Microsoft simplifies Azure Files with new share-centric management model

Microsoft has announced a major change to how Azure Files can be managed, thanks to a file share-centric model that eliminates the dependency on storage accounts.

The preview, available starting today, ensures, simpler, more direct management of cloud file shares.

Previously, Azure Files required customers to handle storage accounts, adding an extra layer of complexity with capacity planning, scaling, and shared settings.

With this new model, file shares are promoted to top-level Azure resources, placing them alongside virtual machines, disks, and networks. That means developers and IT teams can focus directly on creating and managing file shares, without worrying about the overhead of storage accounts.

The redesign aso brings a bunch of benefits. For staters, each file share now comes with its own networking and security configurations, giving customers granular, per-share access control. Next up, billing is also streamlined. Thanks to integration with the provisioned v2 pricing model, every share is treated as a standalone resource with transparent, trackable costs that can be allocated to specific projects or departments.

Microsoft says provisioning under this new model is also faster. Early testing shows file shares deployed through the new system are about twice as quick compared to the classic method. For organizations running at scale, 1,000 file shares per subscription per region can now be created, with higher request limits to minimize throttling.

For now, the preview is limited to NFS file shares on SSD, with SMB support and other features. The rollout is also limited to select regions initially, though Microsoft plans to expand coverage as development continues.

You can now try the new model today by heading to the Azure portal, then search for “file shares,” and select “+ Create.”