Compare Azure Storage Services
Slide deck comparing Azure storage services: Blob Storage, Azure Files, Queue Storage, Table Storage, and managed disks, covering access patterns, use cases, scenarios, and common selection mistakes.
Compare Azure Storage Services
Introduction to comparing Azure storage services and their different access patterns.
Compare Azure Storage Services
Introduction to comparing Azure storage services and their different access patterns.
Pick storage by access pattern
In Azure, the best storage choice depends on how you read and write the data. Objects → Azure Blob Storage. Shared folders → Azure Files. Work messages → Azure Queue Storage. Simple entities → Azure Table Storage. VM disk blocks → Azure managed disks.
Storage account vs Azure managed disk
Storage accounts expose data services; managed disks attach block storage to a VM. Storage account: endpoints for Blob / Files / Queue / Table. Managed disk: block storage attached to a Virtual Machine (VM). Managed disk is accessed via the VM's Operating System (OS). 'Shared folder' needs a share service (often Azure Files), not a disk.
Azure Blob Storage: object storage
Use Blob Storage when data is accessed as objects over HTTP/HTTPS. Best for unstructured data (images, logs, backups, media). Access via Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) / HTTP Secure (HTTPS). Common tooling: Representational State Transfer (REST) APIs, SDKs, CLI. Not for 'mounted shared folder' semantics.
Azure Files: managed file shares
Use Azure Files when multiple machines need a shared folder they can mount. Managed file shares (like a cloud file server). Mount via Server Message Block (SMB) or Network File System (NFS). Good for lift-and-shift apps and shared folders. Different from 'public URL object storage' (that's Blob Storage).
Azure Queue Storage: messages for async work
Use Queue Storage to decouple steps and process work asynchronously. Stores many messages representing 'work items'. Access via authenticated HTTP/HTTPS APIs and SDKs. Good for buffering background processing. Messages hold IDs/instructions, not large file payloads.
Azure Table Storage: NoSQL entities
Use Table Storage for key-based access to many simple records with flexible schema. Not Only SQL (NoSQL) key/attribute store. Entities with properties (schema is flexible). Great for fast key-based lookups at scale. Not for joins or relational constraints.
Azure managed disks: block storage for VMs
Use managed disks when a VM needs durable OS or data disk storage. Block-level storage attached to a Virtual Machine (VM). Used for Operating System (OS) disks and data disks. Accessed through the VM's file system, not as a public endpoint. Not the default choice for 'shared folder for many VMs'.
Scenario picks: web objects vs shared folders
Choose Blob for URL/HTTPS object access, and Files for mounted shared folders. Serve images/docs by URL → Azure Blob Storage (HTTPS). Multiple VMs share a folder → Azure Files (SMB/NFS). Managed disk equals VM-attached block storage (not a shared folder). Decide by access pattern, not by the word 'file'.
Scenario picks: async work vs simple records
Queues coordinate work; Tables store many simple entities for key-based access. Background processing backlog → Azure Queue Storage. Queue messages: IDs plus instructions (not big payloads). Millions of simple records → Azure Table Storage. Table Storage is Not Only SQL (NoSQL), not relational SQL.
Avoid these storage selection mistakes
Most wrong choices come from picking by name instead of access pattern. Blob vs Files: URL/HTTPS objects vs mounted share (SMB/NFS). Queue: work items/messages, not a primary data store. Table: NoSQL entities, not relational joins/SQL queries. Managed disk: VM-attached block storage, not 'shared storage'. Chooser rule: objects / share / messages / entities / VM disk.