Azure File Sync

Azure File Sync is a hybrid storage solution that enables you to sync files between on-premises servers and Azure Files. This allows you to store and access large amounts of data in the cloud while still having access to the data from your on-premises environment. Azure File Sync provides a number of benefits, including reducing on-premises storage requirements, increasing data availability, and enabling data tiering.

Here are some examples of how to use Azure File Sync:

Example 1: To set up Azure File Sync, you first need to create an Azure File Sync Storage Sync Service in the Azure portal. Once this is set up, you can download the Azure File Sync agent and install it on your on-premises servers. Once the agent is installed, you can register the servers with the Storage Sync Service. This allows you to start syncing files between your on-premises environment and Azure Files.

Example 2: To sync files between your on-premises environment and Azure Files, you first need to create a sync group in the Storage Sync Service. A sync group defines the sync topology and the sync policies for the files that you want to sync. Once the sync group is created, you can add a server endpoint and a cloud endpoint. The server endpoint defines the location of the files on your on-premises server, while the cloud endpoint defines the location of the files in Azure Files. You can then specify the sync policies for the sync group, such as how often files should be synced and how conflicts should be resolved.

Example 3: Once you have set up Azure File Sync, you can start using it to store and access files. For example, you can create a new file on your on-premises server and save it to the synced folder. This file will automatically be synced to Azure Files, and you can access it from any location that has access to the Azure Files share. Similarly, you can upload a file to Azure Files and it will be synced to your on-premises server. This allows you to have a single source of truth for your files, with the ability to access them from multiple locations.

Example 4: Azure File Sync also enables data tiering, which allows you to move less frequently accessed files to the cloud while keeping frequently accessed files on your on-premises server. This helps to reduce storage costs and improve performance. To enable data tiering, you can create a cloud tiering policy in the Storage Sync Service. This policy specifies the criteria for which files should be tiered to the cloud. Once the policy is set up, Azure File Sync will automatically tier files to the cloud based on the specified criteria.

Azure File Sync is a powerful hybrid storage solution that enables you to sync files between on-premises servers and Azure Files. It provides a number of benefits, including reducing on-premises storage requirements, increasing data availability, and enabling data tiering. With Azure File Sync, you can have a single source of truth for your files, with the ability to access them from multiple locations.

Author: tonyhughes