Azure File Storage is a cloud-based file storage service that allows you to create file shares in the cloud. The Get-AzStorageFile cmdlet is part of the Azure PowerShell module and is used to list files and directories in an Azure File Share. This article will guide you through the steps to use this cmdlet in a Windows environment to manage your Azure File Storage.

Prerequisites

Before you start, ensure you have the following:

1. An active Azure subscription.
2. Azure PowerShell module installed. If not, you can install it using the following command in an elevated PowerShell session:

   Install-Module -Name Az -AllowClobber -Force

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Sign in to Azure

First, you need to sign in to your Azure account:

Connect-AzAccount

This command will prompt you to enter your Azure credentials.

2. Select the Azure Subscription

If you have multiple subscriptions, select the one you want to use:

Get-AzSubscription -SubscriptionName "YourSubscriptionName" | Select-AzSubscription

3. Retrieve Storage Account Context

To interact with your Azure Storage Account, you need to retrieve its context. Replace YourResourceGroupName and YourStorageAccountName with your actual resource group and storage account names:

$context = Get-AzStorageAccount -ResourceGroupName "YourResourceGroupName" -Name "YourStorageAccountName" | Get-AzStorageContext

4. List Files and Directories

To list files and directories in a specific file share, use the Get-AzStorageFile cmdlet. Replace YourFileShareName and YourDirectoryName with your actual file share and directory names:

Get-AzStorageFile -Context $context -ShareName "YourFileShareName" -Path "YourDirectoryName"

If you want to list files and directories at the root level of the file share, set the -Path parameter to an empty string:

Get-AzStorageFile -Context $context -ShareName "YourFileShareName" -Path ""

Practical Examples

Example 1: List All Files and Directories at Root Level

$context = Get-AzStorageAccount -ResourceGroupName "MyResourceGroup" -Name "MyStorageAccount" | Get-AzStorageContext
Get-AzStorageFile -Context $context -ShareName "MyFileShare" -Path ""

Example 2: List Files in a Specific Directory

$context = Get-AzStorageAccount -ResourceGroupName "MyResourceGroup" -Name "MyStorageAccount" | Get-AzStorageContext
Get-AzStorageFile -Context $context -ShareName "MyFileShare" -Path "MyDirectory"

Example 3: List Files Recursively

To list files recursively, you can use a combination of Get-AzStorageFile and a loop:

function Get-AzStorageFileRecursive {
    param (
        [Microsoft.Azure.Commands.Management.Storage.Models.PSStorageContext]$context,
        [string]$shareName,
        [string]$path
    )

    $items = Get-AzStorageFile -Context $context -ShareName $shareName -Path $path
    foreach ($item in $items) {
        if ($item.PSIsContainer) {
            Get-AzStorageFileRecursive -context $context -shareName $shareName -path $item.Name
        } else {
            Write-Output $item
        }
    }
}

$context = Get-AzStorageAccount -ResourceGroupName "MyResourceGroup" -Name "MyStorageAccount" | Get-AzStorageContext
Get-AzStorageFileRecursive -context $context -shareName "MyFileShare" -path ""

Conclusion

Using the Get-AzStorageFile cmdlet in Azure PowerShell allows you to efficiently manage and list files and directories in your Azure File Shares. This guide provided you with the necessary steps and examples to get started.