Merge pull request #54030 from staleycyn/patch-1

Content-drift Azure Files

Author: Stacyrch140

learn-pr/wwl-azure/configure-azure-files-file-sync/includes/1-introduction.md

@@ -13,13 +13,8 @@ In this module, you learn how to:
 
 ## Skills measured
 
-The content in the module helps you prepare for [Exam AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator](/credentials/certifications/resources/study-guides/az-104). The module concepts are covered in:
+The content in the module helps you prepare for [Exam AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator](/credentials/certifications/resources/study-guides/az-104). 
 
-Implement and manage storage (15–20%).
-
-- Configure Azure Files and Azure Blob Storage
-   - Create and configure a files share in Azure storage.
-   - Configure snapshots and soft delete for Azure Files.
 
 ## Prerequisites
 

learn-pr/wwl-azure/configure-azure-files-file-sync/includes/3-manage-file-shares.md

@@ -5,18 +5,24 @@ Azure Files offers two industry-standard file system protocols for mounting Azur
 
 Azure Files supports two storage tiers: premium and standard. Standard file shares are created in general purpose (GPv2) storage accounts, while premium file shares are created in FileStorage storage accounts. The two storage tiers have the attributes described in the following table.
 
-| Storage tier | Description|
-| --- | ---|
-| Premium | Premium file shares store data on solid-state drives (SSDs), and are available only in the FileStorage storage account kind. They provide consistent high performance and low latency, and are available in LRS redundancy, with ZRS available in some regions. Not available in all Azure regions. |
-| Standard | Standard file shares store data on hard disk drives (HDDs) and deploy in the general-purpose version 2 (GPv2) storage account type. Provide performance for workloads such as general-purpose file shares and dev/test environments. Standard file shares are available for LRS, ZRS, GRS, and GZRS, in all Azure regions.  |
+| Storage tier | Performance | Storage account type | Redundancy options | Billing model | Use cases |
+| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
+| **Premium** | SSD-backed, consistent low latency | FileStorage | LRS, ZRS | Provisioned (pay for capacity reserved) | High-performance workloads requiring low latency |
+| **Transaction Optimized** | HDD-backed, standard performance | General-purpose v2 (GPv2) | LRS, GRS, RA-GRS, ZRS, GZRS, RA-GZRS | Pay-as-you-go | High-transaction workloads, frequently accessed data |
+| **Hot** | HDD-backed, standard performance | General-purpose v2 (GPv2) | LRS, GRS, RA-GRS, ZRS, GZRS, RA-GZRS | Pay-as-you-go | General-purpose team shares and collaborative workloads |
+| **Cool** | HDD-backed, standard performance | General-purpose v2 (GPv2) | LRS, GRS, RA-GRS, ZRS, GZRS, RA-GZRS | Pay-as-you-go | Cost-efficient online archive and backup scenarios |
+
+> [!NOTE]
+> Transaction Optimized, Hot, and Cool are all Standard (HDD-based) tiers with different pricing structures optimized for specific access patterns. Premium tier uses SSD storage with provisioned billing (you pay for the capacity you reserve), while Standard tiers use pay-as-you-go billing.
+
 
 ## Types of authentication
 
 There are three main authentications methods that Azure Files supports.
 
 | Authentication method | Description |
 | --- | --- |
-| Identity-based authentication over SMB | Provides the same seamless single sign-on (SSO) experience when accessing Azure file shares as accessing on-premises file shares. 
+| Identity-based authentication over SMB | [SMB identity-based authentication](/azure/storage/files/storage-files-active-directory-overview#supported-authentication-scenarios) supports three Active Directory sources: On-premises AD DS, Microsoft Entra Domain Services, and Microsoft Entra Kerberos. Once your Active Directory source is selected, assign Azure RBAC roles to users who need access to the file share. |
 | Access key | An access key is an older and less flexible option. An Azure storage account has two access keys that can be used when making a request to the storage account, including to Azure Files. Access keys are static and provide full control access to Azure Files. Access keys should be secured and not shared with users, because they bypass all access control restrictions. A best practice is to avoid sharing storage account keys and use identity-based authentication whenever possible. |
 | A Shared Access Signature (SAS) token | SAS is a dynamically generated Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) that's based on the storage access key. SAS provides restricted access rights to an Azure storage account. Restrictions include allowed permissions, start and expiry time, allowed IP addresses from where requests can be sent, and allowed protocols. With Azure Files, a SAS token is only used to provide REST API access from code.|
 
