Enable hybrid cloud file sharing with Azure File Sync

Are your files still residing on an on-premise file server or Network Attached Storage (NAS) device? Approaching storage capacity but concerned about cloud latency? Seeking enhancements in Disaster Recovery for your files and content? Perhaps the prospect of migrating to an enterprise content management system feels like a daunting task at the moment?

We might have just the answer you are looking for.

During our Cloud & Infrastructure Business Timeout (BTO), our team of Microsoft Azure consultants delved into the advantages of Azure File Sync, highlighting its distinctions from Azure Files and showcasing its ability to fulfill your requirements for hybrid cloud file sharing.

What is Azure File Sync?

Azure File Sync, a cloud-based service from Microsoft, enables organizations to seamlessly synchronize files and folders from on-premise Windows Servers to Azure Files, providing a fully managed and efficient cloud-based file sharing service.

With Azure File Sync, you can have a hybrid location for your files which can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection. The benefit combines faster access, more efficient hardware utilization, and better data recovery by keeping a local copy of organizational content (or a selection of) on your on-premises storage with a full content copy in the cloud. This enables you to store large amounts of unstructured data on low-cost disk in the cloud while keeping important or regularly accessed content on-premises for improved performance.

How does it work?

Azure File Sync is like OneDrive but on steroids! 

Unlike OneDrive that is lightweight online storage more suitable for personal use, Azure File Sync allows you to centrally store all your company’s data inside Microsoft Azure, including databases, AI processes, blob, etc. Assuming you have multiple offices and not all require the same content, Azure File Sync provides central storage of all your files. Each branch office can then have their own file server that synchronizes with the central repository, but only for a portion of the data.

Here is an example: let us say you have ten terabytes of data, but your branch office file server only needs one terabyte. Depending on your branch office’s usage, only the data your users are using out of that main storage will be synchronized. This process is similar to OneDrive when you see some of your files with a cloud icon beside then, and when you click on the file, it is downloaded to your PC. Azure File Sync behaves similarly to OneDrive when you double-click the file; it downloads the file to the on-premises file server.

Once the users save the file, it gets synched back into Azure, and because everything copied into Azure is free, only the things coming out will cost you. So when users update your files daily, they do that to the local file server copy only.

Why use Azure File Sync?

It offers these benefits to your organisation:

1. Streamline file management processes.

   With Azure File Sync, you can centralise your file management and consolidate file shares across multiple offices or locations, making it easier for users to access files from anywhere. It can also scale up or down to meet your organisation's changing business needs.
   
   

2. Reduce storage costs.

   Azure File Sync enables cloud tiering where frequently accessed files are kept on-premises, and less frequently accessed files are stored in the cloud. This helps reduce storage costs and improve your file server’s performance since you only store a portion of your data on-premises.
   
   

3. Quicker access to up-to-date files.

   The local caching used in Azure File Sync provides faster file access, reducing latency and improving user productivity. Because Azure File Sync automatically synchronises files between Windows Server and the Azure File Share, your users can access data that is always up-to-date and available from both locations.
   
   

4. Share files no matter where your office is located.

   Azure File Sync makes distributed access scenarios feasible, whether you have a single office or multiple offices across different continents. You can synchronise files across other file servers in your offices or replicate your files in any Azure region, making them available to your staff wherever they are.
   
   

5. Improve data availability.

   Backed by Azure Files, Azure File Sync provides replication, backup, and disaster recovery capabilities, ensuring that critical data is protected and available in the event of an outage or disaster.

Is Azure File Sync right for you?

You might benefit from Azure File Sync if you can relate to the statements below.

1. Your file servers are running out of space frequently or are reaching end of life.
2. You are concerned by cloud latency for storing files.
3. You struggle with sharing files across your multiple offices.
4. You have difficulty backing up centralized copies of files in the local file servers in your different offices.
5. Legacy applications and limited time and budget prevent you from completely transitioning to the cloud.
6. A transition to Microsoft 365 (SharePoint, Teams, and One Drive) is a bridge too far for now.

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