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Storage
premium
Azure File Sync
Azure File Sync syncs Azure file shares with Windows Server file servers so users keep familiar local access while data is centralized in Azure Files. It helps infrastructure teams modernize branch and data center file services without forcing every user and application to change paths on day one. You see it when Windows file server migrations, branch caching, cloud tiering, disaster recovery staging, or phased moves to Azure Files. It still needs ownership, network design, monitoring, and recovery planning. Operators need repeatable evidence for deployment, protection, troubleshooting, and reviews, not screenshots or tribal knowledge.
Hybrid file services
intermediate
4 commands
Aliases: File Sync, Storage Sync Service
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Storage
premium
Azure file share
An Azure file share is a managed cloud share hosted by Azure Files. It behaves like a network file share, but Microsoft runs the storage service instead of your team maintaining file servers, disks, operating systems, and failover.
Files, queues, and tables
fundamentals
5 commands
Aliases: Azure Files share
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Storage
premium
Azure Files backup
Azure Files backup protects Azure file shares using Azure Backup policies, recovery points, snapshots, and supported vaulted backup options. It helps backup and platform teams recover shared file data after accidental deletion, ransomware, or operator mistakes without managing separate backup servers or unreviewed snapshot scripts. You see it when business file shares need retention, recovery testing, policy enforcement, ransomware recovery, or evidence for data protection audits. It still needs ownership, network design, monitoring, and recovery planning. Operators need repeatable evidence for deployment, protection, troubleshooting, and reviews, not screenshots or tribal knowledge.
Backup and recovery
intermediate
4 commands
Aliases: Azure file share backup, Azure Backup for Azure Files
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Storage
premium
Azure Files SMB
Azure Files SMB is the Azure Files capability for mounting managed file shares through the Server Message Block protocol. It helps Windows, app, and infrastructure teams move familiar mapped-drive and application share patterns to Azure without running and patching Windows file servers for common shared storage. You see it when Windows users need mapped drives, apps expect UNC paths, profile containers need shared storage, or branch offices need cloud-backed shares. It still needs ownership, network design, monitoring, and recovery planning. Operators need repeatable evidence for deployment, protection, troubleshooting, and reviews, not screenshots or tribal knowledge.
SMB file shares
intermediate
4 commands
Aliases: SMB Azure file shares, Azure Files SMB protocol
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Storage
premium
Azure Files SMB share
Azure Files SMB share is a specific Azure file share exposed through SMB for users, Windows applications, or services that need a shared UNC path. It helps application owners and desktop teams provide a managed mapped-drive style location without building another Windows Server just for one share. You see it when department folders, Windows application data, FSLogix profiles, installation repositories, or shared reports need cloud-backed SMB access. It still needs ownership, network design, monitoring, and recovery planning. Operators need repeatable evidence for deployment, protection, troubleshooting, and reviews, not screenshots or tribal knowledge.
SMB file shares
intermediate
4 commands
Aliases: SMB file share, SMB Azure file share
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Storage
field-manual-complete
Azure Files
Azure Files provides managed SMB and NFS file shares in Azure for applications, users, containers, and virtual machines that still need file-system access.
Managed file shares
fundamentals
5 commands
Aliases: Azure file shares, Azure managed file shares, cloud file shares
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Storage
learning-path-anchor
Sync group
A sync group is the container that tells Azure File Sync which cloud file share and which Windows Server folders should stay synchronized. Think of it as one file namespace with a hub in Azure and one or more on-premises or edge locations attached to it. If two groups represent different shares or business...
Files, queues, and tables
fundamentals
6 commands
Aliases: Azure File Sync group, file sync group, sync topology, storage sync group
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Storage
field-manual-complete
Storage Sync Service
A Storage Sync Service is the Azure File Sync management resource that represents registered Windows file servers and sync groups. It coordinates cloud endpoints in Azure file shares, server endpoints on Windows Server, cloud tiering, monitoring, and the trust relationship required to synchronize files safely.
