This article is all about using the file share facility in the storage accounts of Microsoft Azure. Here, you will learn to upload the files into the file share in the storage account as well as the concept of mapping a network drive in your local machine. This mapped network drive in your local machine will help you to directly upload the files into the portal rather than using the command shell commands or Azure portal. Let us see in detail. Prior to it, you need to create a new storage account in Azure portal. If you know to create it, then create it and follow the steps and if you don’t know how to create one follow this link and learn it. Once you finish creating an Azure storage account, open up all the resources panes and click on the name of the storage account, which you have created. This will direct you into the Window of configuring your storage account.
Creating files share
Basically, a file share is an online storage space, where you can store data. Also, you can add it as a network drive in your machine, which we are going to see in the further steps. As of now, remember that this is a Cloud storage drive.
In the Window of your storage account, you can find something called files in the middle. Just, click on the tile. You will now see a new Window in which there will be no file shares created. Now, to create a new file share, click on the +File Share button in the top of the Window. This will allow you to create a new file share in the storage account. Simply enter the name of the file share you'd like to have and the amount of space you can afford and then click on the Create button. This will now initiate the process of creation of the file share.
Uploading files from portal
Once the file share gets created, you will see the name of your file share in the file Window. Now click over it to view the pane of that file share in which you can easily upload the files into the file share. To upload the file from the portal, simply click on the Upload button in the top. This will ask you to choose the file to be uploaded. Chose it and click OK button.
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The uploading process will be based on the speed of your network as well as the size of your file. Once the file gets completely uploaded, you can find it in the file share, which you have created. This is one way to upload the files to your file sharing. Now, let us see the concept of uploading the files into the file sharing from the local machine rather than the portal.
Creating and mapping the network drive
Now, let us see the concept of uploading the files from the local machine, using the network drive. Prior to that, click on the Connect button, which is located in the Window of the file sharing. You can see it highlighted in the previous screenshot. Once you click on it, you will be shown a list of codes for Windows and Linux operating systems. Now, you need to copy the link of your file sharing. This link will help you to map up your network drive to Azure. Copy that link and it is highlighted in the image as a reference for you.
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Once you copy the link, open up my computer. Click on this PC option in the left side pane. Now, in the top you can find an option called Map Network Drive. Click on it and then click on Map Network Drive again. This will show you up a configuration Window for the network drive. In the place of the Folder text box, paste the link which you copied previously from Azure portal. Once you paste the link there, click on the Finish button.
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Once you click on the finish button, then you will be asked to enter the user name and password for your network drive. Go back to your portal again and you can find your user name. Your user name is the name of your file sharing. If you don’t remember it, you can see it in the screen shot given below. I have highlighted it for. In the same place, your file sharing name will also be found. Just enter it in the place of your user name and then in the password text box, you need to enter the access key of your file sharing. To get this, go to the portal again and click on the View access key for this storage account. This will show you a new Window with two different access keys for your file sharing. Copy any one of those file shares, paste it up in your password text box and then click OK button. Now, you will be authenticated and a new drive will open up in your local computer and it will be a network drive.
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Conclusion
This is how we create the file sharing in Azure portal and map it to the network drives from our local computer. This network drive can be used to upload the files into your file share directly from your local computer rather than logging into the portal or using up the power shell commands. Now, if you create any directory in our file share in Azure portal, it will be shown in the network directory of your PC. In the same way, if you do any change in the network drive, it will be reflected back in the file sharing of the portal. Hope, this will help you to create your own file sharing in Azure. Thanks for reading.