Search icon CANCEL
Subscription
0
Cart icon
Your Cart (0 item)
Close icon
You have no products in your basket yet
Arrow left icon
Explore Products
Best Sellers
New Releases
Books
Videos
Audiobooks
Learning Hub
Free Learning
Arrow right icon
Microsoft Azure Storage Essentials
Microsoft Azure Storage Essentials

Microsoft Azure Storage Essentials: Harness the power of Microsoft Azure services to build efficient cloud solutions

Arrow left icon
Profile Icon Chukri A Soueidi
Arrow right icon
$26.99
Paperback Aug 2015 126 pages 1st Edition
eBook
$9.99 $21.99
Paperback
$26.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at $19.99p/m
Arrow left icon
Profile Icon Chukri A Soueidi
Arrow right icon
$26.99
Paperback Aug 2015 126 pages 1st Edition
eBook
$9.99 $21.99
Paperback
$26.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at $19.99p/m
eBook
$9.99 $21.99
Paperback
$26.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at $19.99p/m

What do you get with Print?

Product feature icon Instant access to your digital eBook copy whilst your Print order is Shipped
Product feature icon Paperback book shipped to your preferred address
Product feature icon Download this book in EPUB and PDF formats
Product feature icon Access this title in our online reader with advanced features
Product feature icon DRM FREE - Read whenever, wherever and however you want
OR
Modal Close icon
Payment Processing...
tick Completed

Shipping Address

Billing Address

Shipping Methods
Table of content icon View table of contents Preview book icon Preview Book

Microsoft Azure Storage Essentials

Chapter 2. Developing Against Storage

The Azure Storage platform exposes two REST APIs that allow you to operate on it, one for service management and the other for dealing with each service specifically. These APIs allow developers to interact with and consume the storage services programmatically from applications. The platform also offers multiple client-side libraries for application, under open source licenses that encapsulate the functions of the REST APIs in a higher level code. These libraries target most of the major programming platforms. This chapter will be centered on the different APIs available, and then on the major client libraries available.

The Service Management REST APIs

The first set of APIs we will discuss are the Service Management APIs, but before that we must mention the management portal. The Azure platform provides a centralized web portal that allows you to manage your subscriptions and services through its interface.

Note

As of 2014, a new portal was made available, which includes a number of improvements and enhancements such as integrated billing, advanced application lifecycle management and deployment automation features.

All operations that can be performed from the portal for managing the storage accounts in subscriptions can also be done programmatically through the Service Management API. Actually, the portal itself uses the same APIs under the hood to perform such requests.

This programmatic access to such functionality is much needed by cloud applications that are usually designed to support multi-tenancy. Many scenarios require the creation of separate storage accounts for different tenants (customers)....

The Storage Services REST APIs

The second type of APIs to discuss are the Storage Services REST APIs which provide programmatic access to the four different services offered by Azure Storage: blobs, queues, tables, and files. These APIs can be accessed from the Internet, allowing them to be consumed from any kind of application that can send and receive HTTP requests and responses.

Every request to the Storage Service must be authenticated (except for reading public blobs); the services support a shared key authentication scheme with a required augmented signature string for enhanced security.

The service also supports the Shared Access Signature policy, which grants restricted access rights to each of its four services. These shared access signatures could be generated to clients who cannot be trusted on the storage account keys. The signature is created for particular resources, be it blob container, queue, table, or file for a specific period of time and defined permissions.

Azure Storage...

Azure Storage Client Libraries

Now we have seen how the Storage Service endpoints are exposed through the REST APIs that make them accessible by any platform using HTTP. These REST services provide a low level abstraction layer, which requires extensive filling of HTTP headers and repetitive work to be done by developers in order to execute operations. Microsoft provides several client libraries that give developers a higher layer of abstraction on these service. These object oriented libraries add extra functionality, like retrying policies that we will see later, and make developing with Azure Storage much easier. The rest of this chapter will list some of these libraries that target several platforms.

Microsoft Azure Storage Client Library for .NET

The .NET library allows you to access and execute operations on blobs, queues, tables and files from .Net applications. We will be using this library in the coming chapters to work with Storage Services.

Typically, in a .Net application, the...

Azure Storage Emulator

The Microsoft Azure SDK provides the Storage Emulator, a standalone package that provides a local environment for developers to emulate the Blob, Queue, and Table services on their machines. The storage emulator allows you to test the applications locally without any added cost. It uses a SQL server instance and the local file system on the computer to emulate the services.