Files, queues, and tables
advanced
5 commands
Aliases: Azure Storage Sync Service, Azure File Sync service, storage sync resource, Azure File Sync management service
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Storage
complete
Standard file share
Microsoft Learn describes Azure Files standard file shares as fully managed file shares backed by HDD storage, commonly created in general-purpose storage accounts or classic file share models. They suit general-purpose SMB workloads where cost, access tiers, snapshots, sync, and managed service operations matter more than premium SSD latency.
Azure Files
intermediate
5 commands
Aliases: standard-file-share, Standard file share, Azure Files standard share, HDD file share, pay-as-you-go file share, standard Azure Files share
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Storage
premium
Server endpoint
A server endpoint in Azure File Sync represents a registered Windows Server path that participates in a sync group. It connects local files to an Azure file share through a cloud endpoint and can use settings such as cloud tiering, free-space policy, and offline sync behavior.
Azure File Sync
intermediate
5 commands
Aliases: Azure File Sync server endpoint, file sync server endpoint, storage sync server endpoint, sync group server endpoint
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Storage
premium
Share snapshot
A share snapshot is a point-in-time copy of an Azure file share. Azure Files supports snapshots for SMB and NFS shares, letting administrators view, restore, or copy previous versions of files while existing snapshots remain until explicitly deleted or managed by policy.
Files, queues, and tables
fundamentals
5 commands
Aliases: Azure Files share snapshot, file share snapshot, share snapshot, Azure file share point-in-time copy, snapshot share
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Storage
premium
Cloud endpoint
In Azure File Sync, a cloud endpoint is a pointer to an Azure file share; server endpoints synchronize with the cloud endpoint, making the file share the sync hub.
Files, queues, and tables
intermediate
3 commands
Aliases: No aliases yet
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Storage
premium
Cloud tiering
A storage feature or access model in Files, queues, and tables that helps teams store, protect, move, and govern application or analytics data with clearer ownership, safety, and operational context.
Files, queues, and tables
fundamentals
3 commands
Aliases: No aliases yet
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Storage
premium
Azure NetApp Files
Azure NetApp Files provides managed enterprise SMB and NFS volumes in Azure for performance-sensitive file workloads.
Backup and recovery
intermediate
5 commands
Aliases: No aliases yet
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Storage
premium
Kerberos authentication for Azure Files
Kerberos authentication for Azure Files is the identity-based SMB authentication option that lets Azure file shares use Kerberos with a supported directory identity source instead of only storage keys or SAS.
Azure Files
advanced
5 commands
Aliases: Azure Files Kerberos, Microsoft Entra Kerberos for Azure Files, identity-based authentication for Azure Files, SMB Kerberos Azure Files
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Storage
premium
Azure Files NFS
Azure Files NFS is the Azure Files capability for mounting managed file shares from Linux clients using the NFS protocol. It helps Linux, analytics, and platform teams run shared-file workloads without building their own NFS servers without maintaining NAS hardware or custom Linux file servers. You see it when Linux applications need shared storage, analytics jobs need common paths, or teams want managed NFS access with Azure storage operations. It still needs ownership, network design, monitoring, and recovery planning. Operators need repeatable evidence for deployment, protection, troubleshooting, and reviews, not screenshots or tribal knowledge.
NFS file shares
intermediate
4 commands
Aliases: NFS Azure file shares, Azure Files NFS protocol
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Storage
premium
Azure Files NFS share
Azure Files NFS share is a specific Azure file share created for NFS access rather than SMB access. It helps Linux application owners and storage teams give workloads a managed shared POSIX-style file path without operating separate NFS appliances for every project. You see it when research clusters, Linux application farms, container platforms, or data processing systems need one shared path across many clients. It still needs ownership, network design, monitoring, and recovery planning. Operators need repeatable evidence for deployment, protection, troubleshooting, and reviews, not screenshots or tribal knowledge.
