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A company is migrating an on-premises application that uses a shared file system to store configuration files and user-generated content. The application requires SMB protocol access and needs to be accessible from multiple Azure Virtual Machines within the same region. The solution must provide high availability and be managed by Azure. Which Azure storage solution should the company use?
- AAzure Disk Storage
- BAzure Blob Storage
- CAzure NetApp Files
- DAzure Files
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Azure Files
Azure Files provides fully managed file shares in the cloud that are accessible via the industry-standard Server Message Block (SMB) protocol. This allows existing applications that rely on shared file systems to migrate easily without requiring code changes, and it's highly available within a region.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Azure Disk Storage provides block-level storage for individual VMs, not shared file system access.
- B. Azure Blob Storage is object storage, not a file system accessible via SMB.
- C. Azure NetApp Files offers advanced, high-performance file storage but is typically for more specialized, enterprise-grade workloads and higher cost; Azure Files is the more direct and common solution for standard SMB shares.
Azure Files
A fully managed file share service in the cloud, accessible via SMB and NFS protocols, providing shared storage for cloud or on-premises applications.
- Supports SMB and NFS protocols.
- Can be mounted by multiple VMs simultaneously.
- Offers standard and premium tiers for performance needs.
Memory trick: Think of Azure Files as your classic network drive, but in the cloud.