Azure File Sync with ARC... Better together.
Hello Folks! Managing file servers across on-premises datacenters and cloud environments can be challenging for IT professionals. Azure File Sync (AFS) has been a game-changer by centralizing file shares in Azure while keeping your on-premises Windows servers in play. With AFS, a lightweight agent on a Windows file server keeps its files synced to an Azure file share, effectively turning the server into a cache for the cloud copy. This enables classic file server performance and compatibility, cloud tiering of cold data to save local storage costs, and capabilities like multi-site file access, backups, and disaster recovery using Azure’s infrastructure. Now, with the introduction of Azure Arc integration for Azure File Sync, it gets even better. Azure Arc, which allows you to project on-prem and multi-cloud servers into Azure for unified management, now offers an Azure File Sync agent extension that dramatically simplifies deployment and management of AFS on your hybrid servers. In this post, I’ll explain how this new integration works and how you can leverage it to streamline hybrid file server management, enable cloud tiering, and improve performance and cost efficiency. You can see the E2E 10-Minute Drill - Azure File sync with ARC, better together episode on YouTube below. Azure File Sync + Azure Arc: Better Together Azure File Sync has already enabled a hybrid cloud file system for many organizations. You install the AFS agent on a Windows Server (2016 or later) and register it with an Azure Storage Sync Service. From that point, the server’s designated folders continuously sync to an Azure file share. AFS’s hallmark feature is cloud tiering, older, infrequently used files can be transparently offloaded to Azure storage, while your active files stay on the local server cache. Users and applications continue to see all files in their usual paths; if someone opens a file that’s tiered, Azure File Sync pulls it down on-demand. This means IT pros can drastically reduce expensive on-premises storage usage without limiting users’ access to files. You also get multi-site synchronization (multiple servers in different locations can sync to the same Azure share), which is great for branch offices sharing data, and cloud backup/DR by virtue of having the data in Azure. In short, Azure File Sync transforms your traditional file server into a cloud-connected cache that combines the performance of local storage with the scalability and durability of Azure. Azure Arc comes into play to solve the management side of hybrid IT. Arc lets you project non-Azure machines (whether on-prem or even in other Clouds) into Azure and manage them alongside Azure VMs. An Arc-enabled server appears in the Azure portal and can have Extensions installed, which are components or agents that Azure can remotely deploy to the machine. Prior to now, installing or updating the Azure File Sync agent on a bunch of file servers meant handling each machine individually (via Remote Desktop, scripting, or System Center). This is where the Azure File Sync Agent Extension for Windows changes the game. Using the new Arc extension, deploying Azure File Sync is as easy as a few clicks. In the Azure Portal, if your Windows server is Arc-connected (i.e. the Azure Arc agent is installed and the server is registered in Azure), you can navigate to that server resource and simply Add the “Azure File Sync Agent for Windows” extension. The extension will automatically download and install the latest Azure File Sync agent (MSI) on the server. In other words, Azure Arc acts like a central deployment tool: you no longer need to manually log on or run separate install scripts on each server to set up or update AFS. If you have 10, 50, or 100 Arc-connected file servers, you can push Azure File Sync to all of them in a standardized way from Azure – a huge time saver for large environments. The extension also supports configuration options (like proxy settings or automatic update preferences) that you can set during deployment, ensuring the agent is installed with the right settings for your environment Note: The Azure File Sync Arc extension is currently Windows-only. Azure Arc supports Linux servers too, but the AFS agent (and thus this extension) works only on Windows Server 2016 or newer. So, you’ll need a Windows file server to take advantage of this feature (which is usually the case, since AFS relies on NTFS/Windows currently). Once the extension installs the agent, the remaining steps to fully enable sync are the same as a traditional Azure File Sync deployment: you register the server with your Storage Sync Service (if not done automatically) and then create a sync group linking a local folder (server endpoint) to an Azure file share (cloud endpoint). This can be done through the Azure portal, PowerShell, or CLI. The key point is that Azure Arc now handles the heavy lifting of agent deployment, and in the future, we may see even tighter integration where more of the configuration can be done centrally. For now, IT pros get a much simpler installation process – and once configured, all the hybrid benefits of Azure File Sync are in effect for your Arc-managed servers. Key Benefits for IT Pros: Azure File Sync + Azure Arc Centralized Management Azure Arc provides a single control plane in Azure to manage file services across multiple servers and locations. You can deploy updates or new agents at scale and monitor status from the cloud—reducing overhead and ensuring consistency. Simplified Deployment No manual installs. Azure Arc automates Azure File Sync setup by fetching and installing the agent remotely. Ideal for distributed environments, and easily integrated with automation tools like Azure CLI or PowerShell. Cost Optimization with Cloud Tiering Offload rarely accessed files to Azure storage to free local disk space and extend hardware life. Cache only hot data (10–20%) locally while leveraging Azure’s storage tiers for lower TCO. Improved Performance Cloud tiering keeps frequently used files local for LAN-speed access, reducing WAN latency. Active data stays on-site; inactive data moves to the cloud—delivering a smoother experience for distributed teams. Built-In Backup & DR Azure Files offers redundancy and point-in-time recovery via Azure Backup. If a server fails, you can quickly restore from Azure. Multi-site sync ensures continued access, supporting business continuity and cloud migration strategies. Getting Started with Azure File Sync via Arc Prepare Azure Arc and Servers Connect Windows file servers (Windows Server 2016+) to Azure Arc by installing the Connected Machine agent and onboarding them. Refer to Azure Arc documentation for setup. Deploy Azure File Sync Agent Extension Install the Azure File Sync agent extension on Arc-enabled servers using the Azure portal, PowerShell, or CLI. Verify the Azure Storage Sync Agent is installed on the server. See Microsoft Learn for detailed steps. Complete Azure File Sync Setup In the Azure portal, create or open a Storage Sync Service. Register the server and create a Sync Group to link a local folder (Server Endpoint) with an Azure File Share (Cloud Endpoint). Configure cloud tiering and free space settings as needed. Test and Monitor Allow time for initial sync. Test file access (including tiered files) and monitor sync status in the Azure portal. Use Azure Monitor for health alerts. Explore Advanced Features Enable options like cloud change enumeration, NTFS ACL sync, and Azure Backup for file shares to enhance functionality. Resources and Next Steps For more info and step-by-step guidance, check out these resources: Microsoft Learn – Azure File Sync Agent Extension on Azure Arc: Official documentation on installing and managing the AFS agent via Azure Arc. Azure File Sync Documentation: Comprehensive docs for Azure File Sync, including deployment guides, best practices, and troubleshooting. Azure Arc Documentation: Learn how to connect servers to Azure Arc and manage extensions. This is useful if you’re new to Arc or need to meet prerequisites for using the AFS extension. You, as an IT Pro, can provide your organization with the benefits of cloud storage – scalability, reliability, pay-as-you-go economics – while retaining the performance and control of on-premises file servers. All of this can be achieved with minimal overhead, thanks to the new Arc-delivered agent deployment and the powerful features of Azure File Sync. Check it out if you have not done so before. I highly recommend exploring this integration to modernize your file services. Cheers! Pierre Roman
