FAQ and Knowledge Base

Microsoft Azure Files offers fully managed file shares in the cloud that are accessible via the industry standard Server Message Block (SMB) protocol (also known as Common Internet File System or CIFS).

Azure File shares can be mounted concurrently by cloud or on-premises deployments of Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Azure Files key benefits

• Shared access. Azure File shares support the industry standard SMB protocol, meaning you can seamlessly replace your on-premises file shares with Azure File shares without worrying about application compatibility. Being able to share a file system across multiple machines, applications/instances is a significant advantage with Azure Files for applications that need shareability.
  
  
• Fully managed. Azure File shares can be created without the need to manage hardware or an OS. This means you don't have to deal with patching the server OS with critical security upgrades or replacing faulty hard disks.
  
  
• Scripting and tooling. PowerShell cmdlets and Azure CLI can be used to create, mount, and manage Azure File shares as part of the administration of Azure applications. You can create and manage Azure file shares using Azure portal and Azure Storage Explorer.
  
  
• Resiliency. Azure Files has been built from the ground up to be always available. Replacing on-premises file shares with Azure Files means you no longer have to wake up to deal with local power outages or network issues.
  
  

Azure Files how to:
Create Azure File Share
Connect and Mount on Windows

Using Azure Files with ViceVersa and VVEngine

Once the file share in the Azure cloud is created, it can be used locally as a standard disk/folder share by all applications including ViceVersa and VVEngine.

The share will behave like any other network share on the LAN: ViceVersa will be able to synchronize/replicate files from/to the share and VVEngine will also be able to monitor for file changes on the share and synchronize/replicate files in real-time.

Multiple PCs and servers will be able to sync/replicate files from/to the Azure share in the cloud. Azure Files will provide the secure and reliable file storage in the cloud, accessible as a standard share and mappable as a local drive letter. Importantly without the need to administrate or setup a new server or virtual machine.

The share will provide end-to-end encryption when using SMB 3.0. See How to Check the SMB Version of Your Network Connection