Azure Files

Files.com provides integration with Azure Files, allowing you to make your Azure file shares available to your users as Files.com folders. Azure Files is a fully managed, serverless file shares capability from Microsoft. It allows the use of industry-standard SMB and NFS protocols in addition to Azure Files REST APIs as a way to access files. Azure Files are typically used as a way to modernize storage and move your traditional on-premise storage into the cloud, while maintaining compatibility with existing applications and users who may want to continue to use SMB and NFS as a way to access files.

Azure Files integration at Files.com

With Files.com, an Azure file share can be connected as a Remote Server Mount, making the Azure file share content available in real time, or connected as a Sync, allowing you to push or pull files between the Azure file share and other Files.com storage locations.

Integrating Files.com with Azure Files allows your users to access Azure file shares directly, using the SMB and NFS protocols to connect to Azure file shares as Network Drives or Network Shared Folders, as well as allowing your users to access the exact same Azure file share through Files.com, using a web browser, SFTP, FTP, WebDAV, the Files.com Desktop App, or the Files.com Command Line (CLI) App.

Files.com integrates with Azure Files using the Microsoft Azure Files APIs via HTTPS, providing secure encrypted data transmission between the two platforms.

Connecting to Azure Files

To connect to Azure Files, add your Azure Files as a Remote Server in Files.com.

You must provide an Internal name for this connection. If you're managing multiple remote servers, make the name clear enough to easily identify this particular connection.

The Authentication Information is required because it contains the credentials Files.com will use for connecting to Azure. You can enter credentials directly, or select a saved credential from the Remote Server Credential Manager.

Once your Azure Files has been added as a Remote Server, you can integrate it with Files.com as either a Remote Server Mount or Sync.

Authentication Information

The following items are required for connecting Files.com to Azure Files:

Account - The name of your Azure Storage Account, as shown in your Microsoft Azure web portal > Home > Storage Accounts page.

Share Name - The name of your Azure file share, as shown in your Microsoft Azure web portal > Home > Storage Accounts > selected storage account > File shares page.

Access Key or Shared Access Signature (SAS) Token - The Access Key, or SAS Token, for the selected Azure Files storage account, as shown in your Microsoft Azure web portal > Home > Storage Accounts > selected storage account > Access Keys, or Microsoft Azure web portal > Home > Storage Accounts > selected storage account > Shared Access Signature page.

Files.com does not currently provide for pass-through authentication to Azure Files via Azure AD if you are also using Azure AD with Files.com. Actions performed on Azure Files from Files.com use the privileges of the above authentication information.

Azure Cloud Selection

When connecting to Azure storage, select the Azure cloud environment where your storage account resides.

Files.com supports the following Azure cloud environments:

• Azure US (default) – The standard public Azure cloud used by most Azure customers.
• Azure US Government – A separate Azure environment designed for U.S. federal, state, and local government workloads that must meet government compliance and data residency requirements.
• Azure China – Azure services operated within mainland China.

Choose the Azure cloud that corresponds to the environment where your Azure storage account was created. Most customers use Azure US, which is selected by default.

Organizations that operate in regulated environments, including many U.S. federal agencies and contractors, often deploy resources in Azure US Government to meet compliance and data sovereignty requirements. If your Azure storage account exists in that environment, select Azure US Government when configuring the Remote Server connection.

Files.com automatically uses the appropriate Azure service endpoints for the selected cloud environment.

Azure Storage Firewall

Azure Storage firewall rules let you control network access to the public endpoint of your Azure Storage account. By default, Azure Storage accounts accept connections from any network. You can tighten security by defining network rules that specify which sources can connect.

If you use private endpoints and block public access with the Azure Storage firewall, you must still allow connections from Files.com in your firewall rules.

When your Files.com site uses a Custom Domain, add your dedicated IPs to the Azure Storage firewall rules. If you don’t use a custom domain, add the range of Files.com public IP addresses instead.

Add Remote Server Mount

Remote Server Mounts are created by mounting them onto an empty folder in Files.com. This folder should not be the Root of your site, although that is supported if you need it.

Add Sync

After creating the Remote Server, you can use it to perform Syncs between your remote server and Files.com.

Automations

Folders that have been configured with Remote Server Mount to Azure Files can also be used with automations, allowing you to include Azure Files file shares as source locations or destinations for your automations.

Case Sensitivity

Be aware of case sensitivity differences when copying, moving, or syncing files and folders between Azure Files and other storage locations. Azure Files is a case sensitive system whereas other systems may not be. This can cause files to be overwritten, and folders to have their contents merged, if their case insensitive names are a match.