Organizations with a large amount of data have been more frequently accessing the cloud for more space. By releasing Blob storage accounts through Azure cloud, companies could back up content and data that was compatible, performance efficient, and low cost. As a result, Microsoft released the availability of hot storage (for high frequency data) and cool storage (for archives and low frequency data). Today makes another step towards availability for data storage as Microsoft announces Azure StorSimple support for Azure Blob cool storage accounts.
All of the StorSimple options have full support for both hot and cool storage. That includes StorSimple 8000 Series Storage Arrays, StorSimple Cloud Appliances, and the StorSimple Virtual Array. Until now, it was only available for the hot Blob storage accounts. Now users can switch between the hot and cool choice with a convenient and quick toggle on the Azure portal. The most common practice is that companies utilize the hot storage for data that is often accessed, then transfer that information to cool storage after it isn’t needed as much anymore.
More tips for from the blog about Azure Blob storage with StorSimple include:
- Initially set the access tier to hot. Keep the access tier set to hot until any initial data migrations are complete and the account has a significant amount of infrequently accessed data. Then consider switching to cool.
- Evaluate your existing usage pattern to determine whether you will benefit from using a cool storage account. To learn how Azure Storage metrics can help you to understand your storage usage pattern, click here.
- Scenarios that involve a lot of cloud data access, such as using the StorSimple Cloud Appliance for dev/test or research, are better suited for hot storage.
- If you expect to clone data often you should choose hot storage.
Currently, the previous data from a StorSimple account cannot be migrated to a Blob storage account. However, that is something that Microsoft is intending to look into for future use. For more information, check out the official blog.
