Manage Azure Files Shares

The Azure Files page contains a list of all the configured and linked Azure Files shares. You can perform various actions on the Azure Files shares such as creating, linking, or managing shares.

• Link an Existing Azure Files Share

• Create a new Azure Files Share

• Manage Configured Azure Files Shares

• Manage Azure Files File Handles

Link an Existing Azure Files Share

Nerdio Manager allows you to link to an existing Azure Files share.

To link to an existing Azure Files file share:

1. At the Account level, navigate to Azure Files.

2. Select Link Azure Files.

   

3. Enter the following information:

   • Storage account: From the drop-down list, select the storage account.

     Note: The drop-down list contains all storage accounts in the linked subscription, linked RG(s) and region of the linked network(s), excluding system storage accounts.

   • File share: From the drop-down list, select the file share.

4. Once you have entered all the desired information, select OK.

   After a few moments, the Azure Files file share is added to Nerdio Manager.

Create a new Azure Files Share

Nerdio Manager allows you to create a new Azure Files share.

To create a new Azure Files file share:

1. At the Account level, navigate to Azure Files. Select Add Azure Files.

   

2. Enter the following information:

   • Storage Account: From the drop-down list, select the storage account.

   • Performance: From the drop-down list, select performance tier for the share.

     Tip: It is strongly recommended that you select Premium for the best user experience.

   • Redundancy: From the drop-down list, select the redundancy setting for the share.

     Notes:

     • Locally redundant storage (LRS) copies your data synchronously three times within a single physical location in the primary region. LRS is the least expensive replication option, but isn't recommended for environments requiring high availability or durability.

     • Zone redundant storage (ZRS) copies your data synchronously across three Azure availability zones in the primary region.

     • For Azure File Share with the Premium performance tier, only locally-redundant storage (LRS) and zone redundant storage(ZRS) options are available.

   • File Share Name: Type the share's name.

   • Provisioned Capacity (GiB): Type the size of the provisioned capacity.

   • Permissions (SMB Share Contributors): Specify users/groups and/or security groups to have Storage File Data SMB Share Contributor role on the share.

     Note: This is required for read/write access to the share.

   • Add users / groups from host pools: From the drop-down list, select one or more users/groups currently assigned to these host pools to be given Storage File Data SMB Share Contributor role on the share.

   • Join to AD: Select this option and then from the drop-down list, select an Entra ID, Entra Domain Services, or an AD profile to directly join the share.

     Notes:

     • To use an Azure Files share as a storage location for FSLogix profiles and MSIX App Attach images, the storage account must be integrated with Entra Domain Services, Active Directory, or Entra ID.

     • If you select to not join the storage account to AD, you can do so later.

     • Joining the storage account to AD creates a temporary VM and uses the AD profile credentials to add the storage account as a Computer object in selected AD.

     • Integrating the storage account with Entra Domain Services sets the appropriate flag in Azure.

     • Joining the storage account to Entra ID, uses Entra ID Kerberos authentication. This configuration allows you to store FSLogix profiles that can be accessed by hybrid user identities from Entra ID-joined or Hybrid Entra ID-joined session hosts without requiring network line-of-sight to domain controllers. Entra ID Kerberos enables Entra ID to issue the necessary Kerberos tickets to access the file share with the industry-standard SMB protocol.

   • Enable SMB Multichannel: Select this option to improve the Azure Files Premium performance.

     Note: Azure Files SMB Multichannel enables clients to use multiple network connections that provide increased performance. Increased performance is achieved through bandwidth aggregation over multiple NICs and utilizing Receive Side Scaling (RSS) support for NICs to distribute the IO load across multiple CPUs.

3. Once you have entered all the desired information, select OK.

Manage Configured Azure Files Shares

Nerdio Manager allows you to manage configured Azure Files shares.

To manage configured Azure Files shares:

1. At the Account level, navigate to Azure Files.

2. Locate the Azure Files share you want to manage.

3. The action menu allows you to perform the following functions:

   

   • File handles: Unlock files/Close open file handles. See Manage Azure Files File Handles for details.

   • Copy UNC Path: Copy the UNC path to the clipboard.

   • Unlink: Remove the Azure Files file share from Nerdio Manager.

4. From the action menu, select Manage to change some of the Azure Files share's parameters and permissions.

   Note: You may only change the following:

   • Provisioned capacity

   • Permissions (SMB Share Contributors)

   • Add users/groups from host pools

Manage Azure Files File Handles

Nerdio Manager allows you to manage Azure Files file handles. This enables you to unlock files/close open file handles.

To manage file handles

1. At the Account level, navigate to Azure Files.

2. Locate the Azure Files share you want to manage.

3. From the action menu select File handles.

   

4. Type at least 3 characters of the file name or client IP to locate the open file handle.

5. Select the open file handle and then select Close file.