Microsoft Azure Block Storage Reviews

We have a few clients that use the solution. 

The use cases have been huge. One of the applications we are developing is an internal tax system. We tend to get a lot of client files through different channels and store them in the Block Storage. It's standing on a huge system. It's a multi-cluster, multi-AG kind of informer.

The features are pretty good. Our company mostly uses Java and Microsoft technology. We get good metadata and can save different metadata within the solution.  

It can scale. It's at 99.99%. We can always use a different life cycle on objects so that means we don't want to store the object. On one side probably we can do cold storage and kind of thing. 

Basically, there are a lot of features that are provided and we have a lot of options.

The solution is stable. 

We found the initial setup to be straightforward. 

The solution could use a couple of security features. They still have a lot of other features and everything is coming along quite nicely now, however, I would expect more features in the near future. We'd like more policies and authentication.

We've used the solution for about five years or so.

The solution definitely offers durability, and, stability-wise, we have no complaints. AWe tend to make a backup since it is working on the cluster side, so we do a backup every day. We are also able to access it at a global level.

Speed-wise, I don't see any latency issues.

The solution can scale quite well.

We have 100 clients using the solution. We have a big team in general. 

We have a relationship with and are directly partnered with Microsoft. That means we have our own technical support directly from Microsoft. They are our dedicated architects. We have a data communication channel open, so we can talk to them anytime about anything. We're quite happy with the arrangement.

We have a lot of internal products. The development team has been using Azure Storage and Block Storage and Databricks and other products from Azure.

The initial setup is pretty simple. It's not overly difficult or too complex. 

The solution is pay-as-you-go. We don't have any subscriptions; it is more like an on-demand arrangement.

Our company has ties with Microsoft. We kind of partner with Microsoft so we always attempt to propose Azure Solutions, especially in the cloud.

I would recommend the solution to others.

I'd rate it nine out of ten.

We use the solution for several key purposes: first, as a source code repository; second, for software testing life cycle management, including test cases and bug tracking; and third, for deploying our projects through pipelines, supporting continuous deployment and continuous integration.

Microsoft Azure Block Storage has high-security features and is very reliable. Its maintenance is done through the cloud, which reduces costs. 

Microsoft Azure Block Storage needs to improve its migration and reporting processes. 

I have been working with the product for three years. 

I rate the solution's stability an eight out of ten. 

My company has 35-50 users. 

We chose Microsoft Azure Blob Storage because we've been using their solutions for a long time, starting from Team Foundation Server since 2010 and even earlier with Visual SourceSafe. We kept upgrading versions, which led us to adopt Azure Cloud. Additionally, the licensing cost was favorable for us. 

Deploying the tool is easy, but we encountered challenges while migrating our old repositories from EFS 2015 and 2019. The main issue was that we had to migrate the entire default collection to do it properly, and there wasn't a straightforward way to handle this. For example, while test cases must be migrated through the default collection, repositories for source code can be migrated alone, which poses a significant challenge for us.

It generally took more than a day to set up and plan everything for on-premises setup. For cloud installations, it was easier because you could pick items from Microsoft storage or repositories and switch them on. However, final configurations for pipelines and other elements still require significant time.

We expect ROI through cost reduction after three years. 

I rate the solution's pricing a seven out of ten. 

I rate Microsoft Azure Block Storage a ten out of ten. 

We are managing numerous data sources, including Excel, CSV, and ZIP files, with some of them being located on the public Internet. Our current task involves transferring this data into a data warehouse using Microsoft Azure Block Storage.

The major benefit of using Microsoft Azure Block Storage is that it supports various types of data, including structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data, without requiring different tools to read each type. This comprehensive approach simplifies the data handling process for data engineers and allows for seamless data transfer to downstream applications. In essence, this is a data paradigm shift that enables easy ingestion of diverse data types.

I encountered a challenge where certain metadata was located on a secured network that could only be accessed through a VPN. As there was no direct connector available to reach the private networks that require VPN access, we had to rely on manual effort to access the data. This could potentially be addressed as an area of improvement, especially with regard to accessibility issues where data is only accessible through a VPN connection.

It appears that the solution we are working with is already in a beta version, and we have been managing a large volume of files by pulling them in at fixed schedules to determine whether a file is new or has been modified, we need to obtain the last modified date and compare it with the previous value. However, there is a new concept of a rolling window that can automatically detect newly arrived files and push them into downstream processes. From the logs I have seen, it appears that Microsoft is actively working on simplifying the file management process and reducing the need for engineers to manually pull files using specific logic. This includes developing a feature that automatically identifies new files and distinguishes them from old ones based on their metadata. It would be helpful to have this feature implemented.

I have been using Microsoft Azure Block Storage for approximately two years.

I did not face any glitches or stability issues.

I rate the stability of Microsoft Azure Block Storage a nine out of ten.

We have more than 20 developers and 50 to 100 business users using the solution in my company. 

The scalability of Microsoft Azure Block Storage has different options.

When opting for a pay-as-you-go service, several options exist, such as enabling the Autoscale feature or fixing the scalability ratio. It is essential to keep in mind that choosing the scale-out option comes with additional costs. Therefore, it is crucial to select whether to go with auto-scaling or manual scaling carefully. The system provides the flexibility to choose either option based on specific needs and budget constraints.

I rate the scalability of Microsoft Azure Block Storage an eight out of ten.

