Provide storage for the public website

Afeez Adeyemo - Sep 18 - - Dev Community

Table of contents

Step 1: Create a storage account with high availability.
Step 2: Create a blob storage container with anonymous read access
Step 3: Practice uploading files and testing access.
Step 4: Configure soft delete
Step 5: Configure blob versioning

This is a step guide with screen grabs on how to easily set up storage for a public website.

Step 1: Create a storage account with high availability.

  1. Create a storage account for the internal private company documents.
  • In the portal, search for and select Storage accounts.

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  • Select + Create.

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  • For resource group select new. Give your resource group a name and select OK.
  • Set the Storage account name to publicwebsite. Make sure the storage account name is unique by adding an identifier.
  • Take the defaults for other settings.
  • Select Review and then Create.

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  • Wait for the storage account to deploy, and then select Go to resource.

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  1. This storage requires high availability if there’s a regional outage. Additionally, enable read access to the secondary region.
  • In the storage account, in the Data management section, select the Redundancy blade.
  • Ensure Read-access Geo-redundant storage is selected.
  • Review the primary and secondary location information.

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  1. Information on the public website should be accessible without requiring customers to login.
  • In the storage account, in the Settings section, select the Configuration blade.
  • Ensure the Allow blob anonymous access setting is Enabled.
  • Be sure to Save your changes.

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Step 2: Create a blob storage container with anonymous read access

  1. The public website has various images and documents. Create a blob storage container for the content.
  • In your storage account, in the Data storage section, select the Containers blade.
  • Select + Container.

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  • Ensure the Name of the container is public.
  • Select Create.

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  1. Customers should be able to view the images without being authenticated. Configure anonymous read access for the public container blobs.
  • Select your public container.
  • On the Overview blade, select Change access level.

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  • Ensure the Public access level is Blob (anonymous read access for blobs only). -Select OK.

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Step 3: Practice uploading files and testing access.

  1. For testing, upload a file to the public container. The type of file doesn’t matter. A small image or text file is a good choice.
  • Ensure you are viewing your container.
  • Select Upload.
  • Browse to files and select a file. Browse to a file of your choice.

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  • Select Upload.
  • Close the upload window, Refresh the page and ensure your file was uploaded.

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  1. Determine the URL for your uploaded file. Open a browser and test the URL.
  • Select your uploaded file.
  • On the Overview tab, copy the URL.

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  • Paste the URL into a new browser tab.
  • If you have uploaded an image file it will display in the browser. Other file types should be downloaded.

Step 4: Configure soft delete

  1. It’s important that the website documents can be restored if they’re deleted. Configure blob soft delete for 21 days.
  • Go to the Overview blade of the storage account.
  • On the Properties page, locate the Blob service section.
  • Select the Blob soft delete setting.
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  • Ensure the Enable soft delete for blobs is checked.

  • Change the Keep deleted blobs for (in days setting is 21).

  • Notice you can also Enable soft delete for containers.

  • Save your changes.

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  1. If something gets deleted, you need to practice using soft delete to restore the files.
  • Navigate to your container where you uploaded a file.
  • Select the file you uploaded and then select Delete.
  • Select OK to confirm deleting the file.

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  • On the container Overview page, toggle the slider Show deleted blobs. This toggle is to the right of the search box.

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  • Select your deleted file, and use the ellipses on the far right, to Undelete the file.
  • Refresh the container and confirm the file has been restored.

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Step 5: Configure blob versioning

  1. It’s important to keep track of the different website product document versions.
  • Go to the Overview blade of the storage account.
  • In the Properties section, locate the Blob service section.
  • Select the Versioning setting.

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  • Ensure the Enable versioning for blobs**** checkbox is checked.
  • Notice your options to keep all versions or delete versions after.
  • Don’t forget to Save your changes.

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  1. As you have time experiment with restoring previous blob versions.
  • Upload another version of your container file. This overwrites your existing file.
  • Your previous file version is listed on Show deleted blobs page.
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