Azure Files enables the migration of on-premises file shares to Azure, allowing 'lift & shift' file-based applications with zero downtime. It offers various storage tiers to accommodate different application needs, including standard and premium file shares, and supports hybrid access with Azure File Sync. Key features include secure encryption, integration with Active Directory, cross-platform access, and a well-structured pricing model based on workload requirements.

1. Azure Files

2. Our mission:
Enable you to move any on-premises file share into Azure.

3. M IC ROSOF T CO N F ID E N T I AL – I N T E RN A L ON LY
“Lift & Shift” file-based applications to Azure.
Multiple tiers of storage to address a wide range of
applications. If you are currently using hard drives,
you can use standard file shares. For apps currently
using SSDs premium file shares are available.
Get the best of both on-prem and cloud via
Azure File Sync.
Migration from Windows File Servers is as easy as
installing an agent on the existing file server. Zero
downtime!
Migrate General Purpose File Shares
Azure File Shares
Migrate on-prem file shares to Azure Files
Migrate Applications to Azure

4. Azure Files At A Glance
Hybrid
Access directly from on prem or
via Azure File Sync with on-prem
caching.
Secure
Encryption in transit and at rest. AD DS and
Azure AD DS integration. Private endpoints
to lock down network access.
Cross Platform
SMB, NFS access for Windows,
Linux, and Mac as well as REST API.
Easily Managed
No managing OS or
hardware
Standard: Recommended for General purpose
10s of ms latency, 10K IOPS, 300 MBps
$0.015/GB - $0.06/GB Used
Premium: Recommended for Performance Sensitive
Low Latency, 100K IOPS, 10 GBps
$0.16/GB Provisioned
General Purpose
& Hybrid Access
•Departmental file shares
•Hybrid shares with sync
•Home/user directories
such as WVD
•Scratch folders
•Logs Store
•Config Files
DevOps & Backups
•Backups
•Dev/test
•Libraries
•CI/CD Pipeline
•Build Shares
•Tool Shares
Enterprise Apps
•Databases(SQL/MySQL)
•CRM
•LOB Applications
•Web content
•Containers
•Dev cloud platform
Performance sensitive
•Shared cache
•Media/analytics
•High variable/batch
•Content repositories
Learn more about Azure Files

5. Azure Files
How it works?
On-premises
SMB 2.1, 3.0
NFS 4.1
REST
SMB 3.0
VPN
REST
Port 443
SMB 3.0
Port 445 Azure
Azure File Sync
Virtual Machines
NFS Client
Clients
Clients
Azure file share
<account>.file.core.windows.net<share>
NFS 4.1
VPN
SMB
NFS
Users
Applications

6. App migration
Lift and shift on-prem Apps to Azure Files
Azure
File Share
Application
Application
File Share
Application
Application
Migrate on-premises apps such as SQL
FCI, file processing that use file share
storage to Azure.
Reuse existing file-based data access
layers in your cloud apps.
Works with Data Box or use Azure File
Sync to move data up
Zero downtime migration for Windows
Servers using Azure File Sync

7. Azure File Sync
Hybrid file shares
SMB
NFS
Users
Applications
HQ
File Server
File Sync File Sync
Azure Backup
Azure
File Share
File 1
File 2
File 3
Cloud Tiering
File 1
File 2
File 3
Rapid DR
Branch
File Server
Cloud Tiering
Multi-site Sync
Cloud Backup
Disaster Recovery

8. Azure Files Pricing Structure
Choose the best tier for your workload
High
IO &
Throughput
Low-cost
Long-term storage
Offered on rotational hard-disk
(HDD) storage media and useful for
general purpose file shares.
Low transaction charges make this
tier ideal for larger sets of files with
high-churn.
Transaction
optimized
Offered on solid-state disk (SSD)
storage media and useful for IO-
intensive workloads, including
hosting databases and high-
performance computing (HPC).
Premium
Useful for most general-purpose
workloads, including for lifting and
shifting an on-premises file share to
Azure, and especially with Azure
File Sync.
Hot NEW
This tier is more useful for lightly
used file shares, where data is to be
stored for long term access without
compromising the capability of
instant online access to the data.
Cool NEW
Latency: ~3 ms
Max IOPS: 100,000
Max Throughput: 10 GB/s
Latency: ~15-200 ms
Max IOPS: 10,000
Max Throughput: 300 MB/s

9. New tiers
Optimize cost and performance for your workload
Hot 2.55 cents
Write / List
Read/protocol
Metadata
$ 0.065 per 10k
$ 0.0065 per 10k
$ 0.0264 per GiB
Tier GiB Price Transactions
Cool 1.5 cents
Write
List
Read/protocol
Metadata
Data retrieval
Early deletion
$ 0.1 per 10k
$ 0.065 per 10k
$ 0.013 per 10k
$ 0.0264 per GiB
$ 0.01 per GiB
1.5¢ 30-day prorated
Transaction
optimized
6 cents
Write / List
Read/protocol
$ 0.015 per 10k
$ 0.0015 per 10k
Premium 16 cents included
$$$
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Not a quote
prices in USD, LRS, US West
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Note: The premium tier is provisioned, and the standard tiers (transaction optimized, hot, and cool) are pay as you go

10. Protect your data with Snapshot Management from Azure Backup

11. NEW- NFS 4.1 Public Preview
 Built on native Azure Storage platform.
 Separate SMB or NFS shares
 Will initially be available on premium files and will extend to standard files in 2021.
 Provision a single volume as small as 100 GB and as large as 100 TB
 Optimized for random read/write access
 Scale up and down as needed on capacity and performance