There are a number of storage options available in Azure, each with its own set of features and benefits. Some of the most common types of storage in Azure include:
Blob storage:
Blob storage is ideal for storing unstructured data such as photos, videos, documents, and data files. Azure Blob storage is designed to store any amount of data at any level of security, so organizations can use it to meet compliance requirements. Azure Blob storage also offers built-in caching via Azure CDN for high-performance applications.
Table storage:
Azure Table storage enables users to store massive amounts of structured NoSQL data in the cloud without having the need to manage any infrastructure or schema. Organizations can use Azure table storage as a key/value pair structured store with support for Hadoop distributed jobs. Azure table storage is ideal for scenarios that require large volumes of structured, non-relational data or semi-structured data.
Queue storage:
Queue storage provides a reliable messaging system between Azure applications. Azure Queue storage allows for reliable communication between Azure components, services, or applications within Azure or on-premises systems. It also enables Azure cloud solutions to communicate with Azure virtual machines and on-premises servers using HTTPS endpoints.
File storage:
Azure file storage offers users the ability to create shareable files that are stored in Azure Blob service containers. Users can set access permissions on these files, as well as specify which users have read/write access to each container.
Disk storage:
Azure disk storage is an extension of Azure Blob storage, providing organizations with highly available enterprise-grade disks that are provisioned through a REST API call. Organizations can use disks as low-cost local infrastructure for Azure applications, or as a durable and scalable Azure storage solution. Azure disk storage can also be used to store data offline, making it an ideal solution for archival or disaster recovery purposes.
Managed disks:
Azure-managed disks are a newer type of Azure disk storage that provides organizations with a simplified way of managing their Azure Storage needs. With Azure-managed disks, users no longer need to worry about the underlying infrastructure required to run their applications; Azure takes care of all the provisioning and management for them.
HDInsight:
HDInsight is a fully managed big data service that enables users to process massive amounts of data in the cloud using Apache Hadoop and Spark. HDInsight makes it easy for organizations to use Azure services to store and process data without having to worry about the infrastructure or management of their big data solution.
Azure SQL Database:
Azure SQL Database is Microsoft’s relational database service for Azure. Organizations can use Azure SQL Database as a fully managed cloud database platform that makes it easy for them to build applications without needing to install, configure or manage any software or hardware. Azure SQL Database supports a wide variety of data models and programming languages, making it an ideal platform for all Azure application development scenarios.
Azure Data Lake Store:
Azure Data Lake Store is designed to provide organizations with a cost-effective way to house massive amounts of unstructured data in Azure. Azure Data Lake Store is built around Apache Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) technology, which allows users to create accounts that are capable of scaling nearly infinitely. Organizations can then use Azure Data Lake Analytics or third-party tools such as Spark to process their big data files within Azure.
Azure Cosmos DB:
Azure Cosmos DB is Microsoft’s globally distributed database service made up of several different types of databases, including document databases, graph databases, and key-value store databases. Azure Cosmos DB allows organizations to choose the ideal database type for their solution without having to worry about replicating data across multiple Azure regions or overpaying for Azure resources they do not need. Azure Cosmos DB enables users to set throughput levels on a per-database level in order to make sure that applications only use the resources they require when they require them.
Azure Search:
Azure Search is Microsoft’s Azure managed search service that provides organizations with a cost-effective way of building highly scalable and reliable search solutions for their applications. Azure Search allows users to define custom models around structured content types such as JSON documents, which can then be indexed by Azure Search in real so that queries can be performed against them with lightning-fast speeds. Azure Search also enables users to build complex document queries in an intuitive, easy-to-use manner that makes it simple for them to create search solutions without having to rely on any custom coding or programming languages.
Azure Table Storage:
Azure Table storage is Azure’s key/attribute store solution designed for storing massive amounts of unstructured data in Azure. Azure Table storage can be used to store all types of text documents, binary files, and structured log messages that are too large for Azure Blob storage. This makes Azure Table storage ideal for scenarios where organizations need to quickly access frequently changing big data sets with nearly instantaneous read times without incurring high Azure costs per gigabyte subsequently accessed.
