Microsoft Azure AZ-800 — Section 17: Configure and manage Azure File Sync

131. Create Azure File Sync service

So Azure has a really neat feature that we can utilize in conjunction with our on-premise network as well as the cloud, and it’s called the Azure File Sync Service.

Now Azure File Sync will allow us to install a file sync agent software on our devices that are on-premise, and we can actually have files synchronized in the Azure if we need to.

So, I want to show you how to do this. It’s a neat, neat concept pretty easy to configure and and understand. But here we are on a lot Azure .com, which is going to create a resource group first.

So, it’s going to go to menu, click resource groups, and we’re just going to create a quick resource group that basically will Howl’s everything that we’re going to. We’re going to do here.

OK? So the resource group I’m going to create, I’m just going to call this file sync. Org. All right. And east2west is going to be the region that I’m going to do this in.

OK.

So, we created our resource group very quickly. They were going to click on File Sync R.G. and then from there. We are going to click Create and we’re just going to create a storage account and a storage account being the component that’s needed in Azure, any time you’re going to store some kind of files of any kind.

So, I’m just going to search for the word storage right there and. All right, let’s wait on the components all to show up, and then we’ll be able to add a we’ll be able to basically create a storage account.

So here it is right here. What’s going to click on that? And we’re going to create a storage account. All right, of course, you can go to the pricing calculator and just do a search on how much storage accounts, costs or various different tiers that you can go with on cost. All right.

So here we go. We’re creating our storage account and file sync charges where we’re going to store that OK, and then it asks for the storage account name. Storage accounts do have to have a unique web based name.

OK, so just keep that in mind, I’m going to call this. He LP exam, lab practice, file sync. Storage a CC T, and that’ll be the name of it, let’s make sure that that name is good. All right.

So far, no errors on that, where she can go standard and premium standard is going to do what’s called a general purpose, and it allows you to go with lower tier storage hard drives like CDs instead of a solid state course. Premium is going to want to try to focus on that. And then you have redundancy not getting all the redundancy stuff, but this gets into just how redundant you want your stores to be. Basically, you could actually have like 12 nines worth of redundancy there of a high availability. If you go with the, you know, you have the local redundant, which gets into just having three versions of your storage in one data center and geo redundant have multiple data centers in the same region and you get into zone redundancy, gets into multiple regions, goes on, run it so you get high amounts of redundancy here.

OK, so from there, I’m going to go ahead now and click review and create, and I’m going to click to create and I’ll pulls a video while this being created.

OK, so the storage account is created and so, we can go there and look at it real quick.

So storage accounts can allow you to store information, including if I want to store what’s called blob storage, which is like any kind of files and images. Great. If you’re having to serve up a bunch of images to a website, you’ve got file shares. And that’s just like a standard SMB server message, block based type of file.

So, if you actually wanted to move away from on-premise file storage, all like a file server, a file share stories would be what this geared for.

So, I could actually create a file share if I wanted to and, you know, stored data in there. I’ll just call this file share demo click to create. You can actually map drives to two file shares when you create a file. In fact, when you click to create a file share, they even tell you that in a little note down here. But ultimately, you can go into the fall share and you can click Connect, it’ll actually create a little PowerShell script for linking to it. You do have to make sure that your port four or five is not being blocked outbound, which a lot of ISPs do block that. But from there, if I wanted to upload files and stuff into the file share, I could actually do that.

OK? But what I want to do now is I’m going to go back to my file sync resource group.

OK? And we’re going to click to create a new resource in the resource group. We’re just going to do a search for the words file sync.

OK, so let’s just search for the words file sync and you’ll see Azure files since we’re going to hide and click to create that. All right, I’m going to click the Create button now. All right. And so from there, we will be able to walk through this little template here. It’s the resource group is forcing Gorgie says stores think service name. I’m just going to call this file sync demo. All right. And it’s going to be in east U.S..

OK, So, we’re going to go ahead and click to review and create. And I’ll go ahead and click to create all while that’s being created, I’ll just pause the recording and come back when it’s done.

OK, so let’s just take a couple of minutes to finish up. And at that point, I can click Go to resource and it’ll take me right into the file sync demo resource. All right.

So, we’ve now officially got our file sync component set up in Azure.

132. Create sync groups and cloud endpoints

So the next step in dealing with the file sync service in Azure is to create what’s called a file sync group. A thousand group is going to let us link our file sync service to our storage account and specify a file share that we can have data synchronized to.

So, we’re going to start by here on Portal Dot A.1 and click the menu button. Go to resource groups. I’m going to click on the File Sync Resource Group I created, and from there, click on the File Sync Demo Sync Storage or file sync component that I created.

