Hey everyone, I'm new to Azure and trying to set up a cloud environment for my small civil engineering firm. I initially started with Azure Files Premium for FSLogix storage and active project storage. However, I've noticed it's pretty slow when users access large files like Open Roads Designer or ICPR drainage files. I'm experiencing performance issues with FSLogix when multiple users log in simultaneously. I came across Azure NetApp Files and I'm curious about whether it could help improve performance. I don't fully understand how it operates, especially since it has a base speed of 128 MiB/s, while Azure Files Premium allows for higher limits. Also, I read that Azure suggests having 2 users per vCPU for heavy workloads in NetApp Files. Is that accurate? Currently, I've got one user on a pooled multi-user VD with 2 vCPUs and it is still slow at times. Could this be related to Azure Files' performance? Any insights or advice would be greatly appreciated!
4 Answers
If you're using Azure Active Directory Domain Services (AAD DS) for your domain, just a heads-up that NetApp Files doesn’t support Kerberos auth with that setup. You'd need to either use AD-joined or hybrid setups for Kerberos integration to work smoothly with ANF.
NetApp is definitely better for performance compared to Azure Files Premium, especially in high-demand scenarios. It has more options for IOPS and throughput, plus it can handle configuration more flexibly, which is key for resource-intensive applications. Just keep in mind that it might get pricier. It's worth checking to see where your bottlenecks are. Are you maxing out CPUs or disk read/write speeds? AVD insights can help pinpoint that.
Those vCPU tips for AVD are not very reliable for intensive workloads like CAD applications. For lighter applications, sure, they might work fine. But for engineering tasks, it's likely you'll face some issues. Keep an eye on your AVD performance metrics to see what’s going on with your resources.
Getting a partner on board can be a lifesaver. Deploying Azure NetApp Files can get costly if you're not careful, and you might end up implementing features that you don’t actually need. Still, if your boss wants to keep everything in-house and insists on doing it yourself, just make sure to continue learning as you go!
I appreciate your input! I’ll do my best to learn and manage it all myself.