| Architecture |
Standalone hierarchical file system |
Built on Azure Blob Storage with Hierarchical Namespace (HNS) |
| Performance |
Slower due to standalone architecture |
Optimized performance with tiered storage & caching |
| Security |
ACLs (Access Control Lists) & RBAC |
RBAC, ACLs, Azure AD (more granular access control) |
| Cost Efficiency |
Higher cost, no tiered storage |
Lower cost with hot, cool, and archive tiers |
| Integration |
Limited compatibility with Azure services |
Fully compatible with Blob APIs, Synapse, Databricks, Spark |
| Scalability |
Limited to single-region storage |
Globally distributed, supports Geo-redundancy (GRS) |
| Protocol Support |
Proprietary protocol, limited interoperability |
Supports HDFS, Blob APIs, better integration with analytics tools |
| Availability |
Regional storage only |
Supports multi-region & geo-redundant storage |
| Migration |
No easy migration to Blob storage |
Can integrate with Azure Blob Storage, simplifying migration |
| Support Status |
Deprecated (support ends Feb 29, 2024) |
Actively developed & recommended for new workloads |