@@ -30,9 +36,10 @@ If you need SMB access, make sure to create your file share inside a storage acc
 
 :::image type="content" source="../media/configure-classic-files.png" alt-text="Screenshot of creating a file share showing access tier choices.":::
 
-When connecting over SMB, don’t forget that traffic uses port 445. Azure provides ready to use scripts for Windows and Linux to help you connect quickly.
+> [!NOTE]
+> When connecting over SMB, don’t forget that traffic uses port 445. Many ISPs block port 445 outbound, which is the most common connectivity issue when mounting Azure file shares from on-premises environments. 
 
 > [!Important]
-> [File shares (preview)](/azure/storage/files/create-file-share) are a new top‑level Azure resource that don’t require an Azure storage account. 
+> [File shares (preview)](/azure/storage/files/create-file-share) are now generally available that don't require an Azure storage account. This option provides simplified management for scenarios where you only need file shares without other storage services. 
 
 

learn-pr/wwl-azure/configure-azure-files-file-sync/includes/7-deploy-azure-file-sync.md

@@ -1,7 +1,20 @@
 [Azure File Sync](/azure/storage/file-sync/file-sync-introduction) enables you to cache several Azure Files shares on an on-premises Windows Server or cloud virtual machine. You can use Azure File Sync to centralize your organization's file shares in Azure Files, while keeping the flexibility, performance, and compatibility of an on-premises file server. 
 
+Azure File Sync consists of five main components that work together to synchronize files between on-premises Windows Servers and Azure file shares.
+
 :::image type="content" source="../media/file-sync-1d3fd2e7.png" alt-text="Illustration that depicts how Azure File Sync can be used to cache an organization's file shares in Azure Files." border="false":::
 
+- The **Storage Sync Service** is the primary Azure resource responsible for managing file synchronization. It can support up to 100 sync groups, operates within a single Azure region, and allows for up to 99 registered Windows Servers.
+  
+- The **sync group** establishes the synchronization setup, containing one cloud endpoint (Azure file share) and up to 50 server endpoints. Server endpoints are specific NTFS paths on registered Windows Servers, but cannot be on the system volume, and cloud tiering is not supported there.
+  
+- The **cloud endpoint** is an Azure file share that participates in the sync group. Only one cloud endpoint is allowed per sync group.
+  
+- The **server endpoint** is a path on a registered Windows Server that syncs with the cloud endpoint. The server endpoint must be an NTFS-formatted volume, and can’t be a system volume.
+  
+- The **Azure File Sync Agent** is installed on each Windows Server. The agent is a background Windows service for sync operations and management tasks. 
+
+
 ### Things to know about Azure File Sync
 
 Let's take a look at the characteristics of Azure File Sync.
@@ -12,18 +25,7 @@ Let's take a look at the characteristics of Azure File Sync.
 
 - Azure File Sync supports as many caches as you need around the world.
 
-#### Cloud tiering
-
-Cloud tiering is an optional feature of Azure File Sync. Frequently accessed files are cached locally on the server while all other files are tiered to Azure Files based on policy settings.
-
-- When a file is tiered, Azure File Sync replaces the file locally with a pointer. A pointer is commonly referred to as a _reparse point_. The parse point represents a URL to the file in Azure Files.
-
-- When a user opens a tiered file, Azure File Sync seamlessly recalls the file data from Azure Files without the user needing to know that the file is stored in Azure.
-
-- Cloud tiering files have greyed icons with an offline `O` file attribute to let the user know when the file is only in Azure.
-
-> [!TIP]
-> Use the **Ask Learn** icon (top right) to learn more about *File Sync and cloud tiering*. 
+- There is a maximum of 100 sync groups per Storage Sync Service, and 50 server endpoints per sync group.
 
 ### Things to consider when using Azure File Sync
 

learn-pr/wwl-azure/configure-azure-files-file-sync/index.yml

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ metadata:
   prefetch-feature-rollout: true
   title: Configure Azure Files
   description: "Learn how to configure Azure Files for cloud file shares."
-  ms.date: 02/03/2026
+  ms.date: 03/26/2026
   author: wwlpublish
   ms.author: cynthist
   ms.topic: module