Import/Export Service – Azure Storage

05/16/2024
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To upload a large amount of data from an environment where you have bandwidth constraints, you can use the Import/Export service. The Import/Export service doesn’t require bandwidth because you are shipping the disks to the Azure datacenter. You can use this service to upload data from the on-premises datacenter to Azure Blob Storage or move data from Azure Blob Storage to the on-premises datacenter. In both scenarios, it is the responsibility of the customer to supply the disks.

The following are some usage cases of the Import/Export service:

  • Data migration to cloud: Data can be moved to Azure in a cost-effective and quick manner.
  • Content sharing: Share data with customers quickly.
  • Backup: Take a backup of your on-premises data and store it in Azure Blob Storage for recovery services.
  • Recovery: Data stored in Azure Blob Storage can be moved to on-premises to recover the data.

To send data from on-premises to Azure, you need to create an import job. Similarly, to move data from Azure Blob Storage to on-premises, you need to create an export job. Let’s understand the steps involved in import and export jobs.

Import Jobs

By shipping drives to the Azure data center, you can securely transfer large amounts of data to Azure Blob Storage. You will be shipping hard drives containing the data to an Azure datacenter. Figure 6.28 shows the end-to-end process involved in an import job.

FIGURE 6.28 Import job workflow

The following are the steps required to move data from on-premises to Azure using an import job:

  1. Create a storage account in Azure.
  2. Depending upon the amount of data, you need to identify the number of disks required to copy the data.
  3. Find a computer to prepare the disks using the WAImportExport tool.
  4. Using the WAImportExport tool, prepare the disk, encrypt the drive with BitLocker, and generate journal files.
  5. Create an import job in Azure referencing the destination storage account. Also, provide the location of the destination, and Azure will share the shipping address with you.
  6. Ship the disks containing the data to the Azure datacenter.
  7. Update the import job with the tracking number of the shipment.
  8. Once the disks arrive at the Azure datacenter, Microsoft authorized personnel will copy the data to the storage account and ship the disks back to you.

The data will be visible in the Azure storage account. The next scenario is that you want to download the data from Azure Blob Storage and bring it to your on-premises data center.