> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.omics.ai/products/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.omics.ai/products/publisher/data-sources/connectors/connecting-to-microsoft-azure-blob-storage.md).

# Connecting to Microsoft Azure Blob Storage

Azure Blob storage is Microsoft’s object storage solution for the cloud.   Blob storage is optimized for storing massive amounts of unstructured data. Unstructured data is data that doesn’t adhere to

Connect [Publisher](https://github.com/DNAstack/dnastack-product-docs/blob/main/docs/publisher/data-sources/connectors/broken-reference/README.md) to [Azure Blob Storage](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/blobs/) to access and share your cloud-stored data. This connection requires specific Azure storage account credentials and container information.

## Prerequisites

Before you begin, gather these Azure credentials:

* Azure storage account name
* Storage account access key
* Container name holding your data

## Configuration Process

### Initial Setup

Access the Data Sources page through Publisher's navigation sidebar and select "Connect Data Source". Choose "Microsoft Azure Blob Storage Object Store" from the available connectors.

### Storage Account Configuration

1. Obtain your [Azure storage account](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/common/storage-account-overview?toc=%2Fazure%2Fstorage%2Fblobs%2Ftoc.json\&bc=%2Fazure%2Fstorage%2Fblobs%2Fbreadcrumb%2Ftoc.json) information:
   * Navigate to your Azure storage account
   * Under Settings, locate Access Keys
   * Copy the first storage access key using the copy icon
2. Enter your credentials:
   * Storage account name
   * Access key
   * Select your target container

{% hint style="info" %}
For detailed instructions about [Azure storage account access keys](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/common/storage-account-keys-manage?tabs=azure-portal), refer to Azure documentation.
{% endhint %}

### Finalizing Setup

Provide a descriptive name for your data source and complete the connection. After successful connection, you can optionally create and share a collection.


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