Auto-scale for Azure Files Storage Premium

A premium file share is billed by provisioned size, regardless of the capacity used. Share sizes can range from 100 GiB to 102,400 GiB. IO and network bandwidth limits scale with the provisioned share size.

When enabled, storage auto-scale grows the provisioned share size in response to anticipated usage demand or increased storage latency. It also decreases the provisioned capacity to reduce costs when the extra performance is no longer needed (not more than once every 24 hours).

Storage auto- scaling with Azure Files can also be used to maintain a specified headroom to avoid running out of space on the volume or capacity pool.

Note: Auto-scale is not available for Azure Files standard storage, because both capacity cost and performance are not controlled by the size of the share.

You must configure these auto-scale parameters:

  • Provisioned Size (Quota)

  • Scheduled Data Increase (Optional)

  • Scaling Logic

To configure and manage auto-scale for Azure Files premium:

  1. Navigate to Storage > Azure Files.

  2. Locate the files share you want to manage.

  3. From the action menu, select Auto-scale > Configure.

  4. Toggle the Auto-Scale option to On.

  5. Enter the Provisioned Size (Quota) settings.

    • Quota unit: From the drop-down list, select the unit (Relative % or Absolute GiB). Relative is a percentage of currently used capacity.

    • Minimum size: Type the minimum size in GiBs or %.

      Note: The minimum size is 100 GiB and it may not be smaller than the used capacity. In addition, this defines the minimum buffer that the system always maintains as the user capacity grows. This guarantees the minimum amount of free space in the file share.

    • Maximum size: Type the maximum size in GiBs or %.

      • Less than: Type the size the file share should be increased, below the total file share size, to prevent the uncontrolled system growth..

    The Performance displays the minimum and maximum configuration values, and displays the performance characteristics.

  6. Optionally, toggle Scheduled Quota Increase On and enter the settings.

    Note: These are the parameters by which you are committed to increase the scheduled quota. The quota is increased during this period and decreased between these periods. This is useful if you have days with peak performance.

    • Days: From the drop-down list, select the range of days.

    • Hours: From the drop-down list, select the time zone.

    • Set provisioned size (quota) to: Type the quota that you commit to increase above the current used capacity.

  7. Enter the Scaling Logic settings.

    Note: Provisioned size (quota) can be decreased only 24 hours after the last quota increase. The quota is increased at the beginning of the period and decreased to the minimum size only at the end of this period.

    • Select auto-scale trigger: From the drop-down list, select the trigger.

      Note: The auto-scale logic configuration allows the scaling engine to determine when to grow or shrink the share. It is based on two available metrics provided by Azure files shares via the API. It describes how long it takes the IOPs to be processed. It can either be the Average Success Server Latency (default) or the Maximum Success Server Latency.

    • Increase the quota (scale out) by: Type the size the quota is increased according to the Quota unit value specified in the Provisioned Size (Quota) section.

      Note: When threshold is exceeded, the system continues scaling out until either it reaches the specified Max size, or until the server latency is below the threshold.

    • Decrease the quota (scale in): Type the size the quota is decreased if the server latency drops below the specified threshold.

  8. Once you have entered all the desired information, select Save or Save & close.

    The configured file share appears in the list of shares on the Azure Files list.

Related Topics

Auto-scale for Azure NetApp Files