Guide To Create an Azure Storage Account; Blob Storage
Published: 2023-06-17 15:51:47

Intro:
We all know that Azure is a powerful cloud computing platform provided by Microsoft and they offer a wide range of services for building, deploying, and managing applications and infrastructure. Creating an Azure account is the first step towards exploring its capabilities. 

Azure Storage provides a scalable and secure cloud storage solution for various data types. 
Now let me will walk you through the process of creating an Azure storage account and enabling access to start leveraging this feature.

Step 1: Visit the Azure Portal at https//portal.azure.com To get started by signing if you already have an account or you create a free account if you do not have one.

Step 2: Navigate to Storage Accounts.
Once you are signed in to the Azure portal, locate the navigation menu on the left-hand side. Scroll down or search for "Storage Accounts" and click on it. This will take you to the Storage Accounts page.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/00hpaizh0zb0ag1xtij4.png)

Step 3: Create a new storage account. On the Storage Accounts page, click on the "create" button to create a new storage account.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/6drs90nco8g440iii6p6.png)

Step 4: Right under the project details Provide the necessary information required(see Checked marks) e.g Subscription, resource group, Storage account name, region, configure advanced settings(optional).

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/28is23wnil9dcpyffhgg.png)
![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/rswhiyru5sw4aw9slak6.png)

Step 5: Review and create:
Once you have filled in the required details, review your settings to ensure everything is correct. Click on "Review then create" at the bottom of the page.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/yi7awnhcy3rcrri44ivj.png)

Azure will validate your settings and create the storage account. This process may take a few moments. Once the account is created successfully, you will see a notification.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/sw2xp2i6hm8otsqiv50z.png)

Step 6: Now select the storage account you created and search for 'containers' from the left side menu.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/81utkcw9zv8poej6xxnn.png)
Step 7: click on containers and then click the '+container' button. a mini tab on  the right opens up when you do that.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/edzlq1s4sh7985mbzu8q.png)
Step 8: Now input the name you would like to call your container and then change the *public access level* from private to Blob. This way it guarantees that your storage can be view by external 3rd parties.
Step 9: The click the create button on the lower right side on the same tab.This will process for some few seconds then you will see  'Successfully created storage container'.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/4t6qhbkq363bisyga83q.png)

Congratulations!!! You have successfully created a storage account and also added a blob storage with public access.

Step 10: To Upload a file into the storage container. First is to click on the container you have created and then select upload.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/csipp7r0j5ygk72gie4p.png)
A tab opens up on the right side of the screen that gives you access to either 'drag and drop' files or 'browse' the file you would like to upload.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/gb3vulsqiu5o52pvi50x.png)
Step 11: Now select the file you would like to upload on your container blob storage and the click the upload button.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/uls1usmj45j8fikiko1d.png)
Congratulations!!! You have successfully uploaded a file into your storage account.

Now let me show you how to share your file to the public viewer by just given them the URL for the file in your storage account.

Step 1. Click the file you successfully uploaded in your storage container.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/gh4w8d64mzkvqk3cz45j.png)

Click on this icon to copy the link to the file and share it to whoever you would like to show what you have successfully uploaded into your container storage.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/7uptx17gp9gmkz4w6omu.png)

Now the link can be Pasted on any of your favorite browsers and it will instantly direct the viewer to the saved file.

Azure Storage also has different storage *Tiers*, Hot Tier, Cool Tier and Archive Tier.These tiers allow you to choose the most cost-effective storage option based on the frequency of access and the desired level of data availability. Let's explore each tier in more detail:

To change the Tier of level for your uploaded file, First search and open your storage account, Click on the storage name you want to work on;

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/ln7vi7sinuxe5fgx654j.png)
 Then click on containers;

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/at4rdks4sq9goum7z1qj.png)
Then select the the container that contains the file you want to change the Tier.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/offat0qxs372bidimdzx.png)

Then go ahead and click on the file that you want to change the Tier.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/1rihlbilczvxqiq2oq4f.png)
Once you have done that you can easily toggle btw Tiers from this point on depending on what you want with the file.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/3ho5ylzdl69hfff6pd6e.png)
Hot Tier:
The Hot Tier is designed for frequently accessed data that requires low-latency access times and high availability. It offers the highest storage cost per gigabyte compared to other tiers but provides faster access and immediate availability of data. The Hot Tier is suitable for applications that require real-time data access, quick retrieval, and frequent updates.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/vo4aee2yymy60xdfed09.png)
Cool Tier:
The Cool Tier is optimized for infrequently accessed data that can tolerate slightly higher access times and has lower availability requirements. It offers a lower storage cost compared to the Hot Tier but incurs higher retrieval costs. The Cool Tier is suitable for data that is accessed less frequently, such as backups, archives, and long-term storage.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/67lje67ipeop8aogk6ca.png)
Archive Tier:
The Archive Tier is the most cost-effective option for long-term retention of rarely accessed data that can tolerate longer retrieval times and lower availability. It offers the lowest storage cost but incurs the highest retrieval costs and longer access times. The Archive Tier is suitable for data that needs to be stored for a long time, such as compliance data, regulatory archives, or historical records.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/6q8sh2xjeaosb4ovqo76.png)
Always click on save once you have finished with the selection.

By choosing the appropriate storage tier based on the access pattern and requirements of your data, you can optimize costs and effectively manage your data storage in Azure Storage.