Microsoft adds Azure Blob Storage connector integration to PowerApps

A new update to PowerApps allows admins to directly connect their apps with Azure Blob Storage to upload or save media files, allowing apps to be shared with users without giving away account keys.

Evan Chaki, writing in the Microsoft PowerApps blog, said that customers often want to use Azure Blob Storage to hold media files and use them with PowerApps. This capability wasn't supported out of the box and customers have relied on a custom API workaround. But the new update has now changed the situation.

According to Chaki, setting up Azure Blob Storage begins by gathering information such as Storage Account Name, Storage Account Access Key, and signing up through Azure (if your organization is not already registered). After registration, users create a resource, conduct a search for a storage account, and create. The Azure Storage Account Name is the name of the blob when a connection is generated. An access keys field will after the blob storage is created, prompting users to copy the key provided.

Users can set up a canvas app, and upload files to blob storage, setting up upload controls, a text box to name the file, and an upload button for the end user. Additionally, he noted that the blob connector doesn't have an auto-refresh function, which users can fix by adding two different properties. To test out the end result, users can practice with different media files like video, audio, images, and PDFs.

Blob storage offers multiple benefits, but users need to keep security in mind. Users can assign different Public Access Levels to different containers. Some options include locking down files online entirely. Setting up a Shared Access Signature allows app users ...