Azure Storage Configuration.md

Azure Storage Setup

Finding Azure Storage Credentials

1. Via Azure Portal:

   • Go to Azure Portal
   • Navigate to "Storage accounts"
   • Select your storage account or create new one:

     Create New Storage Account:
     - Click "+ Create"
     - Fill in basic information:
       * Resource group (create new or select existing)
       * Storage account name (this will be your AZURE_ACCOUNT_NAME)
       * Region
       * Performance: Standard
       * Redundancy: Locally-redundant storage (LRS)
     

   • Once created or selected, go to:
     • "Access keys" section under "Security + networking"
     • Click "Show keys"
     • You will find:
       • AZURE_ACCOUNT_NAME: Listed as "Storage account name"
       • AZURE_ACCOUNT_KEY: Copy "key1" or "key2" value

2. Create Container:

   • In your storage account, go to "Containers"
   • Click "+ Container"
   • Name your container (this will be your AZURE_CONTAINER_NAME)
   • Set "Public access level" (usually "Private")

3. Connection String Format:

   DefaultEndpointsProtocol=https;AccountName={your-account-name};AccountKey={your-account-key};EndpointSuffix=core.windows.net
   

Azure Storage Environment Variables

# Source Storage (for backup)
AZURE_ACCOUNT_NAME=your_storage_account_name       # Example: mystorageaccount
AZURE_ACCOUNT_KEY=your_storage_account_key         # Example: Ab12Cd34Ef56Gh78...
AZURE_CONTAINER_NAME=your_container_name           # Example: backups

# Target Storage (for restore)
TARGET_AZURE_ACCOUNT_NAME=target_storage_account   # Example: restorestorageaccount
TARGET_AZURE_ACCOUNT_KEY=target_account_key        # Example: Xy98Wv76Ut54Rs32...
TARGET_AZURE_CONTAINER_NAME=target_container       # Example: restored

Azure Storage Access Tips

1. Permissions Required:

   • For backup service:
     • Read access to source container
     • List container contents
   • For restore service:
     • Write access to target container
     • Create container if not exists

2. Security Best Practices:

   • Use different storage accounts for source and target
   • Rotate access keys periodically
   • Use Managed Identities in production
   • Consider using Azure Key Vault for key storage

3. Networking:

   • Check firewall settings if accessing from specific IPs
   • Configure CORS if needed
   • Consider using private endpoints for enhanced security

4. Monitoring:

   • Enable Azure Storage metrics
   • Set up alerts for capacity and performance
   • Monitor access patterns

5. Cost Management:

   • Choose appropriate redundancy level
   • Set lifecycle management rules
   • Monitor data transfer costs
   • Consider reserved capacity for large deployments

Troubleshooting Azure Storage

1. Common Issues:

   • "AuthorizationFailure": Check account keys
   • "ContainerNotFound": Verify container name
   • "NetworkError": Check firewall/VNET settings

2. Validation Steps:

   # Test Azure Storage connection
   az storage container list \
     --account-name YOUR_ACCOUNT_NAME \
     --account-key YOUR_ACCOUNT_KEY
   
   # Test container access
   az storage blob list \
     --container-name YOUR_CONTAINER_NAME \
     --account-name YOUR_ACCOUNT_NAME \
     --account-key YOUR_ACCOUNT_KEY

3. Performance Tips:

   • Use closest region for better latency
   • Enable soft delete for recovery
   • Consider premium storage for high-performance needs

4. Logging:

   • Enable Storage Analytics logging
   • Check Azure Monitor
   • Review application logs for storage operations