What is Azure Import/Export?
The Azure Import/Export service is used to securely import large amounts of data to Azure Blob Storage and Azure Files by shipping disk drives to an Azure datacenter. It can also transfer data from Azure Blob Storage to disk drives that are shipped to your on-premises sites. Data from one or more disk drives can be imported either to Azure Blob Storage or to Azure Files.
You can supply your own disk drives or use drives supplied by Microsoft. For transfers with Microsoft-supplied drives, the documentation points to Azure Data Box Disk, where Microsoft ships up to five encrypted solid-state drives with a 40 TB total capacity per order through a regional carrier. Important for planning: Microsoft notes that import/export jobs are now part of the Azure Data Box resource.
Core Features
Import and export by disk: Import jobs bring data into Azure Blob Storage or Azure Files; export jobs deliver data from Azure Blob Storage onto drives shipped back to you.
WAImportExport tool: The command-line tool prepares drives, facilitates copying data, encrypts with AES 256-bit BitLocker, generates the drive journal files and helps identify the number of drives needed for export jobs.
Jobs in the Azure portal or via API: Jobs can be created and tracked through the Azure portal or the Azure Resource Manager REST API; each job is associated with a single storage account.
Encryption in transit: Data on the drives is protected with AES 256-bit BitLocker. For export jobs, the service encrypts the drives before shipping them back and provides the key through the Azure portal.
Defined shipping locations: The service supports copying data to and from all Azure storage accounts; drives go to one of the listed locations, several of which are in Europe.
Typical Use Cases
Data migration to the cloud: Large amounts of data move to Azure quickly and cost effectively when the network path is too slow.
Content distribution: Data is delivered promptly to customer sites.
Backup: Backups of on-premises data are stored in Azure Storage.
Data recovery: Large amounts of data stored in Azure are delivered back to an on-premises location.
Benefits
- Data transfer independent of available network bandwidth
- Use of your own drives or Microsoft-supplied media
- Encryption with AES 256-bit BitLocker, optionally with customer managed key protection
- Job creation and tracking through the Azure portal or Resource Manager REST API
- Shipping locations in several European regions
Integration with innFactory
As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, innFactory supports you with offline data migrations to Azure: weighing network against offline transfer, preparing drives, BitLocker key management, creating jobs, and integrating with your migration and backup concepts.
Contact us for a no-obligation consultation on data migration to Azure.
Typical Use Cases
Technical Specifications
Frequently Asked Questions
Has Azure Import/Export been retired?
No. Microsoft notes in the documentation: 'Import/Export jobs are now part of the Azure Data Box resource.' New import and export jobs are therefore created under Data Box, and the service continues to be documented.
Which scenarios does the service cover?
Microsoft names data migration to the cloud, content distribution to quickly send data to customer sites, backup of on-premises data into Azure Storage, and data recovery, meaning delivering large amounts of stored data to an on-premises location. The service fits when uploading or downloading over the network is too slow or additional bandwidth is cost-prohibitive.
Can Azure Files be exported?
No. The service only supports export of Azure Blobs; export of Azure Files is not supported. For import, both Azure Blob Storage and Azure Files are available.
How is the data protected in transit?
The data on the drive is encrypted using AES 256-bit BitLocker drive encryption. For import jobs, encryption happens either through the option in dataset.csv when running the WAImportExport tool or by enabling BitLocker manually and specifying the key in driveset.csv. The BitLocker key can additionally be protected with an external key protector or a customer managed key.
How many drives fit into one job?
You can ship up to 10 disk drives per job. SSDs and HDDs are supported; Microsoft lists the specific supported types in the requirements.
What happens to the contact details provided?
When creating a job, users provide contact information and a shipping address. This data is stored with the job and optionally in the portal settings. Data saved with the job is deleted with the job, and completed jobs are automatically deleted after 90 days. Contact information in the portal settings can be removed by deleting the portal settings.
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.
