Azure Storage Flashcards
What are the two main components of an Azure Storage account?
An Azure Storage account consists of the management layer and the storage services (like blob containers, Azure Files, etc.) that hold the data. You don’t store data directly in the management layer, but within the services created inside of it.
Why must an Azure Storage account have a globally unique name across all of Azure?
An Azure Storage account requires a globally unique name because it has a public-facing endpoint or address associated with everything inside the account, making it accessible over the internet.
Describe the difference between a block blob, an append blob, and a page blob.
Block blobs are typically used for loose files uploaded as individual units. Append blobs are designed for files where data is continuously added to the end, such as log files. Page blobs are primarily used for virtual hard drive files.
Briefly explain the concept of Blob Storage tiers and their primary trade-off.
Blob Storage tiers offer different storage costs based on access frequency. Lower tiers (cool, cold, archive) are cheaper for storage but have higher access costs and potentially longer data retention requirements compared to the hot tier.
What is the key difference between the hot, cool, and cold Blob Storage tiers and the archive tier regarding data availability?
Hot, cool, and cold tiers are online and provide instant data access. The archive tier is offline, data is not instantly available, and requires a rehydration request taking several hours to access.
What is the primary purpose of the Azure Disks service in Azure Storage?
Azure Disks are managed disks used for Azure Virtual Machines (VMs) as their operating system disks and data disks. This service handles the underlying storage complexities.
What is Azure Files used for, and how can it be integrated with existing infrastructure?
Azure Files acts as a fully-managed cloud-based file server or file share. It can be used to synchronize with existing on-premises file servers or completely replace them.
Explain the difference between LRS and ZRS storage redundancy.
LRS (Locally Redundant Storage) copies data within the same availability zone in a region. ZRS (Zone-Redundant Storage) copies data across different availability zones within the same region.
What is GRS storage redundancy, and how does it provide protection against regional failures?
GRS (Geo-Redundant Storage) sets up LRS in the primary region and then replicates three additional copies to a secondary or paired region, protecting against the failure of the entire primary region.
Name three tools used for moving data within Azure Storage and briefly describe what each tool is used for.
AzCopy is a command-line tool for transferring data with Blobs and Azure Files. Storage Explorer is a graphical user interface (GUI) for interacting with all types of Azure Storage. Azure File Sync is used specifically to synchronize Azure Files between different file servers.
What is an Azure Storage Account?
The management layer in Azure that contains one or more storage services and has a globally unique public endpoint.
What are Storage Services?
The components within an Azure Storage account that hold different types of data, such as Blob containers, Azure Files, and Disks.
What is a Globally Unique Name?
A requirement for Azure Storage accounts, ensuring a unique address across the entire Azure platform for its public endpoint.
What are Azure Blobs?
An unstructured data store service in Azure, capable of storing any file type.
What are Containers?
Logical groupings within an Azure Storage account where blobs are stored.
What are Block Blobs?
A type of blob designed for storing discrete blocks of data, typically used for uploading individual files.
What are Append Blobs?
A type of blob optimized for data that is continuously added to the end, commonly used for log files.
What are Page Blobs?
A type of blob used to store random-access files, primarily utilized for virtual hard drive files.
What are the Blob Storage Tiers?
Different pricing and access models for Azure Blobs based on data access frequency (hot, cool, cold, and archive).
What is a Hot Tier?
The Blob Storage tier with the highest storage cost but the lowest access cost, suitable for frequently accessed data.
What is a Cool Tier?
A Blob Storage tier with lower storage costs than hot but higher access costs, suitable for less frequently accessed data.
What is a Cold Tier?
A Blob Storage tier with even lower storage costs than cool but higher access costs and longer retention periods.
What is an Archive Tier?
The Blob Storage tier with the lowest storage cost but the highest access cost and requires rehydration to access data, suitable for long-term data retention.
What is Rehydration?
The process of retrieving data from the archive Blob Storage tier, which can take several hours.
