Queue Storage – Get Practical

As an Azure Solutions Architect, I often come across clients who find Azure’s wide range of storage options overwhelming. In this post, I’ll break down Azure Storage into simple terms, so you can make the right choice for your needs.

What is Azure Storage?

Azure Storage is a cloud service that provides scalable, durable, and secure storage solutions. Whether you need to store files, structured data, or backups, Azure Storage has an option for you.

Types of Azure Storage

Here are the main storage options and their typical use cases:

Blob Storage
Think of this as a place for large files—videos, images, backups, or any unstructured data.
- When to Use: Hosting static website content, storing backups, or media streaming.
- Cool Feature: Access tiers (Hot, Cool, and Archive) let you optimise costs based on how often you access the data.
File Storage
Like a network share in the cloud! Ideal for replacing on-premises file servers.
- When to Use: Lift-and-shift applications that rely on file shares.
- Cool Feature: It supports SMB and NFS protocols, so it integrates easily with existing systems.
Table Storage
A NoSQL store for lightweight, structured data.
- When to Use: Logging, metadata storage, or applications requiring fast key-value lookups.
- Cool Feature: It’s incredibly cost-effective and lightning-fast for specific use cases.
Queue Storage
A messaging store to decouple application components.
- When to Use: When building distributed apps or processing background tasks.
- Cool Feature: Works seamlessly with Azure Functions for event-driven architectures.
Disk Storage
Persistent storage for Virtual Machines (VMs).
- When to Use: Running workloads like databases, where performance and durability matter.
- Cool Feature: Options like Ultra Disks offer high throughput for demanding workloads.