NFS file shares
intermediate
4 commands
Aliases: NFS file share, NFS Azure file share
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Storage
premium
Azure Files premium share
Azure Files premium share is an Azure Files share backed by premium storage for workloads that need predictable capacity, IOPS, and throughput. It helps application and storage architects give latency-sensitive file workloads managed storage with provisioned performance without guessing whether standard file shares can meet peak demand. You see it when profile containers, engineering tools, build systems, analytics staging, or transactional applications require faster shared file access. It still needs ownership, network design, monitoring, and recovery planning. Operators need repeatable evidence for deployment, protection, troubleshooting, and reviews, not screenshots or tribal knowledge.
Premium file shares
intermediate
4 commands
Aliases: Premium Azure file share, SSD Azure file share
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Storage
premium
Azure Files private endpoint
Azure Files private endpoint connects Azure file share traffic to a storage account through a private IP address in a virtual network. It helps network, security, and storage teams keep SMB or NFS access on private network paths without exposing file access directly over public endpoints. You see it when regulated workloads need private access, branch users connect through VPN, or applications must mount shares without public storage exposure. It still needs ownership, network design, monitoring, and recovery planning. Operators need repeatable evidence for deployment, protection, troubleshooting, and reviews, not screenshots or tribal knowledge.
Private connectivity
intermediate
4 commands
Aliases: Private endpoint for Azure Files, Azure Files Private Link
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Storage
field-manual-complete
Private endpoint for Azure Files
A private endpoint for Azure Files is the private network path to file shares in a storage account. Instead of mounting or accessing the share through the public file endpoint, clients in approved networks reach a private IP tied to the file service. The share, authentication model, and storage account still matter; the endpoint only changes network reachability. It is especially important for SMB access from Azure workloads, virtual desktops, build systems, and hybrid clients connected through VPN or ExpressRoute.
Azure Files
advanced
5 commands
Aliases: No aliases yet
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Storage
premium
File service endpoint
A File service endpoint is the Azure Storage endpoint used by clients and services to access Azure Files shares in a storage account through supported protocols and network paths. Teams use it to connect applications, users, file sync agents, and automation to Azure file shares through the correct public endpoint, private endpoint, or virtual network service endpoint path. It is not a file share itself, a private endpoint by itself, a DNS record alone, authorization proof, or a guarantee that SMB, NFS, FileREST, firewall, and identity settings all match.
Azure Files
intermediate
6 commands
Aliases: Azure Files endpoint, storage file endpoint, file endpoint, Azure Storage file service endpoint
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Compute
premium
Azure Functions
Azure Functions is Azure serverless compute for running code from triggers such as HTTP requests, queues, timers, events, and service integrations without managing servers.
Serverless compute
intermediate
6 commands
Aliases: Functions, Function App, serverless functions
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Analytics
premium
Azure Synapse Analytics
Azure Synapse Analytics is Microsoft’s integrated analytics service for enterprise data warehousing, big data, data integration, and exploratory analytics.
Synapse Analytics
intermediate
6 commands
Aliases: No aliases yet
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Analytics
premium
External file format
An External file format is a database object that describes the file type, delimiter, compression, and parsing options used to read or write external data. Teams use it to tell SQL engines how to interpret external files such as delimited text, Parquet, ORC, or compressed data before external tables and CETAS jobs use them. It is not the data source location, the external table schema, the actual lake file, or a guarantee that every file in a folder has the same structure.
Synapse SQL and data virtualization
intermediate
6 commands
Aliases: CREATE EXTERNAL FILE FORMAT, PolyBase file format, Synapse external file format
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AI and Machine Learning
premium
Azure AI Foundry
Create a governed project boundary where AI teams can build agents, evaluations, files, and model deployments without unmanaged sprawl.; Compare, evaluate, and approve model deployments before a generative AI feature is
AI platform
fundamentals
5 commands
Aliases: AI Foundry, Microsoft Foundry, Foundry resource, Foundry project, Azure AI Foundry, azure ai foundry
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Analytics
premium
Azure Databricks Unity Catalog
A unified governance layer in Azure Databricks for data and AI assets, including catalogs, schemas, tables, volumes, models, privileges, and lineage.
