspective and insight from people who are a lot more knowledgeable about this.
What I have currently: Web based application hosted in azure uses azure blob store to store files that are generated as part of data import processes. We have a seperate application that extends the original web application that allows users to upload files and these files are currently also stored in azure blob store.
Where I am trying to go: I have a requirement that wants the ability to map network file shares on a users laptop and be able to access these files that currently reside in the blob.
Since Azure blob does not support SMB I have no way of actually doing this with a blob store.
I could use Azure files in conjunction with a File Server running the sync agent. However, this requires a lot of work both in terms of refactoring, setup and some custom service that add remove permissions on the file server.
I'm wondering if there is a service or a piece of software that exists in the market currently that allows me to continue using blob and perhaps sync the blob files into a file server that can then allow users to access and open files using windows file explorer? I found one that looks like an open source project but only does a one way sync from the blob to the file share. Ideally I'd like to find a solution that does a two way sync like azure file sync does.
Any thoughts and ideas will be appreciated.
Since the max number of blob containers, file shares is unlimited. Per my understanding, you could leverage the following approaches:
Migrate the data from blob storage to azure file share instead of blob storage, then the subsequent file store is azure file storage.
Note: Currently you must specify storage account key when mounting file shares, details you could follow this feedback. I recommend that you'd better do not map network file shares on a users laptop.
You could still use the blob storage, and you could create each blob container for each user and generate each blob container SAS token for your users, then the users could leverage Azure Storage Explorer to manage their blob files or use AzCopy and other command tools to download the blob files into their laptop file system.
Note: For security consideration, you could combine a stored access policy with a SAS, in order to revoke the permissions, you just need to invalidate the related access policy instead of regenerating the account key. Details you could follow Controlling a SAS with a stored access policy and Shared Access Signatures, Part 2: Create and use a SAS with Blob storage.
As the title says, I'm looking for a way to access an azure files share (in preview) directly from an azure website. I cannot use any REST API or anything like this and I was looking for the possibility of mounting a SMB share directly into the website (through the new portal or any other way).
I found the following links, from which I understand that this is still under review (http://feedback.azure.com/forums/169385-web-apps-formerly-websites/suggestions/6084609-allow-map-azure-file-share-microsoft-azure-file-s) and also a SO question (Can the new Azure File Service be used from Azure WebSites?) that doesn't answer my question.
To be honest and for the sake of giving more details, my scenario is pretty simple - I have some websites and also some virtual machines that should access the files from the azure files service. Regarding the VM, the approach is pretty straight forward and easy but regarding the WebSites, I don't find any way at this moment.
On the other hand, regardless of the answer to the above question, does it make sense to (or do I have the possibility to) enable CDN over an Azure Files Share?
Thank you very much.
As of today, no single technology will serve your purpose. You can't use File Service as you don't have the capability to mount a share in an Azure Website as well as it is not suited for streaming purposes (all access to files there need to be authorized and there's no concept of Shared Access Signature in File Service today).
I guess, you would have to pick one of the two technologies (Blob Service and File Service) and make some compromises to make it work in both Websites and Virtual Machines.
Assuming you go with File Service, then you can mount them in the Virtual Machine and do the processing on the files there. On the website front, you would need to use Storage Client library to download the relevant files in some folder in your website and stream those files from there.
Assuming you go with Blob Service, then you can simply stream them in your website directly from blob storage (no need to have those files in your website). In the Virtual Machine, when you need to process those files (blobs), you would simply download them to your VM for processing and then re-upload them in blob storage.
Does it make sense to (or do I have the possibility to) enable CDN
over an Azure Files Share?
Currently it is not possible to serve Azure File Service files via CDN.
I have a number of executables that I want to migrate to azure. These executables require the I/O API in order to function properly. So in order to be able to migrate these executables I have to place them inside a cloud drive (VHD). But as far as I know a vhd can be mounted by one role at a time so how can I manage for let’s say 2 or more roles to mount the same VHD?
My first thought is to upload copies of the original VHD so each role can mount its own vhd and read/write to it and then save the files that all roles need to see in blob storage.
Make the VHD sharable via Using SMB to Share a Windows Azure Drive.
Which of the two solutions is better and is there another way I can deal with this issue?
Here's a link to an open source project that bridges System.IO calls to an ASP.NET cloud storage provider.
How would I write to a tmp/temp directory in windows azure website? I can write to a blob, but i'm using an NPM that requires me to give it file names so that it can directly write to those filenames.
Are you using Cloud Services (PaaS) or Virtual Machines (IaaS).
If PaaS, look at Windows Azure Local Storage. This option gives you up to 250gb of disk space per core. Its a great location for temporary storage of information in a way that traditional apps will be familiar with. However, its not persistent so if you put anything there you need to make sure will be available if the VM instance gets repaved, then copy it to Blob storage. Also, this storage is specific to a given role instance. So if you have two instances of the same role, they each have their own local storage buckets.
Alternatively, you can use Azure Drive, which allows you to keep the information persisted, but still doesn't allow multiple parallel writes.
If IaaS, then you can just mount a data disk to the VM and write to it directly. Data disks are already persisted to blob storage so there's little risk of data loss.
Just from my understanding and please correct me if anything wrong.
In Windows Azure Web Site, the content of your website will be stored in blob storage and mounted as a drive, which will be used for all instances your web site is using. And since it's in blob storage it's persistent. So if you need the local file system I think you can use the folders under your web site root path. But I don't think you can use the system tmp or temp folder.