wmgries introduces a preview of the new file share-centric management model in Azure Files, where file shares are promoted to top-level Azure resources for easier, more flexible, and scalable management.

Introducing a New File Share-Centric Management Model for Azure Files

Azure Files now offers a file share-centric management model designed to let you manage your file shares in the cloud without the traditional overhead of storage account management.

Key Features

  • File shares as top-level Azure resources: File shares no longer require storage account management, making them easier to create, automate, and monitor.
  • Granular configuration and security: Each file share can be configured individually, with its own security and networking rules for improved isolation and control.
  • Simplified provisioning and billing: File shares scale independently, and each is billed as a standalone resource. The new provisioned v2 model means transparent and accurate billing per share.
  • Improved scalability and flexibility: The model increases service limits. In preview, you may create up to 1,000 file shares per subscription per region, with higher service limits and reduced management throttling.

Advantages

  • Ease of Automation: File shares can now be deployed using ARM templates and other automation tools, enabling smoother DevOps workflows.
  • Integrated Management: Use Azure’s native tools (policies, tags, cost management) directly with file shares.
  • Resource Isolation: Assign unique networking and security settings to each share, supporting diverse workloads without compromise.
  • Faster Provisioning: Preliminary testing shows file shares deploy nearly twice as fast as with the storage account model.
  • Straightforward Cost Allocation: Each file share is a separate billable item, simplifying tracking and chargebacks for departments or projects.

Limitations of the Preview

  • Only NFS file shares on SSD are supported; SMB support is planned for the future.
  • Features such as customer managed keys (CMK), soft-delete, and AKS integration (CSI driver) are not yet available.
  • Available in a limited set of Azure regions for the initial preview phase.

Getting Started

  1. In the Azure portal, search for “file shares” and select “+ Create”.
  2. Review Planning for an Azure Files deployment and How to create a file share (Microsoft.FileShares) for guidance.
  3. Monitor Azure Files scale targets to understand resource and request limits.

Summary

The new model addresses previous pain points with storage account-level management and scaling, offering clearer resource control, better cost transparency, and easier scaling for teams running file services on Azure. As the preview expands, more features (like SMB and AKS support) are planned.

For further details, visit the documentation links provided above.

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