CafeX Virtual Storage Bucket – Microsoft Azure

The virtual storage bucket feature allows you to integrate virtual storage buckets created in Microsoft Azure with CafeX. By default, a storage space is allowed to each user of CafeX. However, to avoid any compliance issues or if one wants to handle the storage part internally, this feature comes in really handy.

To use this feature, you have to follow a number of steps so that your Microsoft Azure storage account is successfully linked with CafeX. Once this is done, all the assets you create in CafeX are stored in Azure and it also maintains the versioning of your assets.

Step 1: Create a Storage Bucket in Microsoft Azure

1. Upon successfully opening Microsoft Azure, navigate to the left-hand menu.
2. Click Storage Accounts. This opens the Storage Accounts screen where all the created storage accounts are listed.
   

   Figure 1 Storage Accounts

3. To create a new one, click the +Create button listed atop the screen.
   

   Figure 2 Create Button

4. This takes you to the Create Storage Account screen.
5. Here, enter the name of your storage account using the Storage Account Name field.
   

   Figure 3 Storage Account Name

6. While creating an account, there are three key settings that you need to make sure are enabled.
   

   Setting 1: Require Secure Transfer for REST API Operations Checkbox is Marked

   • For the first one, go to the Advanced tab from the tabs listed at the top.
     

     Figure 4 Advanced

   • Navigate to the Security heading.
   • Here, confirm that the “Require secure transfer for REST API operations” checkbox is marked.
     

     Figure 5 Require secure transfer for REST API Operations

     
     
     

     Setting 2: Access Tier is set to Hot

   • On the same Advanced tab, navigate to the Blob Storage heading.
   • Under this heading, ensure that the Access Tier is set to Hot.
     

     Figure 6 Access Tier set to "Hot"

     
     
     

     Setting 3: Enable Versioning for Blobs

   • To enable this setting, open the Data Protection tab from the tabs listed at the top.
     

     Figure 7 Data Protection

   • From here, navigate to the Tracking heading.
   • Make sure that the “Enable versioning for blobs” checkbox is marked. This enables you to record the versioning information of the asset versions you upload on CafeX to be recorded in Azure.
     

     Figure 8 Enable Versioning for Blobs

7. Keep the default selections for the rest of the storage creation settings.
8. Click the Create button. This initializes the deployment and displays the “Deployment in Progress” screen.
9. Once successfully deployed, the created storage account is displayed on the same screen. Information is tabulated via a number of columns that include Resource, Type, Status, and Operation Details.
   

   Figure 9 Deployment is in Progress

10. Once the deployment is complete, a success message is displayed. When this is done, click the Go to Resource button.
    

    Figure 10 Go to Resource

Step 2: Getting the Access Keys for the Created Storage Account

1. When you click the Go to Resource button, the created storage account opens. 
2. From the left-hand menu, click Access Keys.
   

   Figure 11 Access Keys

3. The access key is what authorizes CafeX to communicate with the created Azure storage account.
4. From the Access Keys screen, copy the key displayed in the Key field. When you click the Show button next to this field, a copy to clipboard icon appears next to the access key.
   

   Figure 12 Show

   
   

   Figure 13 Copy to Clipboard

Step 3: Create a Container

1. A storage container is required for CafeX to access the created storage. 
2. For that, navigate to the left-hand menu.
3. Under the Data Storage heading, click Containers.
   

   Figure 14 Containers

4. From the Containers screen, click the +Container button.
   

   Figure 15 Add Container

5. This opens the New Container popup in a panel on the right side of the screen.
6. Here, use the Name field to enter the name of the container.
7. Once the name is added, click the tick mark icon next to it to add the container.
   

   Figure 16 New Container

8. The created container starts appearing in the Containers list.
9. Click the container name to have a detailed look into it.
   

   Figure 17 Created Container

10. Here, all the assets in the container are listed. Information is tabulated via a number of columns that include Name, Modified, Access Tier, Archive Status, Blob Type, Size, and Lease State.
    

    Figure 18 Created Container

Step 4: Link the Created Virtual Storage to CafeX

1. Upon successful login, click the three-dot icon from the top-right corner of the screen. Doing so reveals a list of options.
2. From these options, select Tenant Settings.
   

   Figure 19 Tenant Settings

3. From the left-hand menu, click Data Storage located under the Configuration heading.
   

   Figure 20 Data Storage

4. Once on the Data Storage screen, select Azure from the Type dropdown.
   

   Figure 21 Azure

5. Enter the account name of the created Azure storage account in the Account Name field.
   

   Figure 22 Account Name

6. Paste the access key you copied in the Account key field.
   

   Figure 23 Account Key

7. Enter name of the container you created in Azure using the Container Name field.
   

   Figure 24 Container Name

8. Once all the fields are filled, click the Update button.

   Figure 25 Update

9. This displays a confirmation box notifying you that confirming this action will move all the assets created in CafeX to the Azure storage account.
10. To confirm the action, click the Confirm button.
    

    Figure 26 Confirm Button

Step 5: Test the Created Storage Account Integration

1. Upon successful login, you land on the Apps screen where all the created apps are listed.
2. Select an app by clicking the app name.
   

   Figure 27 Apps

3. From the app details screen, click the button located at the bottom-left corner.
   

   Figure 28 Create a Workspace

4. This opens the Create Workspace popup.
5. Enter the name of the workspace in the Name field.
   

   Figure 29 Name

6. Enter the topic of the workspace using the Topic field.
   

   Figure 30 Topic

7. Enter a brief description of the workspace in the Description field.
   

   Figure 31 Description

8. Select the template for the workspace using the Template dropdown.
   

   Figure 32 Template

9. You can add users to this workspace using the Add People to this Workspace field. All the users you have added populate here.
   

   Figure 33 Add People to this Workspace

10. Once all the fields are filled, click the button.
    

    Figure 35 Create Now

11. Once the workspace is created, click Assets from the tabs listed in the workspace. This opens the Assets tab.
12. From here, click Add Asset. This reveals a dropdown with a number of options to choose from.
    

    Figure 36 Add Asset

13. Select Add File.
    

    Figure 37 Add file

14. From the popup that appears, click Select Files. Doing so opens your system storage to upload a file from.
    

    Figure 38 Select Files

15. Once the file is uploaded, it is displayed in the Assets tab.
    

    Figure 39 Assets Tab

16. Now, switch back to the Containers screen in Microsoft Azure for your created storage account.
17. Click the Refresh button.
    

    Figure 40 Refresh

18. The assets uploaded in CafeX start appearing in this container. This indicates that the integration is working smoothly.
    

    Figure 41 Stored Assets