How to use azure File share and map drive

    Posted in Microsoft Azure Cloud on May 14, 2020

    • Simple, secure, and fully managed cloud file shares

    • Extend your servers to Azure with Sync for on-premises performance and capability

    • Secure data at rest and in-transit using SMB 3.0 and HTTPS

    • Simplify cloud file share management using familiar tools

    • Create high-performance file shares using the Premium Files storage tier

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    Azure Files offers fully managed file shares in the cloud that are accessible via the industry standard Server Message Block (SMB) protocol. Azure file shares can be mounted concurrently by cloud or on-premises deployments of Windows, Linux, and macOS. Additionally, Azure file shares can be cached on Windows Servers with Azure File Sync for fast access near where the data is being used.

    Why Azure Files is useful

    Replace or supplement on-premises file servers:

    Azure Files can be used to completely replace or supplement traditional on-premises file servers or NAS devices. Popular operating systems such as Windows, macOS, and Linux can directly mount Azure file shares wherever they are in the world. Azure file shares can also be replicated with Azure File Sync to Windows Servers, either on-premises or in the cloud, for performance and distributed caching of the data where it's being used. With the recent release of Azure Files AD Authentication, Azure file shares can continue to work with AD hosted on-premises for access control.

    "Lift and shift" applications:

    Azure Files makes it easy to "lift and shift" applications to the cloud that expect a file share to store file application or user data. Azure Files enables both the "classic" lift and shift scenario, where both the application and its data are moved to Azure, and the "hybrid" lift and shift scenario, where the application data is moved to Azure Files, and the application continues to run on-premises.

    Simplify cloud development:

    Azure Files can also be used in numerous ways to simplify new cloud development projects. For example:

    Shared application settings:

    A common pattern for distributed applications is to have configuration files in a centralized location where they can be accessed from many application instances. Application instances can load their configuration through the File REST API, and humans can access them as needed by mounting the SMB share locally.

    Diagnostic share:

    An Microsoft Azure file share is a convenient place for cloud applications to write their logs, metrics, and crash dumps. Logs can be written by the application instances via the File REST API, and developers can access them by mounting the file share on their local machine. This enables great flexibility, as developers can embrace cloud development without having to abandon any existing tooling they know and love.

    Dev/Test/Debug:

    When developers or administrators are working on VMs in the cloud, they often need a set of tools or utilities. Copying such utilities and tools to each VM can be a time consuming exercise. By mounting an Azure file share locally on the VMs, a developer and administrator can quickly access their tools and utilities, no copying required.

    Key benefits

    Secure

    Rest assured knowing your data is encrypted at rest and in transit using SMB 3.0 and HTTPS.

    Easily managed

    Deploy file shares without having to manage hardware or operating system deployments—letting you focus on your users instead.

    Smart

    Quickly access your files over high latency, low bandwidth links via smart caching of commonly used on-premises files using Azure File Sync.

    Built for hybrid flexibility

    Access your data from where you want to using SMB, REST, or even on-premises with Azure File Sync.

    Cross-platform

    Mount your Azure File share from Windows, Linux, or macOS.

    Harmonious

    Migrate file share-dependent applications to the cloud without breaking existing code.

    Use an Azure file share with Windows

    Azure Files is Microsoft's easy-to-use cloud file system. Azure file shares can be seamlessly used in Windows and Windows Server.

    Prerequisites

    • Storage account name: To mount an Azure file share, you will need the name of the storage account.

    • Storage account key: To mount an Azure file share, you will need the primary (or secondary) storage key. SAS keys are not currently supported for mounting.

    • Ensure port 445 is open: The SMB protocol requires TCP port 445 to be open; connections will fail if port 445 is blocked.

    [(https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/files/storage-how-to-use-files-windows)]

    Use Azure Files with Linux

    Azure Files is Microsoft's easy to use cloud file system. Azure file shares can be mounted in Linux distributions using the SMB kernel client.

    Prerequisites

    • Ensure the cifs-utils package is installed.

    The cifs-utils package can be installed using the package manager on the Linux distribution of your choice.

    On Ubuntu and Debian-based distributions, use the apt package manager:

    sudo apt update
    sudo apt install cifs-utils
    

    On Fedora, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8+, and CentOS 8 +, use the dnf package manager:

    sudo dnf install cifs-utils

    On older versions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux and CentOS, use the yum package manager:

    sudo yum install cifs-utils

    On openSUSE, use the zypper package manager:

    sudo zypper install cifs-utils

    On other distributions, use the appropriate package manager or compile from source

    • The most recent version of the Azure Command Line Interface (CLI). For more information on how to install the Azure CLI, see Install the Azure CLI and select your operating system. If you prefer to use the Azure PowerShell module in PowerShell 6+, you may, however the instructions below are presented for the Azure CLI.

    • Ensure port 445 is open: SMB communicates over TCP port 445 - check to see if your firewall is not blocking TCP ports 445 from client machine.

    [https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/files/storage-how-to-use-files-linux]

    Mount Azure file share over SMB with macOS

    Azure Files is Microsoft's easy-to-use cloud file system. Azure file shares can be mounted with the industry standard SMB 3 protocol by macOS El Capitan 10.11+.

    Prerequisites for mounting an Azure file share on macOS

    • Storage account name: To mount an Azure file share, you will need the name of the storage account.

    • Storage account key: To mount an Azure file share, you will need the primary (or secondary) storage key. SAS keys are not currently supported for mounting.

    • Ensure port 445 is open: SMB communicates over TCP port 445. On your client machine (the Mac), check to make sure your firewall is not blocking TCP port 445.

    [https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/files/storage-how-to-use-files-mac]

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