Azure Updates: Files; Elastic; Regional cloud trends

Azure Storage VP of Product Management Jurgen Willis discussed Azure Files as a way to share files in the cloud that are accessible with protocols like Server Message Block and Network File System. Microsoft made NFS v4.1 generally available in December, 2021. Since that time, customers have used it for a range of different scenarios including ERP, DevOps, and content management. Most recently, SAP announced that NFS is the default option for its Enterprise Cloud Services deployments. Willis noted the preview of file snapshots to guard against accidental deletion, with snapshots manageable through the Azure portal, CLI, REST API, or PowerShell. “We believe that the new 99.99 percent SLA, snapshot capabilities, and higher performance with nconnect will unlock many more use cases and applications,” he wrote.

Senior product manager Vikas Singhi revisited Microsoft’s partnership with Elastic that dates back to 2020. Elastic Cloud is a generally available Azure native ISV service that is growing rapidly, according to Singhi. Mr. Turing, an AI initiative was able to double the speed of its Alan cognitive intelligence SaaS. Microsoft is adding in capabilities as Elastic implements them, such as private link Elastic 8.X, cluster and user management, and a steadily growing list of regions.

Information Services Group, or ISG, shared data from its ISG Provider Lens report about the state of Microsoft cloud uptake around the world.