Azure File Storage provides shared storage for applications using Server Message Block (SMB) 3.0 protocol. Azure file shares can be mounted concurrently by cloud or on-premises deployments.
Applications that run in Azure cloud services or virtual machines can mount a File storage share to access file data, just as a desktop application. The Azure File shares can be cached on a Windows server using File Sync for faster access.
Azure Files also support snapshots of file shares. Share snapshots capture the shared state at that point in time which provides a backup during accidental deletions, data corruption, general backup, etc.