3. Azure Storage Services

Introduction

Azure Storage Services

Types of Data

• Structured Data
• Semi-Structured 
• Unstructured Data

Azure Blob Storage

BLOB :-

Binary Large OBject

Key Characteristics

• Designed for storage of files of any kind(BLOB – Binary large OBject – file)
• Three storage tiers
  • Hot – frequently accessed data
  • Cool – Infrequently accessed data(lower availability, high durability)
  • Archive – rarely(if-ever) accessed data

Azure Queue Storage

Key Characteristics 

• Storage for small pieces of data(messages)
• Designed for scalable asynchronous processing

Azure Table Storage

Key Characteristics 

• Storage for semi-structures(NoSQL)
  • No need for foreign joins, foreign keys, relationships or strict schema
  • Designed for fast access
• Many Programming interfaces and SDKs

Azure File Storage

Key Characteristics 

• Storage for files accessed via rive protocols 
• Designed to extend on-premise file shares or implement lift-and-shift scenarios

Azure Storage Account

Key Characteristics

• Group of Services which include
  • Blob storage
  • Queue storage
  • Table storage
  • File Storage
• Used to store
  • Files,
  • Messages, and 
  • Semi-structured data
• Highly scalable(up to petabytes of data)
• Highly durable(99.999999999999% – 11 nines,up to 16 nines)
• Cheapest per GB storage

Azure Disk Storage

Key Characteristics

• Disk emulation in the cloud
• Persistent storage for virtual machines
• Different
  • Sizes
  • types(SSD, HDD)
  • Performance tiers
• Disk can be unmanaged or managed

Database services in Azure

Azure Cosmos DB

Key Characteristics

• Globally distributed NoSQL(semi-structured data) Database Service
• Schema-less
• Multiple APIs(SQL, MongoDB,Cassandra,Gremlin,Table Storage)
• Designed for
  • Highly responsive(real-time) applications with super low latency responses < 10ms
  • Multi-regional applications

Azure SQL Database

Key Characteristics

• Relational database service in the cloud(PaaS)(DBaaS – database as a Service)
• Structures data service denied using schema and relationships
• Rich Query Capabilities(SQL)
• High-performance, reliable, fully managed,d and secure database for building applications.

• Database → SQL Database
• Reporting Services (SSRS) → Power BI
• Integration Service(SSIS) →  Data Factory
• Analysis Services → Analysis Services

Azure SQL

• SQL Database
• Managed Instance
• SQL Data Warehouse
• SQL VM
• Db for MySQL
• Db for PostgreSQL

Azure MarketPlace

Key Characteristics

• “Azure Shop”
• First and third-party products
• IaaS, PaaS, Saas

Azure IoT (Internet of Things) Services

Internet of things

The Internet of Things(IOT) is a network of internet-connected devices(IOT Devices) embedded in everyday objects, which enable sending and receiving data such as settings and telemetry.

Azure IoT Hub

Key Characteristics

• Managed service for bi-directional communication 
• Platform as a Service(PaaS)
• Highly secure, scalable, and reliable
• Integrated with Iot of Azure Services
• Programmable SDKs for popular languages(C,C#,Java,Python,Node.js)
• Multiple protocols(HTTPS.AMQP,MQTT)

Azure IoT Central

Key Characteristics

• IoT App platform – Software as a Service(SaaS)
• Industry Specific app templates
• No deep technical knowledge required
• Service for Connecting, management and monitoring IoT devices
• Highly secure,scalable and reliable
• Built on top of the IoT Hub service and 30+ other services

Azure Sphere

Key Characteristics

• Secure end-2-end IoT Solutions
  • Azure Sphere certifies chips(microcontroller units – MCUs)
  • Azure Sphere OS based on Linux
  • Azure Security Service trusted device-to-cloud communication

Azure Big Data & Analytics Services

Big data is a field that technology that helps with extraction, processing and analysis of information that is too large or complex to deal with traditional software

Azure Synapse Analytics

Key Characteristics

• Big data analytics platform(PaaS)

• Multiple Components
  • Spark
  • Synapse SQL
    • SQL pools(dedicated – pay for provisioned performance)
    • SQL on-demand(ad-hoc – pay for TB processed)
  • Synapse pipelines (Data Factory – ETL)
  • Studio(Unifies experience)

Azure HDInsight

Key Characteristics

• Flexible multi-purpose big data platform(PaaS)
• Multiple technologies supported(Hadoop,Spark,HBase, Hive, Storm, Machine Learning)

Azure Databricks

Key Characteristics

• Big data collaboration platform(PaaS)
• Unified workspace for notebook, cluster,data access management and collaboration
• Based on Spark
• Integrates very well with common Azure data Services