How to use the command 'az storage account' (with examples)

The az storage account command is part of the Azure CLI (Command-Line Interface) and is used to manage storage accounts in Azure. With this command, you can create, delete, list, and generate shared access signatures for storage accounts.

Use case 1: Create a storage account

az storage account create --name storage_account_name --resource-group azure_resource_group --location azure_location --sku storage_account_sku

Motivation: Creating a storage account is the first step to start using Azure storage services. This command allows you to create a new storage account within the specified resource group and at the desired location with the specified SKU (Service Level Agreement).

Explanation:

• --name: Specifies the name of the storage account to be created.
• --resource-group: Specifies the resource group where the storage account will be created.
• --location: Specifies the Azure region where the storage account will be created.
• --sku: Specifies the SKU (Service Level Agreement) for the storage account. Valid values include Standard_LRS, Standard_GRS, Standard_RAGRS, Standard_ZRS, Premium_LRS.

Example output:

{
  "creationTime": "2022-02-01T06:30:00+00:00",
  "id": "/subscriptions/xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx/resourceGroups/azure_resource_group/providers/Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/storage_account_name",
  "kind": "StorageV2",
  "location": "westus",
  "name": "storage_account_name",
  "primaryEndpoints": {
    "blob": "https://storage_account_name.blob.core.windows.net/",
    "dfs": "https://storage_account_name.dfs.core.windows.net/",
    "file": "https://storage_account_name.file.core.windows.net/",
    "queue": "https://storage_account_name.queue.core.windows.net/",
    "table": "https://storage_account_name.table.core.windows.net/",
    "web": "https://storage_account_name.z13.web.core.windows.net/"
  },
  "provisioningState": "Succeeded",
  "resourceGroup": "azure_resource_group",
  "sku": {
    "name": "Standard_LRS",
    "tier": "Standard"
  },
  "statusOfPrimary": "available",
  "type": "Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts"
}

Use case 2: Generate a shared access signature for a specific storage account

az storage account generate-sas --account-name storage_account_name --name account_name --permissions sas_permissions --expiry expiry_date --services storage_services --resource-types resource_types

Motivation: A shared access signature (SAS) provides delegated access to resources in a storage account. Generating a SAS enables secure access to storage resources with fine-grained access controls.

Explanation:

• --account-name: Specifies the name of the storage account for which the SAS will be generated.
• --name: Specifies the name of the SAS.
• --permissions: Specifies the permissions for the SAS. Common values include ‘r’ for read access, ‘w’ for write access, ’d’ for delete access.
• --expiry: Specifies the expiry date and time for the SAS in UTC format.
• --services: Specifies the services for which the SAS is valid. Common values include ‘b’ for blob, ‘f’ for file, ‘q’ for queue, ’t’ for table.
• --resource-types: Specifies the resource types for which the SAS is valid. Common values include ’s’ for service, ‘c’ for container, ‘o’ for object.

Example output:

sv=2020-12-06&ss=b&srt=sco&sp=r&se=2023-01-01T00:00:00Z&sr=c&sig=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Use case 3: List storage accounts

az storage account list --resource-group azure_resource_group

Motivation: Listing storage accounts provides an overview of the storage accounts available in a specific resource group. This can be useful for managing and tracking storage resources in Azure.

Explanation:

• --resource-group: Specifies the resource group from which to list the storage accounts.

Example output:

[
   {
      "id":"/subscriptions/xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx/resourceGroups/azure_resource_group/providers/Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/storage_account_name1",
      "kind":"StorageV2",
      "location":"westus",
      "name":"storage_account_name1",
      "provisioningState":"Succeeded",
      "resourceGroup":"azure_resource_group",
      "sku":{
         "name":"Standard_LRS",
         "tier":"Standard"
      },
      "statusOfPrimary":"available",
      "tags":{},
      "type":"Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts"
   },
   {
      "id":"/subscriptions/xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx/resourceGroups/azure_resource_group/providers/Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/storage_account_name2",
      "kind":"StorageV2",
      "location":"westus",
      "name":"storage_account_name2",
      "provisioningState":"Succeeded",
      "resourceGroup":"azure_resource_group",
      "sku":{
         "name":"Standard_LRS",
         "tier":"Standard"
      },
      "statusOfPrimary":"available",
      "tags":{},
      "type":"Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts"
   }
]

Use case 4: Delete a specific storage account

az storage account delete --name storage_account_name --resource-group azure_resource_group

Motivation: When a storage account is no longer needed, it can be deleted to free up resources and avoid unnecessary costs. This command allows you to delete a specific storage account within the specified resource group.

Explanation:

• --name: Specifies the name of the storage account to be deleted.
• --resource-group: Specifies the resource group from which to delete the storage account.

Example output:

(null)

Conclusion:

The az storage account command is a versatile tool for managing storage accounts in Azure. Whether it’s creating a new storage account, generating shared access signatures, listing existing storage accounts, or deleting unnecessary storage accounts, this command provides the necessary functionality to manage your storage resources efficiently.