Further reading
That brings an end to this section, where we have learned how to use AzCopy to copy files to Azure Storage. In the next section, we will discuss storage replication and life cycle management.
We encourage you to read up on the topic further by using the following links:
- AzCopy documentation: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/ storage/common/storage-use-azcopy-v10
- Authorizing to AzCopy using Azure AD: https://docs.microsoft.com/ en-us/azure/storage/common/storage-use-azcopy-authorize-azure-active-directory
Configuring storage replication and life cycle
In the following section, we will explore the various storage replication and life cycle management features available to us in Azure. First, we will describe some key services and configurations you should be aware of.
Storage replication and management services
The following section will explore the various storage replication services available for Azure Storage.
Azure File Sync service
Azure File Sync is a service that can synchronize the data from on-premises file shares with Azure Files. This way, you cankeep the flexibility, compatibility, and performance of an on-premises file server, but also store a copy of all the data on the file share in Azure. You can use any protocol that’s available on Windows Server to access your data locally, including Server Message Block (SMB), Network File System (NFS), and File Transfer Protocol over TLS (FTPS).
Blob object replication
Blob object replication provides the capability within Azure to replicate blob objects based on replication rules. The copy will run asynchronously between source and destination containers across two different storage accounts. Several rules can be configured for your desired outcome. Note that for replication to be enabled, blob versioning needs to be enabled.
Blob life cycle management
This is a capability available for GPv2 storage accounts, blob storage accounts, and Azure Data Lake Storage. It allows the management of the blob life cycle through rule-based policies. Data can be automatically transitioned between tiers using this functionality, as well as expired. The following actions can be applied to blobs based on the requirements, automated data tiering, blob snapshots, blob versioning, and blob deletion. Multiple rules can be created and can also be applied to a subset of blobs and containers through filters such as name prefixes. Pricing for blob life cycle management is based upon tier operational charges, as discussed in the previous chapter, but the service itself is free, and the delete operations are also free. It should be noted that this is a great feature to assist in the optimization of your overall storage account costs by automatically transitioning between tiers.