Convert append blobs and page blobs into block blobs

To convert blobs, copy them to a new location by using PowerShell, Azure CLI, or AzCopy. You'll use command parameters to ensure that the destination blob is a block blob. All metadata from the source blob is copied to the destination blob.

Convert append and page blobs

PowerShell

1. Open a Windows PowerShell command window.

2. Sign in to your Azure subscription with the Connect-AzAccount command and follow the on-screen directions.

   Connect-AzAccount
   

3. If your identity is associated with more than one subscription, then set your active subscription to subscription of the storage account which contains the append or page blobs.

   $context = Get-AzSubscription -SubscriptionId '<subscription-id>'
   Set-AzContext $context
   

   Replace the <subscription-id> placeholder value with the ID of your subscription.

4. Create the storage account context by using the New-AzStorageContext command. Include the -UseConnectedAccount parameter so that data operations will be performed using your Microsoft Entra credentials.

   $ctx = New-AzStorageContext -StorageAccountName '<storage account name>' -UseConnectedAccount
   

5. Use the Copy-AzStorageBlob command and set the -DestBlobType parameter to Block.

   $containerName = '<source container name>'
   $srcblobName = '<source append or page blob name>'
   $destcontainerName = '<destination container name>'
   $destblobName = '<destination block blob name>'
   $destTier = '<destination block blob tier>'
   
   Copy-AzStorageBlob -SrcContainer $containerName -SrcBlob $srcblobName -Context $ctx -DestContainer $destcontainerName -DestBlob $destblobName -DestContext $ctx -DestBlobType Block -StandardBlobTier $destTier
   

6. To copy a page blob snapshot to block blob, use the Get-AzStorageBlob and Copy-AzStorageBlob command with -DestBlobType parameter as Block.

   $containerName = '<source container name>'
   $srcPageBlobName = '<source page blob name>'
   $srcPageBlobSnapshotTime = '<snapshot time of source page blob>'
   $destContainerName = '<destination container name>'
   $destBlobName = '<destination block blob name>'
   $destTier = '<destination block blob tier>'
   
    Get-AzStorageBlob -Container $containerName -Blob $srcPageBlobName -SnapshotTime $srcPageBlobSnapshotTime -Context $ctx | Copy-AzStorageBlob -DestContainer $destContainerName -DestBlob $destBlobName -DestBlobType block -StandardBlobTier $destTier -DestContext $ctx 
   
   

   Tip

   The -StandardBlobTier parameter is optional. If you omit that parameter, then the destination blob infers its tier from the default account access tier setting. To change the tier after you've created a block blob, see Change a blob's tier.

Azure CLI

1. First, open the Azure Cloud Shell, or if you've installed the Azure CLI locally, open a command console application such as Windows PowerShell.

   Note

   If you're using a locally installed version of the Azure CLI, ensure that you are using version 2.44.0 or later.

2. If your identity is associated with more than one subscription, then set your active subscription to subscription of storage account which contains the append or page blobs.

   az account set --subscription <subscription-id>
   

   Replace the <subscription-id> placeholder value with the ID of your subscription.

3. Use the az storage blob copy start command and set the --destination-blob-type parameter to blockBlob.

   containerName = '<source container name>'
   srcblobName = '<source append or page blob name>'
   destcontainerName = '<destination container name>'
   destBlobName = '<destination block blob name>'
   destTier = '<destination block blob tier>'
   
   az storage blob copy start --account-name $accountName --destination-blob $destBlobName --destination-container $destcontainerName --destination-blob-type BlockBlob --source-blob $srcblobName --source-container $containerName --tier $destTier
   

4. To copy a page blob snapshot to block blob, use the az storage blob copy start command and set the --destination-blob-type parameter to blockBlob along with source page blob snapshot uri.

   srcPageblobSnapshotUri  = '<source page blob snapshot uri>'
   destcontainerName = '<destination container name>'
   destblobName = '<destination block blob name>'
   destTier = '<destination block blob tier>'
   
   az storage blob copy start --account-name $accountName --destination-blob $destBlobName --destination-container $destcontainerName --destination-blob-type BlockBlob --source-uri $srcPageblobSnapshotUri --tier $destTier
   

   Tip

   The --tier parameter is optional. If you omit that parameter, then the destination blob infers its tier from the default account access tier setting. To change the tier after you've created a block blob, see Change a blob's tier.

   Warning

   The optional --metadata parameter overwrites any existing metadata. Therefore, if you specify metadata by using this parameter, then none of the original metadata from the source blob will be copied to the destination blob.

AzCopy

Use the azcopy copy command. Specify the source and destination paths. Set the blob-type parameter to BlockBlob.

azcopy copy 'https://<storage-account-name>.<blob or dfs>.core.windows.net/<container-name>/<append-or-page-blob-name>' 'https://<storage-account-name>.<blob or dfs>.core.windows.net/<container-name>/<name-of-new-block-blob>' --blob-type BlockBlob --block-blob-tier <destination-tier>

Tip

The --block-blob-tier parameter is optional. If you omit that parameter, then the destination blob infers its tier from the default account access tier setting. To change the tier after you've created a block blob, see Change a blob's tier.

Warning

The optional --metadata parameter overwrites any existing metadata. Therefore, if you specify metadata by using this parameter, then none of the original metadata from the source blob will be copied to the destination blob.

See also

• Hot, Cool, and Archive access tiers for blob data
• Set a blob's access tier
• Best practices for using blob access tiers