Setting Up a Cost-Effective Azure Storage Account for Prototyping and Training



This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by PETER Samuel

When training IT staff or prototyping storage scenarios, simplicity and low cost are often more important than high availability or durability. In such environments, the data is temporary and doesn’t need to be backed up or recovered if lost.

This guide walks through how to create a basic Azure Storage Account configuration designed specifically for temporary, non-critical use cases like training labs or test environments.

What You’ll Do

You’ll create:

A resource group

A storage account (with cost-efficient settings)

Basic security and networking configurations

Screenshots are provided for each major step based on actual hands-on practice.

Step 1: Create a Resource Group

In the Azure Portal, search for Resource groups.

Click + Create.

Enter a name, such as storagerg.

Select a region (use the same one for all resources).

Click Review and Create, then Create.

Step 2: Create a Storage Account

In the portal, search for Storage accounts.

Click + Create.

Under the Basics tab:

Select the resource group you created.

Enter a unique name for your storage account.

Set Performance to Standard.

Set Redundancy to Locally-redundant storage (LRS).

Click Review, then Create.

Once deployed, click Go to resource.

Step 3: Configure Security and Networking

Secure Transfer & TLS Settings

Go to Settings > Configuration.

Ensure:

Secure transfer required is Enabled

Minimum TLS version is 1.2

Allow storage account key access is Disabled

Click Save.

Public Network Access

Go to Security + networking > Networking.

Set Public network access to Enabled from all networks.

Save your changes.

Summary
Use Standard performance and LRS redundancy for cost-effective, low-priority storage.

Enable secure transfer and TLS 1.2 to meet minimum security standards.

Disable shared key access and allow public access if needed for labs or demos.

This setup is ideal for training sessions, lab environments, or prototyping efforts — quick to create and simple to tear down, without added cost or complexity.


This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by PETER Samuel