My org wants to setup Azure Files and connect about 100 employees to it via SMB

Question

What pre-requisite services/subscriptions do I need to get to that point?

Right now, we have Azure AD Connect. Can that be used to authenticate users' access to the network shares of Azure Files?

I had to setup an Azure subscription first to access storage services. The azure subscription did not show pricing because it was a trial subscription. I did not know whether it would be per user subscription or not.

Answer 1

Azure Files supports identity-based authentication for Windows file shares over Server Message Block (SMB) using the Kerberos authentication protocol through the following three methods:

• On-premises Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS)
• Azure Active Directory Domain Services (Azure AD DS)
• Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) Kerberos for hybrid user identities

For your use case where you want to use Azure AD Connect, you need to go with Azure AD Kerberos for Hybrid User Identities. You can find more information here- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/files/storage-files-identity-auth-azure-active-directory-enable?tabs=azure-portal

Here are details regarding a subscription in Microsoft Cloud- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/enterprise/subscriptions-licenses-accounts-and-tenants-for-microsoft-cloud-offerings?view=o365-worldwide#subscriptions

Hope this helps. Please do let me know if you have further questions and I will be glad to assist you further. Thank you!