File Storage Basics¶
Azure Files offers fully managed file shares in the cloud that are accessible via the industry standard Server Message Block (SMB) and Network File System (NFS) protocols.
| Feature | SMB | NFS |
|---|---|---|
| Protocol | SMB 2.1/3.0/3.1.1 | NFS 4.1 |
| Auth | AD DS, Microsoft Entra Domain Services, or Microsoft Entra Kerberos for SMB | Identity-based auth not supported for NFS |
| OS Support | Windows, Linux, macOS | Linux only |
| Use Case | Traditional Windows apps | High-performance Linux apps |
mermaid graph TD Client[Client App] -- Mount --> Share[Azure File Share] Share -- Access --> Data[Files & Directories] subgraph Protocols SMB[SMB Protocol] NFS[NFS Protocol] end Client -.-> SMB Client -.-> NFS
Note
Premium file shares are recommended for I/O-intensive workloads, while Standard shares are cost-effective for general-purpose file sharing and backups.
Key Benefits¶
- Shared Access: Mount simultaneously from cloud or on-premises.
- Fully Managed: No hardware or OS maintenance required.
- Data Resilience: Built on the durable Azure Storage platform.