wmgries details how Azure Files provisioned v2 for SSD enables IT professionals and developers to optimize storage performance and cost, with practical examples and actionable guidance.

Lower Costs and Boost Flexibility with Azure Files Provisioned v2 for SSD

Author: wmgries

Azure Files provisioned v2 is now generally available for SSD (premium) media tier, bringing powerful new options for organizations seeking flexible, cost-effective file storage on Microsoft Azure. This update is relevant whether you run high-throughput databases, cloud-native applications, DevOps environments, or media archives.

Key Features of Provisioned v2 for SSD

  • Decouples performance from capacity: Scale IOPS and throughput independently of storage size.
  • Lower minimum share size: Minimum file share size reduced from 100 GiB to 32 GiB.
  • Increased maximum share size: Maximum file share size expanded from 100 TiB to 256 TiB.
  • Dynamic scaling: Adjust file share capacity or performance with no downtime.
  • Cost savings: Substantial reductions in minimum entry cost (from $16 to $3.20 per month) and overall TCO for common workloads.

Benefits Across Diverse Workloads

  • Mission-critical databases: Achieve high IOPS and throughput for SQL Server, Oracle®, MongoDB, SAP, and EPIC without over-provisioning storage.
  • Containerized applications (AKS): Share storage across containers at a fraction of previous costs—minimum file share now just $3.20/month.
  • Media and archive workloads: Provision fast, flexible file shares up to 256 TiB with SSD latency, scaling IOPS/throughput as needed for infrequent access.

Example Cost Savings

Workload Scenario v1 Monthly Cost v2 Monthly Cost Cost Savings
Workload using defaults (10 TiB, ~13K IOPS) $1,638.40 $1,341.09 18%
Relational DB (4 TiB, 20K IOPS) $2,720 $925.42 66%
Hot archive (100 TiB, 15K IOPS) $16,384.00 $10,641.93 35%

For detailed comparisons, see Understanding the costs of the provisioned v2 model.

Why Move to Azure Files with Provisioned v2 SSD?

  • Affordable entry point
  • Flexible custom provisioning for both performance and capacity
  • Predictable and straightforward billing
  • Excellent fit for performance-critical workloads and bursting scenarios
  • Supports smaller workloads and scales seamlessly up to hundreds of TiB

How Provisioned v2 Works

  • Default IOPS/throughput are suggested per provisioned storage size, but you can override these at any time.
  • Upscale or downscale resources as requirements change, with no required downtime.
  • All relevant telemetry is available, making it easy to monitor and tune your file shares.

Getting Started

  1. In the Azure Portal, create a new Storage Account.
  2. Select “Azure Files” as the primary service.
  3. Choose “Premium” performance tier.
  4. Select “Provisioned v2” for billing.
  5. Configure your file share based on workload needs.

For more, see:

Posted by wmgries, Microsoft

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