Data governance
intermediate
5 commands
Aliases: Unity Catalog
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Storage
premium
Azure Elastic SAN
A cloud-native Azure storage area network service that provides scalable, cost-effective, high-performance block storage volumes for compute workloads.
Block storage
intermediate
5 commands
Aliases: Elastic SAN
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Storage
premium
Azure HPC Cache
Azure HPC Cache was a managed Azure file-caching service for HPC workloads; Microsoft retired the service on September 30, 2025, so current work should focus on migration or historical inventory.
Retired HPC caching
advanced
5 commands
Aliases: HPC Cache, Azure Storage Cache
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Storage
premium
Azure Managed Lustre
Azure Managed Lustre is a managed parallel file system for high-performance computing and AI workloads that need scalable, low-latency file storage in Azure.
Parallel file systems
advanced
5 commands
Aliases: Managed Lustre, Azure Managed Lustre File System, AMLFS
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Databases
premium
Azure SQL hyperscale
Azure SQL Database Hyperscale is a service tier built for very large databases, fast storage scaling, rapid backups and restores, and high throughput. Microsoft Learn describes its distinct architecture, including separated compute and storage, page servers, log service, and optional replicas.
Azure SQL Database
fundamentals
5 commands
Aliases: No aliases yet
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Storage
premium
Data Lake file system
A Data Lake file system is the top-level container namespace in Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 that holds directories and files for analytics workloads.
Data Lake Storage Gen2
fundamentals
5 commands
Aliases: ADLS file system, Data Lake Storage file system, Gen2 file system, lake container
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Storage
premium
Data Lake filesystem
Data Lake filesystem is the compact API and CLI naming for the ADLS Gen2 file-system resource that contains directories and files.
Data Lake Storage Gen2
fundamentals
5 commands
Aliases: filesystem, ADLS filesystem, storage fs, Azure storage fs
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Storage
premium
Large file share
Migrate a file server or NAS volume that has grown beyond small-share limits without splitting every application path immediately.; Set a quota large enough for migration staging while still preserving cost ownership and
Storage platform
intermediate
5 commands
Aliases: Large file share, large file share
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DevOps
premium
Pipeline in Azure DevOps
A pipeline in Azure DevOps is an automated build, test, and deployment workflow. Microsoft Learn describes Azure Pipelines as CI/CD for many languages, platforms, and targets, with YAML or classic definitions that connect source changes to repeatable delivery stages.
CI/CD
fundamentals
5 commands
Aliases: Azure Pipelines, ADO pipeline, Azure DevOps CI/CD pipeline, YAML pipeline, Azure Pipeline, DevOps pipeline
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Storage
premium
SFTP for Azure Blob Storage
SFTP for Azure Blob Storage lets clients connect to a storage account through SSH File Transfer Protocol for file access, transfer, and management. It requires a supported storage account with hierarchical namespace enabled, then local users and scoped permissions control access to containers and paths.
Storage platform
intermediate
5 commands
Aliases: Azure Blob Storage SFTP, SFTP support for Azure Blob Storage, storage account SFTP, Blob SFTP endpoint, SFTP for Azure Blob Storage
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AI and Machine Learning
premium
Azure AI Foundry hub
Azure AI Foundry hub is the classic Foundry hub resource used to group AI projects that share common security, data access, connections, and platform settings. In Azure, teams encounter it when teams need hub-based projects for selected Foundry and Azure Machine Learning scenarios such as fine-tuning, shared connections, and custom ML work. The useful question
AI platform
advanced
4 commands
Aliases: AI Hub, Foundry AI Hub, hub-based project, Azure AI hub
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AI and Machine Learning
premium
Azure AI Foundry project
An Azure AI Foundry project is the working area where a team builds and organizes an AI application inside Microsoft Foundry. It keeps related agents, evaluations, files, indexes, tools, connections, and model usage together instead of scattering them across a shared portal. Think of it as the project boundary for one AI product, prototype, or team. It is useful because AI work quickly becomes messy: prompts, test data, model deployments, safety checks, and access decisions all need a home with ownership and repeatable operations.
