Use Azure Files with virtual machines to mount a shared file system using the SMB protocol. Your VMs can access the file system using standard Windows file APIs (CreateFile, ReadFile, WriteFile, etc.). VMs (or platform-as-a-service roles) can attach to these file systems concurrently, so you can share persistent data easily between various roles and instances. In addition to accessing your files through the Windows file APIs, you can access your data using the REST API (similar to the familiar Blob service interface).
To use the Azure Files, create a storage account using the Azure Management Portal or the
Microsoft Azure Service Management API. Any new accounts that you create using your approved subscriptions will automatically be enabled for Azure Files.
Find out more about
Azure Files and
pricing, which is discounted during the public preview.