Accessing Azure File Shares for home/remote users

Question

Accessing Azure File Shares for home/remote users

Chris97504 6

Hey Everyone,

In an effort to transition to a 100% mobile workforce, I've been slowly migrating our IT services over to Azure. We have AD Connect synchronizing our users to AAD, and Azure Files are sync'd with our on-premises file server. I even set up an S2S VPN so on-premises users can map their share drive directly to Azure Files (though I haven't rolled that feature out to the users yet).

The next phase is having the users map their share drive to Azure Files from home. I tried using Azure Storage Explorer, which works, but it's too foriegn for users to grasp. Then I thought maybe a P2S VPN would work. Currently, our Azure Files is setup to use a storage access key. I plan on moving to Azure AD DS in the future.

But, before I go down this rabbit hole, am I even on the right track? Is it possible for Windows 10 users (and Mac users) to access Azure Files from anywhere? If so, can you point out the high-level steps that I would need to take?

Thanks :)

UKCloudGuy 1 Reputation point

2020-12-31T17:16:45.777+00:00

If you want to use Azure Files as it it was a remote file system and also, at times, perhaps use some Azure Blob, for large files or archive and make it feel like a cloud fileserver to your external users take a look at the File Fabric available on the marketplace. It provides end users desktop drive mapping access as well as web and mobile access without the need for VDI or VPN.
SUNOJ KUMAR YELURU 15,491 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2021-01-09T05:16:32.007+00:00

Let us know if anything required.

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SUNOJ KUMAR YELURU 15,491 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2021-01-14T00:30:30.637+00:00

To follow-up, Please let us know if you have further query on this.
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UKCloudGuy 1 Reputation point

2020-12-31T17:16:45.777+00:00

If you want to use Azure Files as it it was a remote file system and also, at times, perhaps use some Azure Blob, for large files or archive and make it feel like a cloud fileserver to your external users take a look at the File Fabric available on the marketplace. It provides end users desktop drive mapping access as well as web and mobile access without the need for VDI or VPN.
SUNOJ KUMAR YELURU 15,491 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2021-01-09T05:16:32.007+00:00

Let us know if anything required.

Please don’t forget to "Accept the answer" and up-vote wherever the information provided helps you, this can be beneficial to other community members.
SUNOJ KUMAR YELURU 15,491 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2021-01-14T00:30:30.637+00:00

To follow-up, Please let us know if you have further query on this.
Please don’t forget to Accept the answer

Answer 1

SUNOJ KUMAR YELURU 15,491 MVP Volunteer Moderator

@Chris97504

Based on your request for accessing Windows 10 and mac OS azure file share, Follow below website for details.

Prerequisites Azure file share with Windows

Prerequisites Azure file share over SMB with macOS

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

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Accessing Azure File Shares for home/remote users

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