John Savill presents an in-depth walkthrough of recent Azure Files performance upgrades, covering workload interaction, metadata caching, directory leasing, Linux SMB multi-channel, and future roadmap details.

Azure Files Performance Upgrade

Presenter: John Savill’s Technical Training

Overview

This video delves into the latest performance enhancements in Azure Files, targeting IT professionals and cloud architects. Topics include impact areas for workloads using SMB protocol, details of the new metadata cache, practical setup considerations, and Microsoft’s ongoing roadmap for improved storage solutions.

Key Chapters

  • Workload SMB Interaction Types: Understanding how different workloads interact with Azure Files via SMB and the performance profiles of each type.
  • Azure Files Considerations: Practical guidance for sizing, provisioning, and integrating Azure Files into existing architectures.
  • Metadata Cache: Introduction to Azure Files metadata caching to accelerate workloads with intensive directory and metadata operations. More details
  • Requirements and Roadmap: Discussion of prerequisites and a look ahead at upcoming Azure Files improvements.
  • Handles: Handling open files, file locks, and managing access for optimal performance.
  • Directory Lease: Leveraging directory lease for improved concurrency and throughput in scenarios with many active clients.
  • SMB Multi-Channel for Linux: How enabling multiple channels boosts performance for Linux-based workloads.
  • Other Considerations & Summary: Additional tips, best practices, and final wrap-up.

Takeaways

  • Practical knowledge of recent and upcoming enhancements to Azure Files
  • How to leverage metadata caching, SMB improvements, and other features to maximize performance
  • Real-world guidance for deploying Azure Files with enterprise workloads

Presented by John Savill, this session is designed for IT professionals looking to optimize Azure-based storage solutions for demanding workloads.