GUIDE TO CONFIGURE AZURE FILE SYNC (PREVIEW)

Use Azure File Sync (preview) to centralize your organization’s file shares in Azure Files, while keeping the flexibility, performance, and compatibility of an on-premises file server. Azure File Sync transforms Windows Server into a quick cache of your Azure file share. You can use any protocol that’s available on Windows Server to access your data locally, including SMB, NFS, and FTPS. You can have as many caches as you need across the world.

Azure File Sync provides:

• Multi-site access – provide write access to the same data across Windows servers and Azure Files
• Cloud tiering – store only recently accessed data on local servers
• Integrates with Azure backup – no need to back up your data on premises
• Fast disaster recovery – restore file metadata immediately and recall data as needed

Azure File Sync terminology

• Before getting into the details of planning for an Azure File Sync deployment, it’s important to understand the terminology.

Azure File Sync Agent

The Azure File Sync agent is a downloadable package that enables Windows Server to be synced with an Azure file share. This agent which we need to install in on-premises windows server in order to enable sync with Azure file share. It includes three components,

1. FileSyncSvc.exe – This is the service responsible for monitoring changes in local server initiate sync with Azure file share.
2. StorageSync.sys – This component is responsible for tiering files to Azure files. Cloud tiering is an additional feature of Azure File Sync. It can use with not frequently used files greater than 64Kb. When this enabled, local file replaced with URL to files in an Azure file share. When user access it, in the background it recalls the file from Azure file share. The end user will not have any different experience as it all happens in the backend.
3. PowerShell cmdlets – This helps to manage Microsoft.StorageSync Azure resource provider using PowerShell commands. These cmdlet files are located in

• C:\Program Files\Azure\StorageSyncAgent\StorageSync.Management.PowerShell.Cmdlets.dll
• C:\Program Files\Azure\StorageSyncAgent\StorageSync.Management.ServerCmdlets.dll

Supported versions of Windows Server

Currently, the supported versions of Windows Server by Azure File Sync are:

Windows Server 2016

Datacenter and Standard

Full (server with a UI)

Windows Server 2012 R2

Datacenter and Standard

Full (server with a UI)

This agent is only supported in Windows Server 2012 R2 / 2016 standard and datacenter versions only. It is not supported on core version either.

Storage Sync Service

The Storage Sync Service is the top-level Azure resource for Azure File Sync. The Storage Sync Service resource is a peer of the storage account resource, and can similarly be deployed to Azure resource groups. A distinct top-level resource from the storage account resource is required because the Storage Sync Service can create sync relationships with multiple storage accounts via multiple sync groups. A subscription can have multiple Storage Sync Service resources deployed.

Sync group

Sync group defines the boundaries of sync job. A sync group includes cloud endpoint and server endpoint. Storage sync service can have multiple sync group.

Cloud endpoint

Cloud endpoint represents an Azure file share that is part of a sync group. One cloud endpoint can only have one file share which means one Azure file share responsibility for one sync group. If you add an Azure file share that has an existing set of files as a cloud endpoint to a sync group, the existing files are merged with any other files that are already on other endpoints in the sync group.

Server endpoint

Server endpoint represents the local server directory which will cache files from Azure file share. One server can hold multiple server endpoints but one endpoint can’t be part of multiple sync groups. If it’s still added, it will merge with the files belongs to other endpoints in the same sync group.

Registered Server

The registered server represents the trust relationship between the on-premise server (or cluster) and storage sync service. It is a one-to-one connection. However, one storage sync service can have many servers registered with it.

 Failover Clustering

Windows Server Failover Clustering is supported by Azure File Sync for the “File Server for general use” deployment option. Failover Clustering is not supported on “Scale-Out File Server for application data” (SOFS) or on Clustered Shared Volumes (CSVs).

Now we know the component and how each component involves in sync operation between Azure file share and on-premises server. Next step is to get it configured.

Setup Azure File Storage Sync Service – PREVIEW

Region availability

Azure File Sync is available only in the following regions in preview:

In the preview, we support syncing only with an Azure file share that’s in the same region as the Storage Sync Service.

Create Storage Sync Service

1) Log in to Azure Portal as a global administrator ID

2) Go to New | Create a resource | Azure File Sync (Preview) | Create

3) In new window type name for sync service and select subscribtion & resource group for it. if required can create new resource group. once you fill in info, click on create.

Install Azure File Sync Agent

Next step in configuration is to install azure file sync agent in the on-premises server. Ex: File Sever, Data

Before install agent,

• Log in to the server and disabled Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration for administrators and users. This can re-enable after installation.

• Verify PowerShell version it’s running. At least it needs to run version 5.1
• Install Azure PowerShell Module – Guide for it available in https://docs.microsoft.com/powershell/azure/install-azurerm-ps 

Once above in place, go and download azure file sync agent from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=55988

Once the download is completed, double-click to start the installation On-promise server. In initial page, click Next to continue.

In next page, accept the license agreement and click on Next.

After that in next window, we can select the path for installation.

In the next window, You Need setup a Proxy Settings (Internet)

In next window, it asks in future how you need to update the agent version. It can be done using windows update.

In next window, keep default settings and click on Install to begin the installation.

Once the installation is completed, it opens up Azure File Sync agent wizard. The first step is to register the server. in window click on Sign in to start the process.  If your organization is CSP (Cloud Solution Provider) You can enable the and Enter The Tenant ID Or Click Sign in.

Then sign in using your Azure global administrator account. 

In next window select the Azure Subscription, Resource group, Storage Sync service and click on Register

Then it will ask again for login, once it is done it will complete the registration process. 

Create Sync Group

Next step of the process is to create a sync group.

1) Log in to Azure Portal as a global administrator

2) Go to All Services and search for Storage Sync Services

3) In Storage, Sync Services page click on the Storage Sync Service we created on the earlier step.

4) In the new window click on Sync Group icon.

5) In next window, define a name for sync group and select the subscription. Then select the storage account and Azure file share. At the end click on Create

6) Once the group is added, click on the new group.

7) In the new window, click on add server endpoint option.

8) Then in the new window select the registered server from the list and then define folder path for local cache copy. In my Test environment, I am using E:\File-Share path on-promise server. I also enable cloud tiering feature. Once the info is in click on create.

9) After the initial sync, we can see same files in two endpoints.

10) You also can review the status of endpoint sync using Storage Sync Services | Sync_Account | Sync_group

For More information : https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/files/storage-sync-files-planning