Files.com provides integration with Azure Files, allowing you to make your Azure file shares available to your users as Files.com folders. Azure Files is a fully managed, serverless file shares capability from Microsoft. It allows the use of industry-standard SMB and NFS protocols in addition to Azure Files REST APIs as a way to access files. Azure Files are typically used as a way to modernize storage and move your traditional on-premise storage into the cloud, while maintaining compatibility with existing applications and users who may want to continue to use SMB and NFS as a way to access files.

Azure Files integration at Files.com

With Files.com, an Azure file share can be connected as a Remote Server Mount, making the Azure file share content available in real time, or connected as a Remote Server Sync, allowing you to push, pull, or synchronize files between the Azure file share and other Files.com storage locations.

Integrating Files.com with Azure Files allows your users to access Azure file shares directly, using the SMB and NFS protocols to connect to Azure file shares as Network Drives or Network Shared Folders, as well as allowing your users to access the exact same Azure file share through Files.com, using a web browser, SFTP, FTP, WebDAV, the Files.com Desktop App, or the Files.com Command Line (CLI) App.

Files.com integrates with Azure Files using the Microsoft Azure Files APIs via HTTPS, providing secure encrypted data transmission between the two platforms.

Connecting to Azure Files

To connect to Azure Files, add your Azure Files as a Remote Server in Files.com.

Type "Remote servers" in the search box at the top of every page, and then click on the matching result. Click the Add new remote server button, and select Azure Files.

Authentication Information

The following items are required for connecting Files.com to Azure Files:

Internal name for this connection - An internal identifier to refer to this connection.

Account - The name of your Azure Storage Account, as shown in your Microsoft Azure web portal > Home > Storage Accounts page.

Share Name - The name of your Azure file share, as shown in your Microsoft Azure web portal > Home > Storage Accounts > selected storage account > File shares page.

Access Key or Shared Access Signature (SAS) Token - The Access Key, or SAS Token, for the selected Azure Files storage account, as shown in your Microsoft Azure web portal > Home > Storage Accounts > selected storage account > Access Keys, or Microsoft Azure web portal > Home > Storage Accounts > selected storage account > Shared Access Signature page.

Files.com does not currently provide for pass-through authentication to Azure Files via Azure AD if you are also using Azure AD with Files.com. Actions performed on Azure Files from Files.com use the privileges of the above authentication information.

Once your Azure Files has been added as a Remote Server, you can integrate it with Files.com as either a Remote Server Mount or Remote Server Sync.

Access Key versus Shared Access Signature (SAS) Token

Both the Access Key and the Shared Access Signature (SAS) Token provide secure authentication and authorization to Azure. Whichever method you choose ultimately depends on whichever best fits your requirements. Please consult with your security team to determine which method will best fit your needs.

The Access Key provides a global, root-like, permission to your Azure Blob. It should be the preferred method when your Blob will only be used by Files.com and doesn't have to share access permissions with other users or solutions.

The Shared Access Signature (SAS) Token provides a restricted, user-like, permission to your Azure Blob. It should be the preferred method when your Blob will be shared by multiple users or solutions. The Shared Access Signature (SAS) Token can more granularly limit access to specific parts of your Blob, allowing better segregation of access to data.

Whether you choose to use an Access Key or a SAS Token, it should be long lived. All connections and functionality to Azure will stop working when the Key or Token expires. If an expiration date is applied to a Key or Token then you will need to replace that Key or Token each time it expires. Do not use Keys or Tokens containing expiration dates unless you are willing to accept downtime at expiration time and you are prepared to manually replace the Key or Token each time it expires.

If in doubt, we recommend using a Shared Access Signature (SAS) Token due to its more granular security controls.

Add as Remote Server Mount

Files.com's Remote Server Mount feature gives you the ability connect a specific folder on Files.com to a Remote Server in a real time manner.

The Files.com folder then becomes a client, or window, accessing the files stored in your Azure Files file share in real time. Any actions performed in the Files.com folder, such as upload, download, create, and delete, will "pass through" and be performed in Azure Files in real time. The reverse is also true where any actions performed in Azure Files will be reflected in the Files.com folder. Actions are not limited to the Files.com web portal, so users can also interact using SFTP, FTP, WebDAV, Files.com Desktop App, Files.com Command Line (CLI) App, and the Files.com RESTful APIs.

From the Files icon on the left, navigate to the location where you want the mounted folder to be and create a new folder. Navigate into the newly created folder and click the Folder Settings button on the top right.

Select Remote Server Mount from the list and click the Add new remote server mount button. Select the entry for your Azure Files file share.

Choose the Remote folder, which is the portion of the remote file system that will be mounted into this folder on Files.com. You can either leave the default "/" (the remote server's root directory) or click on Choose a different folder link and navigate to the remote folder you want this folder to connect to.

Click the Save button. The folder will reload and immediately list the remote folders and files from the selected remote path.

Add as Remote Server Sync

The Files.com Remote Server Sync feature gives you the ability to push or pull files to or from remote servers.

A remote sync can perform a "push", where files from your Files.com site are transferred to the remote server, a "pull", where files are transferred from the remote server to your Files.com site, or a two-way "sync", where files that are new or changed in either location are pushed and pulled to each other to maintain a synchronized state between the folder on your Files.com site and the folder on the remote server.

From the Files icon on the left, navigate to the location where you want the mounted folder to be and create a new folder. Navigate into the newly created folder and click the Folder Settings button on the top right.

Select Sync to/from remote server from the list and click the Add new remote server sync button. Select the entry for your Azure Files file share.

Optionally enter a Name and Description for your reference or to inform others about this configuration.

Sync direction

Choose your desired Sync direction. There are three choices:

Push to the remote server: This option sends files and folders from this Files.com folder to the Azure Files file share.

Pull from the remote server: This option retrieves files from the Azure Files file share and saves them in this Files.com folder.

Two-way sync: this option checks for new files, deleted files, and changed modification dates on both sides and then pushes and pulls as needed to keep the folders synchronized.

Delete or Keep after copying

You have the option to delete files on the source server after a push or pull. Use the After copying menu to select whether you would like files that are successfully transferred to be deleted from or kept on the source server.

Remote folder

Choose the Remote folder, which is the location in the remote file system that will be synchronized with this folder on Files.com. You can either leave the default "/" (the remote server's root directory) or click on Choose a different folder link and navigate to the remote folder you want this folder to synchronize with.

Synchronization interval

Specify the number of minutes between synchronizations. The minimum value is 5.

Click the Save button. The synchronization will immediately start, then repeat after the interval period specified above.

Automations

Folders that have been configured with either Remote Server Mount, or Remote Server Sync, to Azure Files can also be used with automations, allowing you to include Azure Files file shares as source locations or destinations for your automations.

Case Sensitivity

Be aware of case sensitivity differences when copying, moving, or syncing files and folders between Azure Files and other storage locations. Azure Files is a case sensitive system whereas other systems may not be. This can cause files to be overwritten, and folders to have their contents merged, if their case insensitive names are a match.