Introduction
Azure Blob Storage is Microsoft's object storage solution for the cloud. It's optimized for storing massive amounts of unstructured data. In this article, we'll explore how to use C# with Azure Blob Storage using the Azure SDK for .NET.
You will learn,
- How to install and configure the Azure SDK
- Uploading blobs to a container
- Downloading blobs
- Listing blobs
- Deleting blobs
- Using SAS Tokens for secure access
Let's dive in!
Setting Up Your Project
First, create a new C# console project or use an existing project.
Install Azure SDK for .NET
Use NuGet Package Manager Console.
This package provides APIs necessary to work with Azure Blob Storage.
Configuration
You need a connection string to access your Azure Storage Account.
You can find it in the Azure portal under Storage Account > Access Keys.
Example: Initialize BlobServiceClient
Note. For production, consider using Azure Managed Identity or Azure Key Vault for securing connection strings.
Uploading a Blob
Example. Code using BlobContainerClient
Explanation
- Create or connect to a container.
- Create a blob client from the container.
- Upload the file asynchronously.
Call it like this.
Downloading a Blob
Example Code
Explanation
- Connect to the container.
- Create a BlobClient for the blob.
- Download the blob to a local path.
Call it like this.
Listing Blobs in a Container
Example Code
Explanation
- Retrieves all blobs in the specified container.
- Uses asynchronous iteration for efficiency.
Call it like this.
Deleting a Blob
Example Code
Explanation
- Attempts to delete the blob if it exists.
- Avoids exceptions if the blob doesn't exist.
Call it like this.
Generating SAS Tokens for Secure Access
Example Code
Explanation
- SAS tokens allow time-limited, permission-controlled access to blobs without exposing account keys.
- Great for sharing temporary access securely.
Call it like this.
Best Practices
- Secure connection strings: Use environment variables, Azure Identity libraries, or Managed Identity.
- Error handling: Always wrap Azure SDK calls in try-catch blocks.
- Container naming: Stick to lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens.
- Asynchronous programming: Use async/await for all storage operations to maximize performance.
- Logging: Monitor storage activities using Azure Monitor and Application Insights.
Conclusion
Using Azure Blob Storage with C# is simple and powerful with the Azure SDK for .NET. In this article, you learned how to upload, download, list, delete blobs, and generate SAS tokens for secure access.
With these skills, you can build applications that scale effortlessly, securely store large amounts of unstructured data, and share files across services.