Azure Services Build on Blobs

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Several Azure services leverage blob storage. The specific use varies by service, and most have specific requirements for the type of blobs, storage account type, and other capabilities needed. Common uses include storage of large datasets and data analysis, but access tiers (Hot, Cold, and Archive) make blob storage ideal for backup and archival, and Page blobs are used to store VHD files used by Azure VMs. Some of the services that leverage blob storage include the following:

For example, ADLS is a set of capabilities for data analytics built on blob storage that adds a hierarchal namespace and additional management and security capabilities. Hierarchal namespace is a feature that can be enabled at a storage account level and cannot be disabled afterwards. When configuring ADLS, the service will evaluate the storage account selected and determine if it meets service requirements. Azure SQL Database, on the other hand, configures the storage it uses when the service is deployed; no customer configuration is needed.

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