Using Azure File Services to store application configuration files for Azure RemoteApp

In this blog post Freek Beerson (RDS MVP) explains how you can use Azure File Services to store application configuration files for Azure RemoteApp.

Consider the following scenario;
You are a small organization and most of your line of business applications are SaaS or web based. You want to embrace BYOD to help employees to be productive on the devices they love and have access to company applications at any time from any location. With all your applications being SaaS and web based this is relatively easy. However, what if still need to support 2 or 3 Windows Applications that you want to manage centrally. Azure RemoteApp seems to be ideal for that use case! With Azure RemoteApp there is no need to setup and maintain a complex RDS infrastructure backend and Windows Applications can be delivered to any device at any time. Some of the Windows Applications however still need access to a classic file share / drive mapping to access centrally stored application configuration files and data. What you can do is stand up file server in Azure IaaS, create a file share and publish that on the RD Session Host servers as part of you Azure RemoteApp Collection. However, that is yet another server to manage, monitor and maintain where your organization may want to move forward to a full “as a service” environment.

Why not use Azure File Services to store application configuration files for Azure RemoteApp application?

Here’s how in 4 easy steps:

1. You create a new Azure Storage account (or use an existing one)

2. You create a new File service within that storage account

3. You create a new File Share within that File Service

4. You map a network drive directly to the File Share.

To be able to map a network drive, first get the Access Key by clicking the Key icon on the storage account.

More at the source: http://microsoftplatform.blogspot.nl/2016/05/using-azure-file-services-to-store.html