azure-storageazure-blob-storageisovhd

Local VHD/ISO to Azure Blob Storage


I have a bunch of VHDs mounted locally. They contain a huge number of relatively small files (tens of millions of files per VHD)

Is there a way to transfer the VHDs to Azure and "mount" them inside a blob storage container so I can be able to access those files as blobs?

I can convert VHDs to ISO files if that would help.

Trying to save time and money with this method.

LE: Azure File Shares is fine, too


Solution

  • I don't think there is a way to do so. Instead, you can either:

    1. Upload a VHD to Azure as a page blob, and mount it as data disk of an Azure VM. However, it's just one page blob when you access the VHD with Azure Storage API, and you're only able to browse the internal files in the VHD within the VM.
    2. Mount the VHD locally, and upload the files in the VHD one by one to Azure File Share or Azure Blob Container (you may consider using AzCopy for best uploading performance). After that, you'd be able to access those files directly with Azure Storage REST API or Azure Storage Client Libraries, but the VHD itself it not on Azure.

    In a word, there is no way to both mount the VHD in Azure Storage and access the files within the VHD with Azure Storage API, you need to choose either of them.