What is Azure Container Storage?
Azure Container Storage is a cloud-based service for provisioning, managing, and orchestrating persistent volumes for stateful containerized applications on Kubernetes. The service integrates natively with Kubernetes, so volumes are managed through StorageClasses and PersistentVolumeClaims using standard kubectl tooling. The current version 2 supports local NVMe disks on the Kubernetes nodes and Azure Elastic SAN as backing storage.
Core Features
- Kubernetes-native volume management via CSI driver, StorageClasses, and PVCs
- Local NVMe disks for ultra-low latency workloads with their own replication logic
- Azure Elastic SAN as network-attached, scalable storage with LRS/ZRS redundancy
- Snapshots and volume resizing for Elastic SAN-backed volumes
- Open-source driver, installable as an AKS extension or via Helm on self-managed clusters
Typical Use Cases
Databases such as PostgreSQL on Kubernetes use local NVMe disks for consistently low latency. AI/ML frameworks with their own data replication benefit from high NVMe performance. General-purpose databases, analytics engines, streaming/messaging systems, and CI/CD environments use Elastic SAN for predictable throughput and built-in redundancy.
Benefits
- Significantly higher performance than traditional network-attached managed disks when using local NVMe volumes
- Consolidating many smaller volumes under a shared SAN reduces cost and management overhead
- Avoids ARM limits such as the number of disks attachable per VM when using Elastic SAN
- Kubernetes-native volume management without installing your own CSI driver
Integration with innFactory
As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, innFactory supports you with Azure Container Storage: selecting the right backing storage for your workloads, sizing for database workloads, and migration from existing storage solutions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Container Storage and Azure Disks?
Azure Disks are individual managed disks attached directly to a VM. Azure Container Storage is a Kubernetes-native orchestration layer that dynamically provisions persistent volumes from local NVMe disks or Azure Elastic SAN and is managed through standard Kubernetes tooling.
Which backing storage types does Container Storage support?
The current version 2 of Container Storage supports local NVMe disks (for ultra-low latency, without built-in replication) and Azure Elastic SAN (network-attached, replicable storage with LRS/ZRS options and snapshot support). The older version 1 additionally supported classic Azure Disks but is no longer recommended for new deployments.
Is Container Storage only available for AKS?
Container Storage works with Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), where it is easiest to install as an extension. Because the driver is open source, it can also be installed via Helm on self-managed Kubernetes clusters.
Does Container Storage support snapshots and replication?
Snapshots, replication (LRS/ZRS), and encryption options are only available for volumes on Azure Elastic SAN. Local NVMe disks offer the highest performance but without built-in replication or snapshots.
What is Container Storage best suited for?
Local NVMe disks suit latency-critical workloads such as PostgreSQL or AI/ML frameworks with their own replication logic. Elastic SAN suits general-purpose databases, streaming/messaging systems, and CI/CD environments that need predictable throughput and redundancy.
Note: All product information on this page has been compiled with care, but is provided without guarantee and may be outdated or incomplete. Cloud services evolve rapidly — features, pricing, SLAs, and availability change frequently. Authoritative and up-to-date information can only be found on the official product page of Azure (official documentation). This page does not represent an offer by Azure.
