This document provides an overview of Microsoft Azure storage services, including tables, queues, and blobs. It describes the common features like access via REST API and automatic replication. Tables store structured non-relational data with mandatory fields like partition and row keys. Queues provide asynchronous message processing between roles. Blobs support block and page objects at different maximum sizes, stored within containers. Code examples demonstrate retrieving references and contexts for tables, queues, and blobs.

1. Storage Services
Pavlo Revenkov
EPAM Cloud Computing Competency Center
Email: pavlo_revenkov@epam.com
Skype: rp_risingstar

2. Data management services
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Web-role Worker-role
Worker-role
Worker-role
Web-role
Drive
SQL Azure
Blobs
Tables
Queues

3. Common information
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• Access via REST API:
• http://<storage account>.table.core.windows.net/<table>
• http://<storage account>.queue.core.windows.net/<queue>
• http://<storage account>.blob.core.windows.net/<container>/<blob>
• Replication:
• Automatic triplication
• Emulation:
• Emulation is possible with some restrictions
• CDN support

4. Windows Azure Subscription
Subscription
Message size:
64 KB.
Two types:
• Block;
• Page.
Cloud services
SQL Azure
Databases
Storage Account
(200 TB)
Record size:
1 MB
Block blob max size:
200 GB
Properties count:
252
Page blob max size:
1 TB
Tables
Queues
Blobs
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5. Tables
• NoSQL storage for structured non-relational data
• Table records (entities) are not described by predefined schema
• Mandatory fields:
• PartitionKey
• RowKey
• Timestamp
• Two types of entity declaration:
• ITableEntity interface
• TableEntity class
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6. Queues
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• Message queue accessible via REST API
• Frequent usages examples:
• Asynchronous messages processing
• Roles interaction
Worker-role
Web-role
Queue
Worker-role
Web-role
Worker-role

7. Blobs
• Object-oriented storage
• Two types:
• Block (max size – 200 GB)
• Page (max size – 1 TB)
• Blobs are stored in containers:
• Each storage account can have unlimited count of containers
• Each container can have unlimited count of blobs
• MIME-type definition support
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8. Workflow
var storageAccount = CloudStorageAccount.Parse(
ConfigurationManager
.ConnectionStrings[ConnectionStringSetting]
.ConnectionString);
var tableClient = storageAccount.CreateCloudTableClient();
var queueClient = storageAccount.CreateCloudQueueClient();
var blobClient
= storageAccount.CreateCloudBlobClient();
Tables:
var table
var context
= tableClient.GetTableReference(tableName);
= tableClient.GetTableServiceContext();
Queues:
var queue
= queueClient.GetQueueReference(queueAddress);
Blobs:
var container = blobClient.GetContainerReference(containerName);
var pageBlob = container.GetPageBlobReference(blobName);
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9. Demo
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10. References
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How to Use the Table/Queue/Blob Storage Service
 https://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/develop/net/how-to-guides/table-services/
 https://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/develop/net/how-to-guides/queue-service/
 https://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/develop/net/how-to-guides/blob-storage/
Differences between the Storage Emulator and Windows
Azure Storage Services
 http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/gg433135

11. Questions?
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