Azure Blob Storage Pricing Considerations

1. Performance Tiers

   • Blob storage has tiers: Hot, Cool, and Archive.

   • Cost per GB decreases as the tier gets cooler.

2. Data Access Costs

   • Reading data from Cool or Archive tiers incurs a per-GB access charge.

3. Transaction Costs

   • Every read/write operation incurs a per-transaction fee, increasing for cooler tiers.

4. Geo-Replication Data Transfer Costs

   • Applies to GRS (Geo-Redundant Storage) and RA-GRS.

   • Per-GB charge for replicating data across regions.

5. Outbound Data Transfer Costs

   • Data leaving the Azure region is billed per GB for bandwidth.

6. Changing Storage Tiers

   • Cool → Hot: Charged for reading all existing data.

   • Hot → Cool: Charged for writing all data to the cool tier (GPv2 accounts only).

Demonstration: Working with Blob Storage

1. Create a Container

1. Go to your storage account in the Azure portal.

2. In the left menu, under Blob service, select Blobs.

3. Click + Container.

4. Enter a name (lowercase, start with letter/number, letters, numbers, and dash allowed).

5. Set public access level (default is Private).

6. Click OK to create the container.

2. Upload a Block Blob

1. Navigate to your container.

2. Click Upload.

3. Expand the Advanced section:

   • Review Authentication type (default: SAS), Blob type, Block size, and folder options.

4. Browse your local system, select a file, and click Upload.

5. Repeat to upload multiple blobs.

3. Download a Block Blob

1. Navigate to the list of blobs in your container.

2. Right-click the blob to download, then select Download.