What Is Azure Blob Storage?
Azure Blob Storage is Microsoft's object storage service for unstructured data, backups, logs, and archives. OurClone can use Azure Blob Storage for sync, transfer, encrypted backup, and mount workflows.
Official website: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/products/storage/blobs/
- Good for Microsoft Azure users and enterprise storage workloads.
- Useful for large archives and backup repositories.
- Best configured with storage account credentials that are scoped to the containers you need.
What OurClone Supports for Azure Blob Storage
| Operation | How it works in OurClone |
|---|---|
| Sync | Keep a folder on Azure Blob Storage synchronized with another cloud storage account or a local folder. OurClone compares file changes and updates only what needs to change. |
| Transfer | Copy or move files between Azure Blob Storage, your Mac, and other connected cloud providers. Transfers run through your local computer, so you stay in control of the data path. |
| Backup | Create an encrypted backup repository on Azure Blob Storage, then save snapshots of local folders. Later snapshots are incremental, so unchanged files do not need to be uploaded again. |
| Mount | Mount Azure Blob Storage as a local directory in macOS or Windows, then browse and manage remote files from the operating system file manager. |
Azure Blob Storage Upload and Download Limits
These limits come from the storage provider or protocol, not from OurClone. OurClone still has to respect provider file-size caps, API quotas, bandwidth rules, account storage quota, and server-side throttling.
| Upload limits | Azure Blob Storage scale targets list block blobs up to about 190.7 TiB with 50,000 blocks of 4000 MiB, and a single Put Blob write up to 5000 MiB for current service versions. |
| Download limits | Azure blob downloads depend on blob type, storage account ingress/egress limits, request concurrency, and performance tier. |
| OurClone tip | For very large Azure backups, keep objects as block blobs and watch OurClone task logs for account throughput throttling. |
How to Add Azure Blob Storage in OurClone
Azure Blob Storage is added with storage account connection details in OurClone.
- Open the Azure portal and locate the storage account you want to use.
- Find the access key or connection details for the target container.
- In OurClone, click Add Storage, select Azure Blob Storage, and enter the required account information.
- Connect and confirm that the container can be browsed.
Sync and Transfer Workflow
After Azure Blob Storage is connected, open the Migrate area in OurClone. Choose Azure Blob Storage as the source or destination, select the folders you want to work with, then choose the task mode.
- Copy duplicates files while keeping the source unchanged.
- Move transfers files and removes them from the source after completion.
- Sync keeps the destination aligned with the source folder.
Task progress is visible in the Task tab, including completed, skipped, and failed files.
Backup Workflow
For backups, first create a backup repository on Azure Blob Storage. A repository needs a name, a storage path, and an encryption password. Keep this password safe because it is required for both future snapshots and restores.
- Open Backup and create or choose a repository on Azure Blob Storage.
- Open the repository and click New Backup.
- Select local folders such as
~/Documents,~/Pictures, or a project folder. - Start the snapshot. The first run uploads the full selection; later runs are incremental.
- Use Restore from a backup record when you need to recover files to a local directory.
Mount Azure Blob Storage as a Local Folder
OurClone can mount Azure Blob Storage as a local operating-system directory. This is useful when you want to browse cloud files in Finder or File Explorer, open files from desktop apps, or copy files with the same habits you use for local folders.
- Open the mount area in OurClone and select your connected Azure Blob Storage account.
- Choose the remote path you want to expose locally.
- Pick a local mount point, then start the mount.
- When finished, unmount cleanly from OurClone before disconnecting your network or shutting down.
Best Practices for Azure Blob Storage
- Use a clear folder naming convention such as
/ourclone-backups,/sync, or/archive. - Confirm that your Azure Blob Storage account has enough storage before running a large migration or backup.
- Run a small test sync or restore before relying on a new workflow for important files.
- For large first-time jobs, keep your computer awake and connected to a stable network.
- If authentication fails later, reconnect the account or refresh the token before restarting the task.