Introduction to Azure Files

Author: ShubhamVerma-Developer

Introduction to Azure Files/unit 1 Introduction.md

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+# Introduction
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+Azure Files is a cloud-based file storage service provided by Microsoft Azure. It enables you to set up highly available network file shares in the cloud that can be accessed using the standard Server Message Block (SMB) protocol. This allows you to migrate and run existing applications in the cloud without the need for significant modifications.
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+Key features of Azure Files:
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+- Fully Managed Service: Azure Files is a fully managed service, which means Microsoft takes care of the underlying infrastructure, including maintenance, updates, and monitoring.
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+- SMB Protocol Support: Azure Files supports the SMB protocol, making it compatible with both Windows and Linux environments. This makes it easy to integrate with existing applications and systems.
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+- Scalability: Azure Files provides scalable storage that can be easily adjusted based on your requirements. You can increase or decrease the storage capacity without affecting your applications.
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+- Redundancy and High Availability: Azure Files automatically replicates your data within the same region to ensure high availability and durability. You can also enable cross-region replication for additional redundancy.
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+- Access Control: Azure Files supports Azure Active Directory integration, allowing you to manage access to your file shares using Azure AD identities. This helps enhance security and control over your data.
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+- Integration with Azure Services: Azure Files seamlessly integrates with other Azure services, such as Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), and Azure Functions, making it easier to build end-to-end solutions.
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+- File Sync: Azure File Sync enables you to synchronize on-premises file servers with Azure Files, allowing you to centralize file services in the cloud while maintaining local access to files.
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+- REST API and PowerShell Support: Azure Files provides a REST API and PowerShell commands, enabling programmatic access to manage and automate file share operations.

Introduction to Azure Files/unit 2 What is Azure Files.md]

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+# What is Azure Files ?
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+Azure Files offers fully managed file shares in the cloud. A file share is a network storage location that you can surface as local storage to your client operating system. Azure Files supports two industry-standard file sharing protocols: Server Message Block (SMB) and Network File System (NFS). SMB can be used with Windows, Linux, and macOS clients. NFS can be used with Linux and macOS clients. Azure Files also has a REST API (application programming interface).
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+You can mount Azure file shares concurrently on cloud or on-premises deployments. SMB Azure file shares can also be cached on Windows servers with Azure File Sync to provide fast access near where the data is being used.

Introduction to Azure Files/unit 3 What is Azure File Sync.md

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+Azure File Sync enables centralizing your organization's file shares in Azure Files, while keeping the flexibility, performance, and compatibility of a Windows file server. While some users might opt to keep a full copy of their data locally, Azure File Sync can turn Windows Server into a quick cache of your Azure file shares. You can use any protocol available on Windows Server to access your data locally, including SMB, NFS, and FTPS. You can have as many caches as you need across the world.

Introduction to Azure Files/unit 4 Identity and Access Control.md

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+# Identity and Access Control
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+Azure Files supports identity-based authentication for customers accessing file shares over SMB. In addition, SMB users can also authenticate using a storage account key. NFS file shares rely on network-level authentication and are therefore only accessible via restricted networks. Using an NFS file share always requires some level of networking configuration. File share access over REST APIs uses shared access signatures and storage account keys for specific data management operations.
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+- Identity-based authentication: Customers can use identity-based access via the Kerberos authentication protocol. Active Directory services store user account information such as usernames, passwords, contact information and so on. Azure Files integrates with common directory services to verify the user account details and enable successful authentication. For SMB, identity-based authentication is the most secure and recommended option.
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+- Storage account key: A user with the storage account key can access Azure file shares with superuser permissions over SMB and REST. Ideally, only super user administrators should use storage account keys because they bypass all access restrictions. For file shares used by enterprise customers, storage account keys aren't scalable or safe mechanisms for organization-wide access and are therefore not recommended. The recommended security best practice is to avoid sharing storage account keys and use identity-based authentication.
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+- Shared access signature: Customers accessing over REST can use a shared access signature (SAS) to authenticate with Azure Files. Shared access signatures are used in specific scenarios where independent software vendors develop REST API applications and use Azure Files as a storage solution. They're also used when internal partners need access over REST for data management operations. A shared access signature is a URI that grants restricted access rights to Azure Storage resources. You can use a shared access signature to give clients access to certain storage account resources without having to give them access to your storage account key.