Blob Storage

Term from Cloud Computing industry explained for recruiters

Blob Storage is like a digital filing cabinet in the cloud where companies store large amounts of data such as images, videos, documents, and backup files. It's most commonly associated with major cloud providers like Microsoft Azure (Azure Blob Storage), Amazon (S3), and Google Cloud. Think of it as a massive online storage system that businesses use to keep their files safe, accessible, and cost-effective. Instead of storing everything on local computers or servers, companies use Blob Storage to store their data in secure data centers managed by cloud providers.

Examples in Resumes

Implemented cost-effective data storage solutions using Blob Storage and Azure Blob Storage

Migrated company's media assets to cloud-based Blob Storage reducing storage costs by 40%

Designed and managed Blob Storage systems for handling large-scale customer data

Typical job title: "Cloud Storage Engineers"

Also try searching for:

Cloud Engineer Storage Engineer Cloud Solutions Architect Azure Engineer Cloud Infrastructure Engineer DevOps Engineer Cloud Storage Specialist

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How would you design a cost-effective storage solution for a company handling large amounts of video data?

Expected Answer: A senior candidate should discuss storage tiers (hot/cool/archive), lifecycle management policies, data access patterns, and cost optimization strategies. They should mention backup considerations and disaster recovery planning.

Q: How do you ensure security and compliance when storing sensitive data in blob storage?

Expected Answer: The answer should cover encryption methods, access controls, shared access signatures (SAS), network security, and compliance certifications. They should also discuss monitoring and audit logging.

Mid Level Questions

Q: What's the difference between blob storage and file storage, and when would you use each?

Expected Answer: Should explain that blob storage is best for large unstructured data like media files, while file storage is better for traditional file shares with directories. Should provide examples of use cases for each.

Q: How do you manage access control for blob storage?

Expected Answer: Should discuss storage account keys, shared access signatures (SAS), role-based access control (RBAC), and basic security best practices for giving users and applications access to storage.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What is blob storage and what types of data can you store in it?

Expected Answer: Should explain that blob storage is for storing large amounts of unstructured data like images, videos, documents, and backup files in the cloud. Should mention basic file types and size limits.

Q: How do you upload and download files to blob storage?

Expected Answer: Should demonstrate basic knowledge of storage tools, portals, and simple programming interfaces for moving files to and from blob storage. Should mention basic concepts like containers and blobs.

Experience Level Indicators

Junior (0-2 years)

  • Basic blob storage operations (upload, download, delete)
  • Understanding of storage account setup
  • Basic security concepts
  • Using storage explorer tools

Mid (2-4 years)

  • Storage lifecycle management
  • Performance optimization
  • Security implementation
  • Cost monitoring and optimization

Senior (4+ years)

  • Enterprise storage architecture
  • Disaster recovery planning
  • Storage security architecture
  • Cross-platform storage solutions

Red Flags to Watch For

  • No understanding of basic cloud concepts
  • Lack of security awareness
  • No experience with any major cloud provider
  • Unable to explain basic storage concepts
  • No knowledge of cost optimization