Azure Data Box Disk offers simple, low-capacity data transfers

Microsoft recently unveiled a new offering called Azure Data Box Disk, an option that aims to help customers move low-capacity datasets into Azure in a very simplified fashion. This can be especially useful for companies that need to move data from small branch offices or remote worker locales, especially those that need to transfer recurring, incremental data on an ongoing basis, like for backups or archives.

This comes after the company’s release of Azure Data Box in preview last year. That offering was intended to help customers move large amounts of data into Azure. But the new Azure Data Box Disk is an option that’s made specifically for low-capacity transfers. So if you don’t need to send tons of data and just want everything to work simply and quickly for your periodic data transfers, here’s some more information about Azure Data Box Disk.

How Azure Data Box Disk works

Azure Data Box Disk
Microsoft

Azure Data Box Disk is very similar in many ways to Azure Data Box. It leverages the same infrastructure and overall management experience. So if you’re already used to that process, this new option should look fairly familiar to you. With Data Box Disk, you get up to five 8TB disks that can total up to 40TB per order. Data is shipped overnight using SSD technology. So it’s incredibly fast, allowing you to complete transfer jobs in as little as one week.

The disks themselves then connect via USB or SATA. They use simple commands such as robocopy or drag and drop to move data quickly and seamlessly. Then your data is returned to the Azure DC and securely uploaded before the disks are cryptographically erased. Of course, security is also a concern for most organizations. So Data Box Disk uses AES 128-bit encryption to keep your data safe throughout the entire process, which is the same type of protection offered by Data Box.

How to access it

If you’re interested in using Azure Data Box Disk, it is currently available in preview in the EU and U.S., with additional regions slated to become available in the coming months. The preview version is currently free. But Microsoft is planning on releasing more information about future pricing structures later in the year. If you want to take advantage of the opportunity, you can sign up for the preview using the same portal as the Data Box preview. Data Box is also still currently available as a half-price preview and has expanded into a couple of new regions recently. So check the site for more info about both offerings.

Featured image: Freerange Stock

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