Azure Disk Storage

Azure Disk Storage is a cloud-based disk storage service that enables users to store and manage persistent data disks for virtual machines (VMs) running in the Azure cloud. It provides high-performance, reliable, and scalable disk storage that can be used to support a wide range of workloads, including databases, big data, and machine learning applications.

Features of Azure Disk Storage

Azure Disk Storage provides the following features:

Persistent and durable storage

Azure Disk Storage provides persistent and durable storage for virtual machines running in Azure. It supports both managed and unmanaged disks that can be attached to VMs and used as primary or data disks.

High-performance storage

Azure Disk Storage provides high-performance storage that can be used to support demanding workloads, such as databases, big data, and machine learning applications. It supports different disk types, such as standard HDD, standard SSD, and premium SSD, that can be selected based on the specific workload requirements.

Scalable storage

Azure Disk Storage provides scalable storage that can be easily resized to meet changing workload requirements. It supports resizing of both managed and unmanaged disks without any downtime or data loss.

Backup and disaster recovery

Azure Disk Storage provides built-in backup and disaster recovery options that can be used to protect data against data loss or corruption. It supports backup and recovery of managed disks using Azure Backup, Azure Site Recovery, or Azure VM backup.

Encryption and security

Azure Disk Storage provides encryption and security features that can be used to protect data at rest and in transit. It supports encryption of data disks using Azure Disk Encryption and transport-level encryption using SSL/TLS.

Types of Azure Disks

Azure Disk Storage supports two types of disks:

Managed disks

Managed disks are the recommended way to create and manage disks for virtual machines in Azure. They provide a simpler and more scalable way to manage disks compared to unmanaged disks. Managed disks are stored in Azure Storage and are managed by the Azure platform, which provides built-in features for backup, replication, and resizing.

Managed disks support three disk types:

• Standard HDD: Provides cost-effective storage for less demanding workloads, such as development and testing environments.
• Standard SSD: Provides balanced performance and cost for general-purpose workloads, such as web and application servers.
• Premium SSD: Provides high-performance storage for demanding workloads, such as databases and big data applications.

Unmanaged disks

Unmanaged disks are traditional disks that are stored in Azure Storage accounts and managed by users. They provide more control and flexibility compared to managed disks but require more manual management tasks, such as backup, replication, and resizing.

Unmanaged disks support two disk types:

• Standard: Provides cost-effective storage for less demanding workloads, such as development and testing environments.
• Premium: Provides high-performance storage for demanding workloads, such as databases and big data applications.

How to Use Azure Disk Storage

Azure Disk Storage can be used in different scenarios to support different workloads. In this section, we will look at some of the common scenarios and how to use Azure Disk Storage in each scenario.

Virtual Machine Disks

Azure Disk Storage can be used to store virtual machine disks that are used as the operating system or data disks for virtual machines running in Azure. To create a managed disk for a virtual machine, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the Azure Portal and open the virtual machine for which you want to create a disk.
2. Click on the “Disks” option in the left-hand menu and then click on the “+ Add data disk” button.
3. Enter the disk name, select the disk type, and specify the disk size.
4. Click on the “Create” button to create the disk.

To attach a managed or unmanaged disk to a virtual machine, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the Azure Portal and open the virtual machine to which you want to attach the disk.
2. Click on the “Disks” option in the left-hand menu and then click on the “+ Add data disk” button.
3. Select the disk you want to attach from the list of available disks.
4. Click on the “Save” button to attach the disk.

Database Storage

Azure Disk Storage can be used to store database files for different database management systems, such as SQL Server, MySQL, and PostgreSQL. To use Azure Disk Storage for database storage, follow these steps:

1. Create a managed or unmanaged disk with the appropriate disk type and size for your database.
2. Attach the disk to the virtual machine running the database management system.
3. Create or move the database files to the attached disk.

Big Data Storage

Azure Disk Storage can be used to store big data files for different big data frameworks, such as Hadoop and Spark. To use Azure Disk Storage for big data storage, follow these steps:

1. Create a managed or unmanaged disk with the appropriate disk type and size for your big data files.
2. Attach the disk to the virtual machine running the big data framework.
3. Configure the big data framework to use the attached disk for storing data.

Machine Learning Storage

Azure Disk Storage can be used to store machine learning models and data for different machine learning frameworks, such as TensorFlow and PyTorch. To use Azure Disk Storage for machine learning storage, follow these steps:

1. Create a managed or unmanaged disk with the appropriate disk type and size for your machine learning files.
2. Attach the disk to the virtual machine running the machine learning framework.
3. Configure the machine learning framework to use the attached disk for storing models and data.

Conclusion

Azure Disk Storage is a powerful and flexible storage service that can be used to support a wide range of workloads in the Azure cloud. It provides high-performance, scalable, and durable disk storage that can be easily managed and backed up using built-in Azure features. Whether you are running databases, big data, or machine learning applications, Azure Disk Storage can help you store and manage your data with ease and efficiency.