Storage Accounts and Storage Types
😟 THE PROBLEM
Images fill up VM disks and are impossible to share or scale.
😊 THE SOLUTION
Keep them in an Azure storage account built for massive, durable storage.
- VM disks keep filling up✓ Storage that grows automatically
- Files not reachable by other apps✓ HTTPS endpoint for each service
- Fear of losing data✓ Multiple copies with redundancy
Quick answer
An Azure storage account is a container that provides a unique namespace for your Azure Storage data: blobs, files, queues and tables. Its name must be globally unique (3–24 lowercase letters and numbers) because it becomes part of each service's URL. Standard general-purpose v2 is recommended for most scenarios; premium accounts offer low-latency SSD storage for specific needs.
Exam objective: 2.3.1 Compare Azure Storage services. 2.3.4 Describe storage account options and storage types. (Skills measured as of July 20, 2026)
Start with a question
Where does an app keep millions of photos, shared folders and messages in the cloud?
In an Azure storage account: one uniquely named home for several kinds of storage.
Explain it like I’m 10
The technical explanation
| Account type | Supports | Redundancy |
|---|---|---|
| Standard general-purpose v2 | Blobs (incl. Data Lake Storage), files, queues, tables | LRS, GRS, RA-GRS, ZRS, GZRS, RA-GZRS |
| Premium block blobs | Block and append blobs | LRS, ZRS |
| Premium file shares | Azure Files | LRS, ZRS |
| Premium page blobs | Page blobs | LRS |
Each service gets its own endpoint: https://<name>.blob.core.windows.net, .file., .queue. and .table.core.windows.net.
Real-world business scenario
A photo-sharing app
- The problem
- Images were stored on VM disks that filled up and were hard to scale.
- What they used
- A Standard general-purpose v2 storage account with blob containers.
- Why that choice
- Massive, cheap, durable object storage reachable over HTTPS.
- The result
- Storage grows automatically and VM disks no longer fill up.
When to use it and when not to
✓ Use it when…
- Any app that stores files, images, backups, messages or simple NoSQL data.
✕ Think twice when…
- Relational data needing SQL joins and transactions (use Azure SQL).
Interview preparation
Say your answer out loud first, then open the model answer. Interviewers care more about your reasoning than the exact words.
Beginner What is an Azure storage account?
Model answer
It is the container for my Azure Storage data, like blobs, file shares, queues and tables. It has a globally unique name, a region and a redundancy setting.
Interviewer follows up
Why must the name be globally unique?
You
Because it becomes part of public URLs, such as name.blob.core.windows.net, and no two accounts can share a URL.
Intermediate Which storage account types exist?
Model answer
Standard general-purpose v2 for most scenarios, supporting blobs, files, queues and tables. Premium block blobs for high transaction rates and low latency. Premium file shares for high-performance file shares. Premium page blobs for page blobs such as unmanaged disks.
Experienced developer What settings would you lock down on a new storage account?
Model answer
Require secure transfer (HTTPS), set a minimum TLS version, disable anonymous blob access, prefer Microsoft Entra authorisation over shared keys, use private endpoints and disable public network access where possible, enable soft delete and versioning, and pick redundancy based on recovery needs. Azure Policy can enforce these.
Test yourself with exercises
3 original practice questions in the AZ-900 style. Pick your answers, then check them. You will see why each option is right or wrong. Score 75% or more and this topic is marked complete.
Quick revision
Key points
- A storage account holds blobs, files, queues and tables.
- Names are 3–24 lowercase letters and numbers, unique across Azure.
- Standard general-purpose v2 is recommended for most uses.
- Premium types use SSDs for low-latency workloads.
- Redundancy is chosen per account.
Important terminology
- Storage account
- A uniquely named container for Azure Storage services and their settings.
- Standard general-purpose v2
- The recommended account type, supporting blobs, files, queues and tables with all redundancy options.
- Premium account
- SSD-backed accounts for block blobs, file shares or page blobs that need low latency.
- Service endpoint URL
- The address of each service, such as https://name.blob.core.windows.net.
Common mistakes
- Using capital letters, hyphens or symbols in storage account names.
Exam tips
- "Recommended for most scenarios" = Standard general-purpose v2.
Five quick revision questions
-
1.How long can a storage account name be?Show
3 to 24 characters.
-
2.Which characters are allowed?Show
Lowercase letters and numbers only.
-
3.Why must the name be globally unique?Show
It forms part of public service URLs.
-
4.Which account type is recommended for most scenarios?Show
Standard general-purpose v2.
-
5.What does a premium account use?Show
SSD storage for low latency.
Official references
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Next up: Blob Storage and Access Tiers