What is Azure Storage Discovery?
Azure Storage Discovery is a discovery and assessment feature within Azure Migrate that automatically identifies existing SMB and NFS file shares on Windows and Linux servers in your environment and evaluates them for migration to Azure Files. The service runs through an Azure Migrate appliance deployed in your own network, which captures shares along with metadata such as storage consumed, file counts, and access patterns, and displays them in the Azure Migrate portal.
After discovery, Azure Migrate evaluates metrics such as IOPS, throughput, size, and regional availability, and assigns each share a readiness state (ready, ready with conditions, or not ready). It then recommends a target configuration, prioritizing migration to Azure Files as the primary modernization path.
Storage Discovery forms the foundation for an informed migration decision and minimizes the risk of misconfigurations after migration. The feature is part of the free Azure Migrate hub for discovery, assessment, and migration planning.
Core Features
- Automatic discovery of SMB and NFS file shares on Windows and Linux servers via an Azure Migrate appliance
- Capture of metadata such as storage consumption, file counts, and access patterns
- Migration readiness assessment per share (ready, ready with conditions, not ready)
- Recommendation of suitable target configurations with a focus on Azure Files
- Integration with Azure Migrate for a seamless transition to the actual migration
Typical Use Cases
Migration Preparation: Systematic analysis of the existing storage landscape before a cloud migration to minimize risks and realistically plan costs.
Cost Assessment: Comparing current on-premises storage costs with various Azure configurations for building a solid business case.
Capacity Planning: Capturing actual storage usage and growth trends as a basis for Azure target sizing.
Benefits
- Available free as part of Azure Migrate
- Data-driven migration recommendations instead of estimates
- Reduced migration risk through thorough analysis
- Transparent cost estimation for various scenarios
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Azure Storage Discovery free?
Yes. Storage Discovery is part of Azure Migrate and can be used at no cost. There are no license or usage fees.
Which storage systems can be analyzed?
Storage Discovery detects SMB file shares on Windows servers and NFS shares on Linux servers. Discovery runs through an Azure Migrate appliance deployed in your own network; no separate agent on the target servers is required.
How accurate are the cost estimates?
Estimates are based on actually captured usage data and current Azure pricing. The longer the analysis period, the more accurate the prediction. Microsoft recommends an analysis duration of at least 30 days for reliable results.
Integration with innFactory
As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, innFactory supports you with Azure Storage Discovery: from setting up analysis tools to interpreting results and deriving a concrete migration strategy.
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.
