Module 6

Planning and Implementing

Storage
Module Overview

Planning Storage
Implement and Manage Storage
• Backup and Monitoring Storage
Lesson 1: Planning Storage

Demonstration: Preparing the Environment

Storage as a component of Azure
Overview of Azure Storage
Overview of Recovery Services
Choosing Storage for Apps
Protecting Azure Storage
• Understanding Billable Requests
Demonstration: Preparing the Environment

To prepare the lab environment for this module,

you must:
• Sign in to Your Microsoft Azure subscription
• Enable preview features
• Prepare the Azure environment
Storage as a Component of Azure

Compute Data Services Network Services

Virtual Machines Storage Virtual Networks

PaaS Cloud Services SQL Database Traffic Manager

Websites Backup ExpressRoute

Mobile Services Site Recovery

App Services
Media Services Active Directory Automation

Service Bus MFA CDNs

Push Notifications
Overview of Azure Storage

• Storage Account
• URL
• Location or Affinity Group
• Replication

• Storage types:
• Blob storage – containers for unstructured data
• Block blobs: Variable-sized blocks, optimized for large blobs
• Page blobs: 512-byte pages, optimized for random read/write
• Table storage – non-relational key/value records
• Queue storage – asynchronous messages
• File storage – SMB 2.1 protocol file shares
Overview of Recovery Services

• Azure Site Recovery

• On-premises to cloud synchronization and failover
• On-premises to on-premises synchronization and
failover
• Azure Backup
• Cloud-based backup for on-premises data
• Secure access from on-premises agent
• Authentication is with Azure backup vault credentials
Choosing Storage for Apps

• Blob storage
• Block blobs
• Page blob

• Table storage
• Stores data as key/value pairs in rows
• Row entities or 252 custom properties (columns)
• No schema
• Max table size 100 TB, max row size 1 MB

• Queue storage
• Stores inter-application messages

• File storage
• SMB 2.1 file share
Protecting Azure Storage

• Access Keys
• Primary and Secondary keys automatically generated
• Used to authenticate requests to the storage account

• Shared Access Signature (SAS)

• Enables:
• Granular access to storage data
• Time-limited to storage data
• Uses two keys:
• Primary Storage Account Key (SAK)
• SAS is the secondary secret key
• Keys are plain text, but can be secured using PKCS-7
• Keys are generated by Azure API or Azure PowerShell
Understanding Billable Requests

• Azure storage costs are calculated based on:

• Bandwidth used
• Transactions performed against a Storage Account
• Unexpected failures and authentication failures are not billed
• Successful transactions and expected failures due the
transaction errors are billed
• Storage capacity or the amount of persistent data
• Selected replication scheme:
• LRS
• ZRS
• GRS
• RA-GRS
Lesson 2: Implement and Manage Storage

Creating a Storage Account

Storage Access Tools
Implementing Blobs
Implementing Tables and Queues
Implementing Azure Files
• Demonstration: Implementing Storage
Creating a Storage Account

• Specify a unique name

• 3-24 characters
• Contains only lower-case letters and numerals

• Choose redundancy level

• Locally Redundant Storage
• Geo Redundant Storage
• Read Access – Geo Redundant Storage

• Generates:
• Primary and secondary access keys
• Blob/Queue/Table service endpoints
Storage Access Tools

• REST APIs and Client Libraries

• PowerShell
• AzCopy
• Azure Storage Explorer (CodePlex)
• Server Explorer (Visual Studio 2013)
Implementing Blobs

• Create a container in a storage account

• Specify an access level:
• Private
• Public Blob
• Public Container

• Manage using:
• AzCopy
• Azure Storage Explorer
• Azure PowerShell
Implementing Tables and Queues

• Create and update programmatically by

applications
• Manage using:
• Azure Storage Explorer
• Azure PowerShell:
• Tables
New-AzureStorageTable –Name $tabName –Context $context
Get-AzureStorageTable –Name $tabName –Context $context
Remove-AzureStorageTable –Name $tabName –Context $context

• Queues
New-AzureStorageQueue –Name $qName –Context $context
Get-AzureStorageQueue –Name $qName –Context $context
Remove-AzureStorageQueue –Name $qName –Context $context
Implementing Azure Files

• Enable Azure Files Preview

• New storage accounts then automatically generate a
file endpoint:
• http(s)://account_name.file.core.windows.net

• Create file share using PowerShell or REST API

• Accessible from Azure virtual machines in same region
using net use
• Accessible from on-premises clients and Azure services
in remote regions using REST API, PowerShell, or
AzCopy
Demonstration: Implementing Storage

In this demonstration, you will see how to:

• Create a storage account
• Use PowerShell to upload blobs
• View blob storage in Visual Studio
Lesson 3: Backup and Monitoring Storage

Monitoring and Diagnosing Storage

Demonstration: Configuring Monitoring and
Logging
• Implementing Azure Backup
Monitoring and Diagnosing Storage

• Configure monitoring and diagnostics

• Can be selected during Storage Account creation, or
post-creation
• Diagnostics switched off by default

• Manage analytics
• Metrics
• Alerts

• Configure logging
• Set levels in full management portal
• Retention period
• Stored in a system blob
Demonstration: Configuring Monitoring and Logging

In this demonstration, you will see how to:

• Configure monitoring and logging
• View logged events
Implementing Azure Backup

• The Recovery Services option provides a wizard

for creating site recovery vaults and backup vaults:
• Site recovery vaults
• Provide on-premises to cloud and on-premises to on-
premises server failover
• Backup vaults
• Provide data backup to Azure
• Backups are configured in agent application:
• Register servers
• Schedule backups
• Select backup items
Lab: Planning and Implementing Storage

Exercise 1: Creating and Configuring Storage

Exercise 2: Using Azure File Storage
• Exercise 3: Protecting Data with Azure Backup

Logon Information
Virtual Machine: 20533B-MIA-CL1
User Name: Student
Password: Pa$$w0rd

Estimated Time: 60 Minutes

Lab Scenario

The IT department at A. Datum uses an asset

management application to track IT assets, such as
computer hardware and peripherals. The
application stores images of asset types and
invoices for purchases of specific assets. As part of
A. Datum’s evaluation of Microsoft Azure, you
need to test Azure storage features as part of your
plan to migrate the storage of these images and
invoice documents to Azure.
Lab Review

• The asset management application stores images

of hardware components as blobs and invoices as
files. If the application needed to also store the
location of each asset using a unique asset
number and a text description of the location,
what storage options should you consider?
Module Review and Takeaways

Review Question(s)
• Best Practice