Microsoft Azure Block Storage Reviews

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.

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 Microsoft Azure Block Storage for storing files. We don't use it for anything else.

Microsoft Azure Block Storage has the same features as other solutions, but I like that its implementation process is straightforward.

The performance of Microsoft Azure Block Storage needs improvement because it's laggy. My company used it in different places, including the Microsoft browser, but it still lags.

Pricing for the product is another area for improvement.

Microsoft Azure Block Storage also has a lot of limitations on file sizes. The rendering and loading times also need improvement. Sometimes, Microsoft Azure Block Storage crashes, an issue that needs to be taken care of promptly, but Microsoft hasn't been able to do that for a very long time.

I've been using Microsoft Azure Block Storage for many years since its inception.

I didn't find Microsoft Azure Block Storage stable or secure.

I would not even think of scaling Microsoft Azure Block Storage based on its current performance.

The technical support for Microsoft Azure Block Storage is horrible. Whenever my team reaches out, Microsoft support will keep escalating the issue because of a lack of expertise, so my company ends up paying for useless technical consultations. The support team could be more knowledgeable.

We use Microsoft Azure Block Storage, but usage is limited to specific clients because it comes with very high pricing.

The initial setup for Microsoft Azure Block Storage is simple. It's more of tweaking the connection settings or connecting it to your DB.

Deploying the product took two hours.

The pricing for Microsoft Azure Block Storage is high because of MSA and SBA contracts, where Microsoft takes care of the security aspects, apart from the maintenance, and Microsoft has service level agreements with the customers. On the other hand, AWS requires you to purchase items independently, so my company only typically refers Microsoft Azure Block Storage to other clients if the client signed an MSA with Microsoft.

Both Microsoft Azure Block Storage and AWS cost hundreds of dollars. The licensing for Microsoft Azure Block Storage is yearly. How much you pay depends on the amount of storage. Microsoft will start charging you from $100 to a few hundred per month, depending on how much you're trying to store.

Microsoft Azure Block Storage has hundreds of items inside, so each item has its own cost.

We tried Google Cloud Storage, but we had a terrible experience with the product because, at the time, Google was new in the market.

I would not recommend Microsoft Azure Block Storage to others, especially if you plan to use it for business purposes, because it's laggy.

My company has several clients on Microsoft Azure Block Storage, but it's been trying to get clients off it.

I advise anyone looking into using Microsoft Azure Block Storage not to. It's best to try avoiding Microsoft Azure-related microservices. Microsoft Azure is good on the dev ops side, such as Kubernetes, but not on storage or other services because Microsoft Azure has its version of services. Still, AWS overshadows Microsoft every single time. For example, if you want to do some heavy deployment, then Microsoft Azure Kubernetes, which is more of a database cluster, is nice. The pricing is also good for Microsoft Azure Kubernetes versus AWS, which has premium pricing, but it is still trying to figure out its solution in this area. Microsoft and AWS have different packages and offerings, so it's up to you to choose wisely. Go for AWS for scalability and Microsoft for reliability and security, in the dev ops area, for example.

My  Microsoft Azure Block Storage rating is four out of ten because of its file size limitations, stability, and technical support.

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're mainly using this solution for cloud container data and backup data. 

It's deployed on a hybrid cloud.

There are around 500 users in my organization.

In terms of latency, bandwidth, and productivity, Azure Block Storage is better than other solutions.

There have been problems with integration, but it's getting better.

I have used Microsoft Azure Block Storage for more than a year.

I would rate the stability as seven out of ten. We sometimes face issues.

I would rate the scalability as six out of ten.

Setup was simple. Between 5-10 people are required for maintenance.

I would rate the pricing as five out of ten.

I compared Azure Block Storage with AWS. The cost is the main difference.

I would rate the solution as six out of ten. I would recommend it to others.

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.

The most valuable feature of Microsoft Azure Block Storage is the security and the management of user access from on-premise to the cloud.

Microsoft Azure Block Storage could improve by allowing the switching of the hot tier to the cold tier.

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

Microsoft Azure Block Storage is stable.

The solution can expand, and it is scalable.

We have approximately 200 users using this solution. We plan to increase the usage of this solution in the future.

I did not use the support from Microsoft Azure Block Storage. However, I did use the support for other solutions. 

We deploy Microsoft Azure Block Storage with Linux SUSE or Red Hat, but Microsoft will not give us support for these solutions.

I rate the support from Microsoft a three out of five.

Neutral

The initial setup of Microsoft Azure Block Storage is simple.

The price could be more flexible, and it can be expensive.

I rate the price of Microsoft Azure Block Storage a three out of five.

I have not evaluated other solutions.

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

Our primary use case of the solution is for objects search, objects with information, and documents file search.

The most valuable features of this solution are the ease with which you connect and use it.

The solution can be improved by including quicker hard drive access and larger bandwidth as part of the standard licensing fee.

I have been using the solution for seven years.

The solution is extremely stable.

The solution is easily scalable.

The initial setup is straightforward.

The implementation was completed in-house.

The solution requires an input-output operations fee as well as pay per gigabyte of storage. The solution also offers a quicker hard drive option and a higher bandwidth output for an additional cost.

I give the solution an eight out of ten.

We have 23 people in our organization currently using the solution.

We do not require anyone for maintenance or deployment.

I suggest to anyone wanting to use this solution to be careful with the design of the folders because if you add files without folders it can get messy.

The solution is deployed on public cloud.

Besides compression and encryption, the ease of integration with services like CDN and computing makes it compelling and cost-effective.

Encryption, data analytics and behaviour analytics can be improved. Encryption and usage analytics optimization, built into the setup, can take it to the next level.

We have been using this solution for four years and are currently using the latest version.

It is a stable solution, but it has a high variability factor. I rate the stability an eight out of ten.

The solution is scalable. As a consulting and services company, we implement solutions for customers. Over 50 customers use this solution in our organization. Regarding maintenance, one is enough if it is within the same timezone because there is significantly less administrative overhead on Blob Storage. Unless there are complex workloads requiring operational tasks to be done, we can add more people. But from an organizational standpoint, one is enough.

We have not had the best experience with customer service and support. I rate them an eight out of ten.

Positive

The initial setup was straightforward.

I rate the pricing an eight out of ten, with ten being the highest and one being the lowest. The price could be slightly lower because there has not been a price revision. They should revise prices, but they've not done that. Since we captured enough markets, they don't care anymore.

We evaluated S3 before choosing this solution. S3 has a wider adoption. Other than that, technically, I do not see much of a difference between both. They have similar functionalities.

I recommend this solution to other users. I rate this solution an eight out of ten. The solution is good, but improvements can be made to behaviour analytics and data encryption.