Is Microsoft Azure files faster than using SharePoint when using it for file storage?

Question

Hello, we recently moved our local file server to Microsoft SharePoint, we have about 600Gigs of files in total. We are having several issues currently with DWF files opening in CAD, trying to convert an Excel file to PDF, trying to open certain PDF's and changing a document and waiting 30 minutes for someone else to see the change. Would going to Azure file storage take care of these issues or would we still have the lag and same issues as we do now? Thank you.

Answer 1

@Lance Mac Welcome to Microsoft Q&A Forum, Thank you posting your query here!T

Moving your files to Azure File Storage may help to address some of the issues you're experiencing, but it's important to understand the root cause of the issues before making any changes.

Here are a few things to consider:

1. DWF files opening in CAD: If you're experiencing issues with DWF files opening in CAD, it's possible that there may be compatibility issues between the two programs. You may want to check the system requirements for both programs to ensure that they're compatible with each other.
2. Converting an Excel file to PDF: If you're having trouble converting an Excel file to PDF, it's possible that there may be issues with the file itself or with the software you're using to convert the file. You may want to try using a different software or tool to convert the file to see if that resolves the issue.
3. Opening certain PDFs: If you're having trouble opening certain PDFs, it's possible that there may be issues with the PDF files themselves or with the software you're using to open them. You may want to try using a different PDF viewer or editor to see if that resolves the issue.
4. Document changes not appearing: If you're experiencing delays in changes appearing in documents, it's possible that there may be issues with the synchronization between SharePoint and your local devices. You may want to check the synchronization settings and ensure that they're configured correctly.

This article provides detailed information on Azure Files scalability and performance targets

The more you store in SharePoint the costlier it gets but that is because it is more readily available and the UI is provided. Azure Storage is better at storing files long term and pretty much requires programmatic access so is best used for storing things you will provide a UI wrapper around. The cost is less but you have to build the infrastructure to work with it. Lot features and functionality.

Azure Files provides a range of storage tiers that help reduce costs by allowing you to store data at the appropriate level of performance and price. At the highest level, Azure Files offers two performance tiers: standard and premium. Standard file shares are hosted on a storage system backed by hard disk drives (HDD), while premium file shares are backed by solid-state drives (SSD) for better performance. Standard file shares have several storage tiers (transaction optimized, hot, and cool) that you can seamlessly move between to maximize the data at-rest storage and transaction prices. However, you can't move between standard and premium tiers without physically migrating your data between different storage accounts.

When choosing between standard and premium file shares, it's important to understand the requirements of the expected usage pattern you're planning to run on Azure Files. If you require large amounts of IOPS, extremely fast data transfer speeds, or very low latency, then you should choose premium Azure file shares.

My recommendation would be Azure Files share, In the aspects of Mount, Cache, Available protocols, Cost, Capacity, Features, IOPS, Functionality , Backup and recovery and many more.

Azure Files Storage FAQs

Please let us know if you have any further queries. I’m happy to assist you further.

---

Please do not forget to "Accept the answer” and “up-vote” wherever the information provided helps you, this can be beneficial to other community members.