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Challenge 13: Azure Storage Accounts & Types

Estimated Time

25-35 min | Cost: Free | Domain: Azure Architecture & Services (35-40%)

Exam skills covered​

  • Compare Azure storage services (Blob, File, Queue, Table)
  • Describe storage account options and storage types

Overview​

Azure Storage is a cloud storage solution for modern data storage scenarios. A storage account is the top-level container that provides a unique namespace for your data. Within a storage account, you can use four different storage services: Blob, File, Queue, and Table.

Each service addresses a different storage need — from unstructured binary data (blobs) to semi-structured NoSQL data (tables).

Explore​

Task 1: Understand storage services​

ServiceData typeUse caseOn-prem equivalent
Blob StorageUnstructured (files, images, videos)Media files, backups, data lakesFile server / NAS
Azure FilesFile shares (SMB/NFS)Shared drives, lift-and-shiftFile server with SMB shares
Queue StorageMessages (up to 64 KB each)Async communication between appsMessage queue (MSMQ)
Table StorageNoSQL key-value dataConfiguration data, logsSimple database

Task 2: Explore storage account creation​

  1. In Azure Portal, search for Storage accounts
  2. Click + Create
  3. Explore the options:
    • Performance: Standard (HDD) or Premium (SSD)
    • Redundancy: LRS, ZRS, GRS, RA-GRS (covered in Challenge 14)
    • Account kind: StorageV2 (recommended)
  4. Click Cancel — don't create

Task 3: Understand Blob Storage types​

Blob Storage has three types of blobs:

Blob typeDescriptionUse case
Block blobsLarge objects (up to ~190.7 TiB)Files, images, videos, backups
Append blobsOptimized for append operationsLog files, streaming data
Page blobsRandom read/write (up to 8 TiB)VM disks (VHDs)

Blob containers organize blobs within a storage account: Challenge 13 - Storage Account Structure

Task 4: Understand Azure Files​

Azure Files provides fully managed file shares:

  • Accessible via SMB (Windows/Linux/macOS) or NFS (Linux)
  • Can be mounted as a network drive
  • Compatible with on-premises file share workflows
  • Supports Azure File Sync (cache frequently accessed files on-premises)

Key scenario: Replace an on-premises file server with Azure Files — same user experience, less hardware.

Task 5: Storage account naming​

Storage account names must be:

  • 3-24 characters long
  • Lowercase letters and numbers only (no dashes, underscores, or uppercase)
  • Globally unique across all of Azure

Why globally unique? Because the storage account name becomes part of the URL:

  • https://mystorageaccount.blob.core.windows.net
  • https://mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net
Azure CLI Alternative
# Check if a storage account name is available
az storage account check-name --name mystorageaz900test --output table

# List existing storage accounts (if any)
az storage account list --query "[].{Name:name, Location:location, Kind:kind}" --output table

Key Concepts​

ConceptDescription
Storage accountTop-level container; provides unique namespace
Blob StorageObject storage for unstructured data
Azure FilesManaged file shares (SMB/NFS)
Queue StorageMessage queue for async communication
Table StorageNoSQL key-value store
Block blobStore large files (images, videos, backups)
Storage account nameGlobally unique, lowercase alphanumeric, 3-24 chars

Knowledge Check​

1. A company needs to store thousands of image files that will be served to a web application. Which Azure storage service should they use?

2. A company wants to replace their on-premises file server with a cloud solution that users can mount as a network drive. Which service should they use?

3. Which of the following is a valid Azure storage account name?

4. An application needs to decouple its components so they can process tasks asynchronously. Which storage service is designed for this?

5. What is the relationship between a storage account and blob containers?

Learn More​