So now I’m going to go down here to sync groups. I’m going to click to create a sync group. I’m going to give this a name. It’s going to call this my file sync group demo. All right. And then, of course, the subscription. Select the storage account, and I’m going to select the storage account I created for this, which is the LP file sync storage account. And then I’m going to select the file share that I created a little earlier as well.

So, we’re just going to go ahead now and click to create, and that’ll take just a moment creates like a little endpoint, a little connection there to esTablish that connection. And we’ve officially created our file sync group.

133. Register servers

Now that we have our Syncrude created, I’m going to go over here to the registered servers blade. And it’s going to allow me now to download the Azure file sync agent that’s going to be installed on the server that I want to synchronize.

So, I’m going to go ahead and click on this little link here. It’s going to bring me to a download page and then I’m going to be able to go through the process of downloading and installing this little agent and then from there will be able to get that configured and specify what exactly it is that we actually want to synchronize.

OK, so as you can see as a download, it’s asking me what I want to download here. And of course, I’m going to choose the storage sync agent for Windows Server 2020 to in this case. Go ahead and click next. And at that point, it’s going to start downloading it on my web browser and we’ll go ahead as soon as that’s done downloading and get this thing installed. All right, so, I’m executing the little program here. And it’s going to bring up a little wizard, and we’re going to be going to basically walk through this little wizard here. I accept the terms. I’m going to take the default location says installing file sync, that’s fine. It’s asking me now configure how the stores engage and connect to the internet. I’m not using any kind of like a proxy or anything like that, so, I’m going to click next. Says, All right, do you want to go ahead and support the Microsoft update for this keeping this thing update or don’t use it there? For now, I’m just going to say don’t use because it’s just an extra thing. It’s going to take up memory on my little lap computer here, but in the real world, I might do that. The next thing it says, click install to begin the installation, and then it tells you that it’s going to do auto update.

So as your files sync constantly improves, yada yada yada on to the auto update now. And do I want to collect data now and in the real world? I might do this. It’s just mainly I’m just trying to conserve some resources on this machine.

OK, so, I just went ahead and pulled the trigger to let it install, and I’m going to go ahead and Paul’s recording while that’s happening. All right, after that’s done, I’m just going to click finish and then I’m going to go ahead and I’m going to click start and I’m going to run the little Azure stores engage and update, or you’ll see us as Azure file sync right here. Can drop that down and open that up as well, either way.

So, we’re going to go ahead and open up the little tool here.

So you’ll notice this. It’s going to check to see if there’s an update that needs to happen. And of course, if you essentially told it not to update, it may fail like I did. And that’s fine. No big deal there.

So then it’s asking about, you know, what we’re connecting to or authenticating to Azure.

OK, that’s fine. I click sign in and this where I put my credentials in your web browser might ask you to confirm that that’s OK.

So, I’m just going to go ahead and add so that that’s OK. All right. It’s telling me that Java is required to sign in. Let’s try this again. Here we go. And then we’re going to say JSC in examlabpractice.com.

OK. Just putting in my credentials here. We’ll try that again. Here we go. All right. Just getting authenticated now.

So, it says, OK, your Azure subscription, that’s fine. Which resource group do you want? The file sync RG? And then the storage services file sing them up.

So those are three things, and we’re just going to go ahead and click register and I will pause recording while that’s happening.

OK, so after that’s done, you can see that it just runs a little test here.

So network connectivity did pass, and it also gives me the option to go ahead and copy the URL that’ll take me straight into the file Syncrude. But I’ve actually already got it open on the Tab over here, so, I’m just going to go ahead now and hit Close tells. All right, everything’s good there, so, I’m just going to go ahead and click, OK. All right.

So the service register and so now we’re good to go. Everything is checked out and linked, and now we can configure what we need to.

134. Create server endpoints

So now that I’ve got my server registered, I’m here on file sync demo and my storage service, and I click on register servers and just verify that my server is registered. And as you can see, it is if you ever come to the screen after you do this and perhaps, maybe it’s not showing up. You can also click register or just refresh your whole web browser. One of the two But as you can see, it is showing up OK? It says it’s online. If I wanted to unregister it, I could. But now I’m ready to create something called a server endpoint, which is going to allow me to synchronize some data that I’ve got. But the first thing I need to do is have some data that I want to synchronize.

So, I’m in open up my file explorer here. I’m just going to create a folder and call the folder anything. I want to call it important data, OK? For lack of a better name, and I’ll just call create a text file in here called data. All right. And of course we can, you know, just add some text in there just so, we have something OK from there. Next thing I want to do if I want, I’m just going to share this out. Let’s say that it was a file share. Maybe, we’re going to pretend like, OK, this a file share that I’m allowing users to, and I want to synchronize it out to the cloud so, I can do that right there. Share that out. That’s fine.

