Azure Files vs Azure NetApp Files: Which is Best for FSLogix?

Summary

The video compares Azure Files and Azure NetApp Files (ANF) for FSLogix profile storage in Azure Virtual Desktop, focusing on cost, performance, and features. Its main takeaway is that Azure Files is a suitable default for many environments, while ANF may be worth considering when low latency, profile recovery, or cross-region replication is especially important.

Performance and capacity

• The presenter estimates FSLogix demand at roughly 50 IOPS per user during sign-in, falling to around 5–10 IOPS during steady use. Morning sign-in peaks can therefore drive storage requirements.
• With Azure Files V1, performance is more closely tied to allocated capacity, so organizations may need to provision extra storage to meet peak performance needs.
• Azure Files V2 separates provisioned performance from capacity, improving the cost calculation and making Azure Files more competitive.
• The presenter identifies latency as a key ANF advantage. Azure Files is described as typically around 2–3 ms, though latency can rise under load, while ANF is described as delivering under 1 ms. According to the video, this can affect sign-in experience, potentially making the difference between sign-ins taking tens of seconds and roughly 15 seconds in some environments.

Cost comparisons

The presenter provides illustrative Azure list-price estimates and emphasizes that actual costs depend on the workload and configuration:

• In a 2,000-user, 40 TB example, the estimates include:
  • About $5,986/month for ANF Flexible
  • About $6,440/month for ANF Standard when its capacity is sufficient
  • About $7,399/month if ANF Standard must be overprovisioned
  • About $12,000/month for ANF Premium
  • Roughly $6,400–$6,647/month for the Azure Files configurations discussed
• In a 5,000-user, 250,000-IOPS example, Azure Files can still be the least expensive option in some modeled scenarios. The estimates include:
  • About $15,170/month for ANF Flexible
  • About $16,576/month for provisioned Azure Files SSD
  • About $18,000/month for ANF Standard

These figures are estimates, not universal pricing conclusions. The speaker’s broader takeaway is that ANF is not always more expensive: ANF Flexible can change the comparison, while Azure Files V2 avoids paying for excess capacity just to obtain performance.

ANF features and limitations

Reasons to consider ANF:

• Lower latency and strong performance during busy sign-in periods
• Potentially faster profile restores
• Cross-region replication to support geographic recovery without relying on FSLogix Cloud Cache for that purpose
• Flexible performance and capacity options that may improve cost and operational fit

Reasons ANF may not fit:

• The presenter identifies lack of Azure AD/Entra ID join support as the main blocker. In the scenario described, ANF requires traditional Active Directory domain join.
• ANF has a 1 TB minimum cited in the video and is not available in every Azure region.
• ANF Standard is described as having a throughput limit of about 16 MiB/s per TB. Workloads needing more may require additional capacity or another tier.
• ANF can involve additional setup considerations, including subnet and capacity-pool planning.

Practical selection guide

• Choose Azure Files when it meets performance and cost targets, or when Entra ID join is essential.
• Evaluate ANF when sign-in latency, high performance, faster recovery, or cross-region replication are priorities. Confirm that its identity requirements, regional availability, and minimum capacity suit the environment.
• Compare the specific workload and tier rather than assuming ANF is always more expensive or Azure Files is always the cheapest.

Guide or review

This is a side-by-side comparison and decision guide for FSLogix storage options, not a hands-on setup tutorial.

Main speaker/source

• Presenter: Neil McLoughlin, based on the video metadata. The subtitles contain an unclear channel reference.