The emulator has some limitations; it only allows one fixed pre-defined account and key. It also does not support large numbers of concurrent requests.

Addressing the emulator is slightly different than the Azure Storage, let us see in the following comparison how they differ. For referencing a blob in the Azure service you will use something like the following URL:

https://<your-account-name>.blob.core.windows.net/<your-container>/<your-blob>

For storage emulator referencing, you will replace the namespace of the service with your local machine address and port as shown below:

...

PowerShell

Using Windows PowerShell, you can also work and execute operations on Storage Services. PowerShell gives you the ability to write and prepare scripts that can automate a bunch of operations required by you for multiple purposes such as creating storage accounts and preparing for deployment. These scripts will make sure that the same steps and operations are executed each time in the same order, reducing the effort needed to set up your environment.

Note

For a full list of cmdlets available you can check the following article: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn806401.aspx

The Service Management REST APIs


The first set of APIs we will discuss are the Service Management APIs, but before that we must mention the management portal. The Azure platform provides a centralized web portal that allows you to manage your subscriptions and services through its interface.

Note

As of 2014, a new portal was made available, which includes a number of improvements and enhancements such as integrated billing, advanced application lifecycle management and deployment automation features.

All operations that can be performed from the portal for managing the storage accounts in subscriptions can also be done programmatically through the Service Management API. Actually, the portal itself uses the same APIs under the hood to perform such requests.

This programmatic access to such functionality is much needed by cloud applications that are usually designed to support multi-tenancy. Many scenarios require the creation of separate storage accounts for different tenants (customers). The...

Left arrow icon Right arrow icon

Description

With the many advantages of using cloud computing, Azure Storage is a robust platform that helps you shift faster to the cloud by providing scalable, durable and highly available data storage options. For developers, it provides a rapid development environment that supports building large-scale applications to support new scenarios on the cloud, server, mobile and web. For IT professionals, it reduces complexity of managing, protecting and replicating data. This book will make you familiar with the Azure storage in terms of architecture and components. It starts with the basics of storage accounts, which give access to the four basic services the Blob, Table, Queue, and File storage services. These services are exposed through a REST API that makes it possible for client libraries to implement most of their functionality in a wide range of popular programming languages. Emphasizing the Windows Azure Client Library for .NET, we will deal with storing and retrieving unstructured data with Blobs, then will move to Tables to insert and update entities in a structured NoSQL fashion. Then we will discover Queues as a reliable messaging service, and after that we will show File storage that allows you to migrate legacy applications data to the cloud to end with transient fault handling and service monitoring.

Who is this book for?

This book is intended for IT professionals and also for students, who are familiar with data management solutions and with web development. If you are a developer, you should be familiar with C# and Visual Studio in order to utilize the code examples available in this book.

What you will learn

  • Get familiar with Microsoft Azure Storage Service in terms of architecture and working
  • Recognize the libraries and tools offered by Azure storage, supporting several popular programming languages
  • Know how the storage services expose their resources as REST APIs and what client libraries exists to develop against the storage
  • Gain the understanding of types of Blobs and best ways to upload and retrieve them
  • Learn how to make use of Tables as a NoSQL data store and how to retrieve, insert, update and delete entities in terms of design patterns
  • Use Queue storage as a messaging solution for communications between different apps
  • Create mounted shares and allow legacy systems to access data using the SMB protocol
  • Get accustomed to deal with faults, monitor storage metrics and logs
Estimated delivery fee Deliver to Thailand

Standard delivery 10 - 13 business days

$8.95

Premium delivery 5 - 8 business days

$45.95
(Includes tracking information)

Product Details

Country selected
Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Aug 28, 2015
Length: 126 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781784396237
Vendor :
Microsoft
Concepts :
Tools :

What do you get with Print?