OK, the next thing I want to do is just get the path of the file, which is Seacole Colon slash important data, right? OK. And you’ll see why that’s important in just a second.

OK, so now I go back over here and I’m going to click on my sync group, OK, and open that up. And once I get into the same group here, I can go to add the server endpoint.

So, I’m going to go, go here and click that. All right? And I’m specify my registered server NYC server one and then the path to the file that I got. And by the way, when I paste that in, it also tells your files from the server path have been brought to the cloud via data box. I’m not using any kind of data box or any kind of like that type of servers to get it out there. I’m using the Azure files sync, So, we’re not going to put in that. You don’t have to check that box.

OK? And then from there, not going to get into cloud hearing right now in this video, but I’m going to click to create and I’ll go ahead and let that provision and all Paul’s recording, all that’s happening. And once that’s complete, I should be able to go here to my menu button and go to resource groups. Hey, we’re going to pull up once we get into our research group here, we’re going to pull up our storage account and we should see that our data has been synchronized.

OK, So, we’re going to go here to this storage account LP file sync storage account that I created. We’re going to go to the actual file share that we created, and if everything went as according to plan, we should see that the file that we created on a hard drive should now be synchronized into this file share.

So here we go. And there it is, day tactics, so, I can open that up and I actually want to download that, I can. All right. And it’ll show an example, there it is, there’s the text, so as you can see, the endpoint did go through successfully.

135. Cloud tiering

So the next feature I want to show you here involving file sync is something called cloud steering, and you can get to this by opening up your file sync storage service and going to your sync groups here and then just clicking on your sync group. And if you’ve already created a endpoint, then you can edit that existing endpoint. Or if you wanted to add another server endpoint, you could do it that way and then configure the tethering on that. But I’m going to click on that. And we’ll open that up. Right is going to scroll down here and you’ll see where it says cloud tearing, you’ll see that that’s currently disabled. All right. If I try to enable that, I can scroll down.

Now they do warn you that you can’t actually do cloud touring, so you may be trying to enable cloud touring on the servers system volume so you can actually do that on a system volume.

So keep that in mind when you’re setting this up, but just for demo purposes here. The goal of cloud touring is the ability to conserve disk space locally, so you can actually have files that are stored out in the cloud. And all it does is just creates a namespace locally.

So, it appears as though the follows local when it’s not. This the same thing you get in programs like Dropbox and OneDrive, where you’re really it just creates a link that appears to be local, but it’s like a shortcut that’s actually happening in the cloud.

So this just a way to conserve disk space so you can actually do this if you want. There’s an option here. Volume free space always preserve the specified percentage of free space on the volume express with how much of that you want. You can even use what’s called a date policy if you want, says only cache files that were accessed or modify within a specific number of days. You specify any errors, area errors and then also you can do offline data transfer because I haven’t started synchronizing anything yet, So, it’s not actually doing that, OK? But if I do enable that, I can do cloud touring, and that’s the goal file is to again to conserve that disk space.

So that’s what cloud hearing is.

136. Monitor File Sync

Now, on top of actually setting up the file sync service through Azure and with your server, the other thing you can do is you can kind of keep track of the things that are happening, the activities and the processes and performance. And to do this, just open up the file sync storage component and then go over here to the activity log and you can kind of get a feel for the different activities that have occurred. You can see when they occur, what occurred, if there’s been any problems or errors, you can see there’s a couple of failed things that are that are showing up right here when I was creating my files sync, but ultimately I can just kind of see the different activities that are happening here and then the times where things might have gotten started or failed. From there, I can also go over here to sync groups so, I can see my singing group, click on it and then I can see just how healthy everything is.

So right now you can see that my file share demos is provision, so that’s showing me good, good news there. I can see my end point and then I can also scroll down. I can see the number of files being synchronized, uploaded, downloaded, I can see the amount of bytes that have been uploaded and downloaded. And, you know, just kind of get a good look at the different things that have been going on. And if I’ve gotten any kind of errors in any of that now, not to get deep into this because that’s not really where this lectures at, but you can also set up an Azure log service. And with that, you can utilize what’s called alerts and you can generate alerts and you can download metric datand all that. Not to get into all that. That’s kind of outside the scope of what I’m explaining, but I did want to just mention there that you can actually set up the log analytics service in Azure, and you can add that as additional things that you can monitor. As far as alerts goes, you can actually set up alerts that would let you know if something wasn’t working right and getting an error or something like that, but that’s something that you can look into as well. But ultimately, as far as like monitoring the things going on with the with the file sync log, most of that’s going to be looking at your sync group. You also, of course, on the actual server. You can view the Event Viewer on the actual server itself to look for errors as well.