Azure Blob Storage

This chapter describes how to set up and configure an Azure Blob Storage to save BLOBs (e.g. image files) that are stored in the Business Central database in a separate storage container. If you use a separate storage container you don’t have to store big files (item pictures) that are rarely used in the database. By using an external storage container, the performance of the system/database can be improved. This chapter is divided into the following chronological sections:

• Set Up Storage Account in Microsoft Azure
• Set Up Storage Container in Microsoft Azure
• Schedule Automatic Upload of Files
• Link Blob Storage to Business Central

Setting Up Storage Account in Microsoft Azure

This section describes how to set up a storage account in Microsoft Azure. This instruction is aimed at the IT administrator of your company/employees working in IT.

To set up a new storage account in Microsoft Azure, proceed as follows:

• Right-click on the following link and select the option Open Link in new tab from the context menu: https://portal.azure.com/#home
• A new tab will open in your browser.
• Log into your Microsoft Azure account.
• Click into the search bar on the Microsoft Azure website and enter Storage Accounts.
• The Storage Accounts page opens. The page shows all storage accounts that have been set up so far.
• Click New in the menu bar.
• The Create a storage account page opens.
• Fill in the information according to the following table:

• To create a new storage account, click on Review + Create at the bottom on the page. To be able to review your settings, you will be shown a summary of the storage account settings.
• Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Create.

The storage account will be created and a corresponding message will be displayed at the top of the page. This process can take a few minutes. As soon as the storage account has been set up, a message will be displayed at the right-hand side of the page, indicating that your storage account has successfully been linked to the defined resource group. Click on the option Go to Resource. You can now start setting up the container. You can find more information about this in the section Set Up Storage Container in Microsoft Azure,.

Setting Up Storage Container in Microsoft Azure

This section describes how to set up a container for a storage account in Microsoft Azure. To be able to set up a container, you have to have a storage account. Before carrying out the next steps, you have to set up a storage account as described in Set Up Storage Account in Microsoft Azure. To set up a container for a storage account in Microsoft Azure, proceed as follows:

• Select your storage account in Microsoft Azure. If you have selected the right storage account, the name of the storage account will be framed in blue in the menu bar on the left-hand side of the page.
• In the menu bar on the left-hand side of the page, click on Containers in the Data storage tab.
• The page is updated.
• To set up a new container, click on Container on the right-hand side of the page. A new pane is displayed.
• In the Name field, enter the name of the container. Write down the name of the blob storage container in a separate file or on a piece of paper.
• In the Public access level field, select the value Private (no anonymous access).
• To finish setting up the container, click on Create at the bottom of the page.
• The blob storage container will be shown on the list that contains all the storage containers linked to this storage account.

You have successfully finished setting up the blob storage container. The following section describes how to schedule the automatic upload of files to the Azure blob storage.

Scheduling Automatic Upload of Files

This section describes how to schedule the automatic upload of files to the Azure blob storage. Among other things, you will find out how to schedule the automatic upload for a specific day of the week. To schedule the automatic upload of files to the Azure blob storage, proceed as follows:

• Use the quick search (ALT+Q) to find the Azure Blob Storage Setup page.
• The Azure Blob Storage Setup page is displayed.
• In the General tab, choose the value Automatic for the Upload to Azure field.
• Activate the Automatic Schedule toggle switch in the Automatic Schedule FastTab.
• You can now edit the Minutes between runs field.
• Enter a value into the Minutes between Runs field. We recommend choosing the value 60 minutes.

You have successfully set up an automatic schedule for uploads. Next, you will find out how to schedule the upload for non-business days. To do so, proceed as follows:

• Use the quick search (ALT+Q) to find the Job Queue Entries page.
• The Job Queue Entries page is displayed.
• The column Description displays an entry called Automatic Blob Storage Upload. Select that entry.
• Click Set On Hold in the menu bar.
• The status of the entry is set to Hold.
• To open the card of the job queue entry, click on On Hold in the Status column.
• The card of the job queue entry is displayed.
• In the Repetition tab, you can select a day and time for the automatic upload. To do so, activate the toggle switch(es) for the desired day(s) and enter the desired Start Time and End Time for the automatic upload in the corresponding fields. We recommend choosing a non-business day.

You have successfully set up the automatic upload to an Azure blob storage in Business Central. The following section describes how to link a blob storage to Business Central.

Link Blob Storage to Business Central

This section describes how to link a blob storage to Business Central. Please read the sections Set Up Storage Account in Microsoft Azure and Set Up Storage Container in Microsoft Azure and perform the steps described in these sections before you continue. To link a blob storage to Business Central, proceed as follows:

• Right-click on the following link and select the option Open Link in new tab from the context menu: https://portal.azure.com/#home
• A new tab will open in your browser.
• Log into your Microsoft Azure account.
• Click into the search bar on the Microsoft Azure website and enter Storage Accounts.
• The Storage Accounts page opens. The page shows all storage accounts that have been set up so far.
• Select the storage account that contains the blob storage container that you want to link to Business Central.
• In the menu bar on the left-hand side of the page, click on Shared access signature in the Settings tab.
• Create a new SAS token by completing the following information:

• After entering all information, click on Generate SAS token and URL at the bottom of the page.
• Beneath the button, two new fields will be displayed: Blob SAS token and Blob SAS URL.
• At the bottom of the Blob SAS token field, click on the clipboard icon (Copied).

The following steps will be carried out in Microsoft Dynamics Business Central. You can open a new tab and proceed as follows:

• Use the quick search (ALT+Q) to find the Azure Blob Storage Setup page.
• The Azure Blob Storage Setup page is displayed.
• Fill in the information in the Blob Storage Information tab according to the following table:

• Fill in the information in the Authentication Information tab.

The link between the blob storage and Business Central will be created once you have entered the information mentioned above.

Setting Up Media File Types

You can set up which file types can be used for uploading media files in the Azure Blob Storage. To do so, please proceed as follows:

• Use the quick search (ALT+Q) to find the Azure Blob Storage Setup page.
• Click on the Media File Types FastTab.
• In the File Type field, select whether the file is a picture, video-, audio- or other file.
• Enter the file extension in the File Extension field.
• Activate the Active button to activate the file type.

You have successfully set up media file types for Azure blob storage. Your changes will be saved automatically.