Product feature icon Instant access to your digital eBook copy whilst your Print order is Shipped
Product feature icon Paperback book shipped to your preferred address
Product feature icon Download this book in EPUB and PDF formats
Product feature icon Access this title in our online reader with advanced features
Product feature icon DRM FREE - Read whenever, wherever and however you want
OR
Modal Close icon
Payment Processing...
tick Completed

Shipping Address

Billing Address

Shipping Methods
Estimated delivery fee Deliver to Thailand

Standard delivery 10 - 13 business days

$8.95

Premium delivery 5 - 8 business days

$45.95
(Includes tracking information)

Product Details

Publication date : Aug 28, 2015
Length: 126 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781784396237
Vendor :
Microsoft
Concepts :
Tools :

Packt Subscriptions

See our plans and pricing
Modal Close icon
$19.99 billed monthly
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Simple pricing, no contract
$199.99 billed annually
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just $5 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts
$279.99 billed in 18 months
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just $5 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts

Frequently bought together


Stars icon
Total $ 108.97
Microsoft Azure Security
$32.99
Learning Microsoft Azure
$48.99
Microsoft Azure Storage Essentials
$26.99
Total $ 108.97 Stars icon
Banner background image

Table of Contents

9 Chapters
1. An Introduction to Microsoft Azure Storage Services Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
2. Developing Against Storage Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
3. Working with Blobs Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
4. Working with Tables Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
5. Designing Scalable and Performant Tables Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
6. Working with Queues Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
7. Working with the Azure File Service Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
8. Transient Fault Handling and Analytics Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Index Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Get free access to Packt library with over 7500+ books and video courses for 7 days!
Start Free Trial

FAQs

What is the delivery time and cost of print book? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Shipping Details

USA:

'

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the US within 10-15 business days

Premium: Trackable Delivery to most addresses in the US within 3-8 business days

UK:

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 7-9 business days.
Shipments are not trackable

Premium: Trackable delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 3-4 business days!
Add one extra business day for deliveries to Northern Ireland and Scottish Highlands and islands

EU:

Premium: Trackable delivery to most EU destinations within 4-9 business days.

Australia:

Economy: Can deliver to P. O. Boxes and private residences.
Trackable service with delivery to addresses in Australia only.
Delivery time ranges from 7-9 business days for VIC and 8-10 business days for Interstate metro
Delivery time is up to 15 business days for remote areas of WA, NT & QLD.

Premium: Delivery to addresses in Australia only
Trackable delivery to most P. O. Boxes and private residences in Australia within 4-5 days based on the distance to a destination following dispatch.

India:

Premium: Delivery to most Indian addresses within 5-6 business days

Rest of the World:

Premium: Countries in the American continent: Trackable delivery to most countries within 4-7 business days

Asia:

Premium: Delivery to most Asian addresses within 5-9 business days

Disclaimer:
All orders received before 5 PM U.K time would start printing from the next business day. So the estimated delivery times start from the next day as well. Orders received after 5 PM U.K time (in our internal systems) on a business day or anytime on the weekend will begin printing the second to next business day. For example, an order placed at 11 AM today will begin printing tomorrow, whereas an order placed at 9 PM tonight will begin printing the day after tomorrow.


Unfortunately, due to several restrictions, we are unable to ship to the following countries:

  1. Afghanistan
  2. American Samoa
  3. Belarus
  4. Brunei Darussalam
  5. Central African Republic
  6. The Democratic Republic of Congo
  7. Eritrea
  8. Guinea-bissau
  9. Iran
  10. Lebanon
  11. Libiya Arab Jamahriya
  12. Somalia
  13. Sudan
  14. Russian Federation
  15. Syrian Arab Republic
  16. Ukraine
  17. Venezuela
What is custom duty/charge? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customs duty are charges levied on goods when they cross international borders. It is a tax that is imposed on imported goods. These duties are charged by special authorities and bodies created by local governments and are meant to protect local industries, economies, and businesses.

Do I have to pay customs charges for the print book order? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

The orders shipped to the countries that are listed under EU27 will not bear custom charges. They are paid by Packt as part of the order.

List of EU27 countries: www.gov.uk/eu-eea:

A custom duty or localized taxes may be applicable on the shipment and would be charged by the recipient country outside of the EU27 which should be paid by the customer and these duties are not included in the shipping charges been charged on the order.

How do I know my custom duty charges? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

The amount of duty payable varies greatly depending on the imported goods, the country of origin and several other factors like the total invoice amount or dimensions like weight, and other such criteria applicable in your country.

For example:

  • If you live in Mexico, and the declared value of your ordered items is over $ 50, for you to receive a package, you will have to pay additional import tax of 19% which will be $ 9.50 to the courier service.
  • Whereas if you live in Turkey, and the declared value of your ordered items is over € 22, for you to receive a package, you will have to pay additional import tax of 18% which will be € 3.96 to the courier service.
How can I cancel my order? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Cancellation Policy for Published Printed Books:

You can cancel any order within 1 hour of placing the order. Simply contact customercare@packt.com with your order details or payment transaction id. If your order has already started the shipment process, we will do our best to stop it. However, if it is already on the way to you then when you receive it, you can contact us at customercare@packt.com using the returns and refund process.

