What are the different types of Azure Storage accounts and their key differences?


Azure offers several types of storage accounts, each tailored for different scenarios. Here are the main types:

  1. General-purpose v2 (GPv2): Supports all Azure Storage services (Blobs, Files, Queues, and Tables). It’s the most versatile and recommended for most scenarios.
  2. Blob Storage: Optimized for storing unstructured data like text and binary data. It supports hot, cool, and archive access tiers.
  3. General-purpose v1 (GPv1): An older version of GPv2, supporting Blobs, Files, Queues, and Tables but with fewer features and higher costs for some operations.
  4. Block Blob Storage: Premium storage for block blobs and append blobs, offering low latency and high throughput.
  5. FileStorage: Premium storage for Azure Files, providing high performance for file shares.

When to Use Each Type

  • GPv2: Use for most scenarios, including applications that require a mix of different storage services.
  • Blob Storage: Ideal for scenarios where you need to store large amounts of unstructured data and want to optimize costs with different access tiers.
  • GPv1: Suitable for legacy applications that were designed for this type.
  • Block Blob Storage: Best for workloads with high transaction rates or requiring low latency.
  • FileStorage: Use for enterprise or high-performance applications needing file shares.

Key Differences

  1. Supported Services:
    • GPv2: Supports Blobs, Files, Queues, and Tables.
    • Blob Storage: Only supports Blob storage.
    • GPv1: Supports Blobs, Files, Queues, and Tables but with fewer features.
    • Block Blob Storage: Only supports Block and Append Blobs.
    • FileStorage: Only supports Azure Files.
  2. Performance:
    • GPv2 and GPv1: Standard performance.
    • Block Blob Storage and FileStorage: Premium performance with SSDs.
  3. Access Tiers:
    • GPv2 and Blob Storage: Support hot, cool, and archive tiers.
    • GPv1, Block Blob Storage, and FileStorage: Do not support access tiers.
  4. Redundancy Options:
    • GPv2: Offers LRS, GRS, RA-GRS, ZRS, GZRS, and RA-GZRS.
    • Blob Storage: Offers LRS, GRS, RA-GRS, ZRS.
    • GPv1: Offers LRS, GRS, RA-GRS.
    • Block Blob Storage and FileStorage: Offer LRS and ZRS.
  5. Pricing:
    • GPv2: Generally more cost-effective for most scenarios.
    • Blob Storage: Cost-effective for large amounts of unstructured data with tiered pricing.
    • GPv1: Higher costs for some operations compared to GPv2.
    • Block Blob Storage and FileStorage: Higher costs due to premium performance.

These differences help you choose the right storage account based on your specific needs123.