The level of support provided by Microsoft Azure Block Storage is impressive, as they offer three different levels of assistance based on the priority level of the issue. For technical issues, they can typically provide support within one day for critical issues, two days for high-priority issues, and three or four days for normal-priority issues.

I rate the support of Microsoft Azure Block Storage a nine out of ten.

Positive

The initial setup of Microsoft Azure Block Storage does not take long to deploy. Each service can take 10 to 15 seconds to set up.

The price of Microsoft Azure Block Storage has a fair price. However, the price could be lower.

I rate the price of Microsoft Azure Block Storage a seven out of ten.

We have evaluated Amazon AWS. They provide a good service. However, Microsoft solutions have more user-friendly interfaces.

I would advise others that this is a good solution and it is reliable. I strongly recommend this solution.

I rate Microsoft Azure Block Storage a nine out of ten.

The solution is compatible with every format, and different types of data. This is useful for data engineers. This is the best solution to have because everything is in a single point.

We use the solution for data storage. 

We can store data and not worry that it might be lost. 

Although cheaper than Amazon, licensing expenses for Block Storage are pretty high. 

We've been using this solution for several years.

The solution is stable. 

The solution is scalable although we have very few users.

The customer support is very good. 

The initial setup was straightforward, we had assistance from a third party.

Licensing is paid on a monthly basis and it's on a pay as you use basis. 

We evaluated Amazon as an option but went with Microsoft because it was a cheaper solution. 

I recommend this solution and rate it seven out of 10. 

We use Microsoft Azure Block Storage to store files uploaded by our users.

The most valuable feature of Microsoft Azure Block Storage is its performance.

I have been using Microsoft Azure Block Storage for approximately five years.

Microsoft Azure Block Storage is stable.

The scalability of Microsoft Azure Block Storage is good.

We have less than five people using this solution in my organization. We do not have plans to increase the usage.

I have contacted the support once and I had a good experience.

I have previously used Google Drive.

The initial setup of Microsoft Azure Block Storage is more complex than Google Drive, but it is still not too difficult.

I did the implementation of the solution in-house.

Microsoft Azure Block Storage is an expensive solution and I pay monthly.

We use one person for the maintenance of the solution.

I would recommend Google Drive instead of Microsoft Azure Block Storage.

I rate Microsoft Azure Block Storage a seven out of ten.

We use the solution for application hosting only - in terms of giving an application which is serving to some customers, for a particular location service. 

From a UI perspective, we like the workflows. Its look and feel are quite good. 

The initial setup is quite simple and straightforward, especially if you have IT knowledge. 

It is very flexible and scalable. It's very easy to adjust the data. 

The stability is good.

As a technology product, it's always evolving. There are some feature challenges from my side, however, I am hopeful they will fix the issues. 

The integrations right now are limited, however, we are hopeful this will improve as the cloud continues to develop. We would like to see more capabilities in specifically hybrid scenarios. There are some third-party tools in Oracle and Linux we'd like to have access to via this product.

We'd like more failover capabilities or data recovery options. 

I've been using the solution for six months. 

The solution is stable. There are no issues with bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable. 

It is a scalable solution. If you need to expand it, it's not a problem. 

We have about 50 users on this solution currently.

The initial setup is very simple and straightforward. It's not very complex. It's much easier if you do some planning and can anticipate some outcomes. Doing that work makes everything easier as you do the implementation. Those with IT backgrounds will find it easier to handle the setup as opposed to those who are not so technical.

The pricing varies. You might have different pricing, for example, in relation to your country or region. It's not standard. We pay around $300 to $400 a month for some scenarios where consumption is limited. However, going forward, we're seeing the likelihood of the cost coming to around $2,000 as consumption rises. 

We have never actually attempted to evaluate this solution in comparison to others. 

I would recommend the solution to others.

I would rate it eight out of ten.

We use the hybrid version of Microsoft Azure Block Storage. We have a client based in the UK who utilizes the hybrid cloud. We also have a couple of archiving solutions there, as well as NetApp on TapCloud. 

The NFS solution goes into that, deployment is purely on the Azure cloud. The production areas and archiving solutions are mostly done on-premises, while testing and application development in some areas is purely cloud-based.

Block storage is used for the data that is configured for our servers. We have it for auditing purposes and as a compliance method.

Microsoft Azure Block Storage is a stable solution.

As for scalability, we use other archiving solutions, NetApp on TapCloud, for example, because there are some limitations with capacity unless you extend the terabytes of data.

It has been a couple of years since I contacted support. However, at that time, it was difficult to get someone on the call even though it was an issue of high severity.

Positive

The initial setup for the production areas was on-premises, which is very simple.

Azure Block Storage is higher priced than its competitors. It is costly. The pricing is difficult to calculate as there are different tiers to select from. 

Microsoft Azure Block Storage is widely accepted. People are choosing the enterprise solution. I would rate the solution an eight out of ten.

We use Microsoft Azure Block Storage to store, upload and download data. We can also use it as a backup. 

Microsoft Azure Block Storage's stability needs improvement. 

I have been working with the tool for three to four months. 

I would rate Microsoft Azure Block Storage's stability an eight out of ten. 

Microsoft Azure Block Storage's setup is straightforward. You need to create a storage account and give a unique name to it. We have deployed the solution on the cloud. 

I use Microsoft Azure Block Storage's free version. 

I would rate the product an eight out of ten.