Please understand that Packt Publishing cannot provide refunds or cancel any order except for the cases described in our Return Policy (i.e. Packt Publishing agrees to replace your printed book because it arrives damaged or material defect in book), Packt Publishing will not accept returns.

What is your returns and refunds policy? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Return Policy:

We want you to be happy with your purchase from Packtpub.com. We will not hassle you with returning print books to us. If the print book you receive from us is incorrect, damaged, doesn't work or is unacceptably late, please contact Customer Relations Team on customercare@packt.com with the order number and issue details as explained below:

  1. If you ordered (eBook, Video or Print Book) incorrectly or accidentally, please contact Customer Relations Team on customercare@packt.com within one hour of placing the order and we will replace/refund you the item cost.
  2. Sadly, if your eBook or Video file is faulty or a fault occurs during the eBook or Video being made available to you, i.e. during download then you should contact Customer Relations Team within 14 days of purchase on customercare@packt.com who will be able to resolve this issue for you.
  3. You will have a choice of replacement or refund of the problem items.(damaged, defective or incorrect)
  4. Once Customer Care Team confirms that you will be refunded, you should receive the refund within 10 to 12 working days.
  5. If you are only requesting a refund of one book from a multiple order, then we will refund you the appropriate single item.
  6. Where the items were shipped under a free shipping offer, there will be no shipping costs to refund.

On the off chance your printed book arrives damaged, with book material defect, contact our Customer Relation Team on customercare@packt.com within 14 days of receipt of the book with appropriate evidence of damage and we will work with you to secure a replacement copy, if necessary. Please note that each printed book you order from us is individually made by Packt's professional book-printing partner which is on a print-on-demand basis.

What tax is charged? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Currently, no tax is charged on the purchase of any print book (subject to change based on the laws and regulations). A localized VAT fee is charged only to our European and UK customers on eBooks, Video and subscriptions that they buy. GST is charged to Indian customers for eBooks and video purchases.

What payment methods can I use? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

You can pay with the following card types:

  1. Visa Debit
  2. Visa Credit
  3. MasterCard
  4. PayPal
What is the delivery time and cost of print books? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Shipping Details

USA:

'

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the US within 10-15 business days

Premium: Trackable Delivery to most addresses in the US within 3-8 business days

UK:

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 7-9 business days.
Shipments are not trackable

Premium: Trackable delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 3-4 business days!
Add one extra business day for deliveries to Northern Ireland and Scottish Highlands and islands

EU:

Premium: Trackable delivery to most EU destinations within 4-9 business days.

Australia:

Economy: Can deliver to P. O. Boxes and private residences.
Trackable service with delivery to addresses in Australia only.
Delivery time ranges from 7-9 business days for VIC and 8-10 business days for Interstate metro
Delivery time is up to 15 business days for remote areas of WA, NT & QLD.

Premium: Delivery to addresses in Australia only
Trackable delivery to most P. O. Boxes and private residences in Australia within 4-5 days based on the distance to a destination following dispatch.

India:

Premium: Delivery to most Indian addresses within 5-6 business days

Rest of the World:

Premium: Countries in the American continent: Trackable delivery to most countries within 4-7 business days

Asia:

Premium: Delivery to most Asian addresses within 5-9 business days

Disclaimer:
All orders received before 5 PM U.K time would start printing from the next business day. So the estimated delivery times start from the next day as well. Orders received after 5 PM U.K time (in our internal systems) on a business day or anytime on the weekend will begin printing the second to next business day. For example, an order placed at 11 AM today will begin printing tomorrow, whereas an order placed at 9 PM tonight will begin printing the day after tomorrow.


Unfortunately, due to several restrictions, we are unable to ship to the following countries:

  1. Afghanistan
  2. American Samoa
  3. Belarus
  4. Brunei Darussalam
  5. Central African Republic
  6. The Democratic Republic of Congo
  7. Eritrea
  8. Guinea-bissau
  9. Iran
  10. Lebanon
  11. Libiya Arab Jamahriya
  12. Somalia
  13. Sudan
  14. Russian Federation
  15. Syrian Arab Republic
  16. Ukraine
  17. Venezuela