Azure Files

Azure Files, from Microsoft's Azure suite of products, is a serverless enterprise-grade cloud file sharing service, providing managed file shares in the cloud that are accessible via SMB and NFS protocols. Azure Files shares can be mounted concurrently by cloud or on-premises deployments of Windows, Linux, and macOS. Azure Files shares can also be cached on Windows Servers with Azure File Sync for faster access near where the data is being used.

It features:

• Serverless file shares - Distributed file system built from the ground up to be highly available and durable—no hidden IaaS VMs or NAS filers.
• Built for Hybrid with File Sync - Transforms Windows Servers into caches of cloud shares without giving up on-premises performance.
• Optimized TCO - Different tiers are used to tailor shares to performance requirements and competitive price points.
• Multiple protocols support - Provides support for multiple protocols enabling data to be stored from different sources.

Azure Files is integrated with Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) for cloud file storage and management of data. Azure Files shares can be mounted concurrently by cloud or on-premises deployments of Windows, macOS, and Linux. Enable file sharing between applications running in virtual machines using familiar Windows APIs or the Azure Files REST API. Additionally, Azure File Sync allows caching and synchronization of Azure Files shares on Windows Servers for local access.

Premium file shares are billed based on provisioned size, regardless of used capacity. Standard files are billed based on usage. These prices vary based on the redundancy option selected.