Azure Blob Storage Setup & Tier Management

Azure Blob Storage is Microsoft's scalable object storage solution for the cloud, ideal for storing large amounts of unstructured data. In Blober, Azure paths use:

container-name/path/to/blob.ext

Capabilities

• ✅ Browse containers and blobs
• ✅ Upload files
• ✅ Download files
• ✅ Delete files
• ✅ Change blob tier (Hot/Cool/Cold/Archive)
• ✅ Change container access level (Private/Blob/Container)
• ✅ View blob metadata

Prerequisites

• An Azure account (create one free)
• An Azure Storage account
• Storage account access keys or connection string

Required credentials

Connection string

• Option key: connectionString
• Format: A connection string containing account name, key, and endpoint

Example:

DefaultEndpointsProtocol=https;AccountName=myaccount;AccountKey=mykey;EndpointSuffix=core.windows.net

Optional settings

Storage tier

• Option key: storageTier
• Default: Cool
• Used for: Destination
• Values: Hot, Cool, Cold, Archive

Sets the access tier for newly uploaded blobs.

Access tier guidance:

Tier	Use Case	Retrieval Cost
Hot	Frequently accessed data	Lowest
Cool	Infrequently accessed (30+ days)	Low
Cold	Rarely accessed (90+ days)	Medium
Archive	Long-term backup (180+ days)	Highest

Write behavior

• Option key: writeBehavior
• Default: overwrite
• Used for: Destination

Controls what happens when a blob already exists at the destination path.

Value	Behavior
overwrite	Overwrite existing blobs
skipExisting	Skip if blob already exists
skipArchived	Skip only if blob is archived

Tip

Use skipExisting for incremental backups: only new files are uploaded, saving time and bandwidth.

Mutation options

These options appear when using Azure Blob Storage as a mutate action in a workflow. Only one mutation can be active at a time.

Change storage tier

• Option key: targetTier
• Default: Cool
• Required: Yes (when selected)
• Values: Hot, Cool, Cold, Archive

Move selected blobs to a different storage tier. Use this to change the access tier of existing blobs, for example, moving infrequently accessed data from Hot to Cool or Archive.

Caution

Rehydrating blobs from Archive tier can take several hours and incurs an early deletion fee if the blob was archived less than 180 days ago.

Container access level

• Option key: containerAccessLevel
• Default: private
• Required: Yes (when selected)

Change the public access level of selected containers.

Value	Behavior
private	No public access. All requests must be authenticated
blob	Anonymous read access for blobs only
container	Anonymous read access for both container metadata and blobs

Caution

Setting a container to blob or container access level makes its contents publicly readable on the internet. Only use this for data you intend to share publicly.

Setup (Azure Portal)

1. Create a Storage Account

1. Go to Azure Portal
2. Search for "Storage accounts"
3. Click "Create"
4. Fill in:
   • Subscription: Your Azure subscription
   • Resource group: Create new or use existing
   • Storage account name: Unique name (e.g., mybloberstorage)
   • Region: Choose closest to you
   • Performance: Standard (or Premium for high-performance needs)
   • Redundancy: LRS (locally redundant) for cost savings
5. Click "Review + create" => "Create"

2. Get Connection String

1. Open your Storage account in Azure Portal
2. In the left menu, go to Security + networking => Access keys
3. Click "Show" next to key1
4. Copy the Connection string (not just the key)

3. Configure in Blober

1. In Blober, go to Workflows => New Workflow
2. Select Azure Blob Storage as source or destination
3. Paste the connection string
4. Test the connection by browsing

Troubleshooting

"Invalid connection string"

• Make sure you copied the full connection string, including DefaultEndpointsProtocol=https;...
• Don't copy the key alone - you need the entire connection string

"Container not found"

• Check the container name is correct (case-sensitive)
• Ensure the container exists in your storage account

Slow uploads to Archive tier

• Archive tier has higher write latency - this is normal
• Consider uploading to Cool first, then using Azure Lifecycle Management to transition to Archive

Notes

• Move infrequently accessed data to Cool or Archive tiers

Best Practices

Cost Management

• Use Cool tier for data accessed less than once a month - significant savings over Hot
• Use Archive tier for long-term backups you rarely need - lowest storage cost
• Set up Lifecycle Management rules to automatically transition blobs between tiers
• Monitor costs with Azure Cost Management

Security

• Use SAS tokens with limited permissions and expiry instead of full account keys when possible
• Rotate access keys periodically
• Enable soft delete for blob recovery in case of accidental deletion
• Keep your connection string secure and never share it publicly

Performance

• Upload to Cool tier first, then use lifecycle rules to move to Archive - avoids high Archive write latency
• Choose a storage account region close to your location for best transfer speeds
• Use LRS (Locally Redundant Storage) for cost savings when geo-redundancy isn't required

Terms Compliance

Your use of Azure Blob Storage through Blober is subject to Microsoft's Service Agreement. See our Terms of Service for details.

External References

• Azure Storage Connection Strings
• Access Tiers Overview
• Azure Blob Storage Documentation
• Security Best Practices
• Set up Lifecycle management rules
• Azure Cost Management