Azure Storage Update and Roadmap 2018

• Azure Storage is evolving to better support hybrid scenarios like long-term archiving and distributed file shares.
• Updated management features provide consistent controls and could simplify migrating files and data to Azure.
• Newly increased capacity limits make the service more viable for large-scale, distributed applications.
• The roadmap includes synchronization with on-premises file servers, open-source programming tools, and improved authentication and recovery options.

Azure Storage offers several scalable file share and data storage services, some for use with other Azure applications and databases. Recent updates to the service increase capacity limits for organizations that request it, which could make Storage and the other Azure services that rely on it more viable for large-scale workloads. Most notable are new management features that could help customers use Storage like a cloud-based storage area network (SAN). The features simplify daily management and configuration, application of policy, and control of data that should help improve security and reduce cost.