AI platform
advanced
4 commands
Aliases: AI Foundry project, AI project, Foundry project, Microsoft Foundry project
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Storage
premium
Azure Container Storage
A cloud-based volume management, deployment, and orchestration service built natively for containers and integrated with Kubernetes persistent volumes.
Container storage
intermediate
4 commands
Aliases: ACS for containers
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Storage
premium
Azure Data Box
An Azure service that transfers large amounts of data to or from Azure by shipping secure, managed storage devices for offline migration.
Data transfer
intermediate
4 commands
Aliases: Data Box
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Databases
premium
Azure SQL transparent data encryption
Azure SQL Transparent Data Encryption helps protect Azure SQL Database data, log files, and backups at rest by encrypting and decrypting database pages without requiring application changes.
Azure SQL Database
fundamentals
4 commands
Aliases: No aliases yet
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Storage
premium
Azure Storage Actions
Azure Storage Actions is a fully managed platform for automating data management tasks across Azure Blob Storage and Azure Data Lake Storage objects without provisioning separate compute.
Storage platform
intermediate
4 commands
Aliases: No aliases yet
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Storage
premium
Azure Storage Explorer
Azure Storage Explorer is a standalone app for Windows, macOS, and Linux that helps users connect to and manage Azure Storage data and resources through a graphical interface.
Storage tooling
fundamentals
4 commands
Aliases: No aliases yet
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Storage
premium
Azure Storage Mover
Azure Storage Mover is a fully managed migration service that helps move files and folders from on-premises or AWS S3 sources to Azure Storage while minimizing workload downtime.
Storage migration
intermediate
4 commands
Aliases: No aliases yet
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Management and Governance
premium
Bicep parameter file
A Bicep parameter file is where you put values that change by environment, such as names, SKUs, regions, and flags. The main Bicep file stays reusable, while each parameter file tells Azure what values to use for dev, test, or production.
Bicep
fundamentals
4 commands
Aliases: bicepparam
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Storage
premium
File share
A file share is the named shared folder boundary that people, applications, or servers mount and use for files. In Azure, it usually means an Azure Files share inside a storage account. The share is where directories, documents.
Azure Files
fundamentals
4 commands
Aliases: File share, file share
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Storage
premium
File share quota
File share quota is the configured capacity limit for an Azure Files share, expressed in GiB and interpreted by the share billing model in Azure.
Azure Files
intermediate
4 commands
Aliases: File share quota, file share quota
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Storage
premium
File share snapshot
File share snapshot is a point-in-time copy of an Azure Files share that can help recover earlier versions of files and directories in Azure.
Azure Files
intermediate
4 commands
Aliases: File share snapshot, file share snapshot
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Storage
premium
File share soft delete
File share soft delete is a data protection setting that retains deleted Azure file shares for a configured recovery period before permanent deletion in Azure.
Azure Files
intermediate
4 commands
Aliases: File share soft delete, file share soft delete
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Storage
premium
Filesystem in Data Lake Storage
Filesystem in Data Lake Storage is the top-level container-like namespace in Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 that holds directories and files in Azure.
Data Lake Storage Gen2
intermediate
4 commands
Aliases: Filesystem in Data Lake Storage, filesystem in data lake storage
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Storage
premium
Local filesystem
Microsoft Learn describes App Service file access as a managed sandbox with persistent and temporary filesystem locations for deployed content, logs, and runtime operations. Apps can read and write allowed paths, but storage behavior differs by platform, plan, and deployment method.
Storage
advanced
4 commands
Aliases: No aliases yet
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