Azure Files has redefined the enterprise file server, evolving it from a high-maintenance hardware dependency into a fully managed, serverless utility that spans the cloud and the edge. This shift removes the heavy lifting of managing traditional infrastructure, providing a scalable foundation that fuels both traditional 'lift-and-shift' migrations and the next generation of cloud-native, web-scale applications.

At the same time, the explosive growth in cloud data is creating new exposure points. Gartner highlights that Microsoft Azure IaaS revenue climbed 22.5 percent in 2024 to 41B, reflecting how quickly organizations are expanding their cloud footprint. IDC projects global data creation will surge to 393.9ZB by 2028. This wave of growth is pushing Azure Files deployments to scale faster than many organizations can adequately protect.

Yet many competing backup tools still rely on outdated patterns. They require customers to deploy VMs, proxies, or agents inside an environment that was designed to be serverless. That approach reintroduces cost, complexity, and operational risk, undermining the very benefits Azure Files storage was built to deliver. Druva avoids these legacy pitfalls, giving you the resilience Azure workloads demand at massive scale.

The Architect’s Burden: Why 'Cloud-Native' Often Isn't

The Hidden Complexity of Legacy Patterns In the rush to protect cloud workloads, many architects have been forced into a "Frankenstein" architecture. To protect a serverless service like Azure Files, they are told to deploy virtual proxies, manage service accounts, and oversee the lifecycle of backup agents. This creates a Management Tax: every new file share adds a linear increase in infrastructure to maintain.

Moving from 'Managed' to 'Autonomous' A true cloud-native approach should mirror the service it protects. If Azure Files is serverless and scales automatically, your data protection must do the same. By removing the "middleman" (proxies and agents), architects regain:

• Reduced Attack Surface: No more unpatched backup VMs sitting in your VNET acting as potential entry points for lateral movement.

• Policy-Driven Scaling: Protection that automatically discovers new shares via API, ensuring no data is left unprotected as the environment grows.

• Blast Radius Isolation: Decoupling the backup management plane from the production environment, ensuring that a compromise in the Azure Tenant doesn't mean a compromise of the backups.

To solve the management tax and secure the cloud-native future, a new architectural approach is required.

Bye-Bye Infrastructure. Druva’s Agentless Breakthrough for Azure Files

Today marks a major expansion of Druva’s Azure momentum as we proudly announce the launch of the Industry’s first and only true agentless, cloud-native, 100% SaaS data protection solution for Azure Files. This breakthrough extends our unified data protection platform, now offering comprehensive, agentless support for Azure VMs, Azure SQL, Azure Blob, and Azure Files, all from a single, centralized control plane.

The Agentless Advantage: Zero Infrastructure, Zero Egress

Protect Azure Files SMB shares (SSD Premium and HDD Standard) with ease. No proxy servers, no manual configuration.

Our solution is purpose-built to honor the serverless architecture of Azure Files, eliminating the fundamental complexities and hidden costs that plague traditional data protection:

• Zero Infrastructure Overhead: Druva is fully managed and SaaS-based. We use native Azure APIs and services to protect your file shares, eliminating the need for you to deploy, license, or patch any backup agents or infrastructure within your Azure tenant. This dramatically simplifies operations and automates policy enforcement.

• Zero Egress Fees Guaranteed: Traditional backup methods often require moving data out of Azure, triggering huge, unbudgeted egress fees. Druva’s architecture is uniquely designed to eliminate unnecessary egress charges for both backup and restore operations, delivering a predictable and dramatically lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). This innovation can achieve up to 60% lower TCO for resilient Azure Files protection in cross-region deployments.

Cyber Resilience & The Zero Attack Surface

True Cyber Resilience and Ultimate Customer Choice In an era defined by ransomware, recovery is no longer just an IT task—it is a business imperative. Druva delivers true cyber resilience by combining a zero-attack-surface architecture with immutable, air-gapped protection and unparalleled customer choice:

• Zero-Attack-Surface Architecture: Unlike legacy tools that require you to manage backup servers and open ports within your network, Druva is entirely external to your production environment. By eliminating agents and proxies, you effectively close the door on lateral movement. Threat actors cannot attack what they cannot see. By removing the management plane from your Azure Tenant, Druva ensures your recovery data remains invisible to attackers, even if they gain ‘admin-level’ access to your cloud environment.

• Air-Gapped and Immutable Protection: Backups are stored in the secure, isolated Druva Data Security Cloud, creating a true operational air gap. This immutability ensures your data is protected from ransomware, insider threats, or compromised credentials. By decoupling your backup management from your Azure tenant, we guarantee a clean, rapid recovery every time.

• Flexibility and Choice for Storage: Modern enterprises demand sovereignty. Druva provides the unique ability to secure your Azure Files data in either Azure or AWS storage tiers within the Druva Data Security Cloud. This "Cloud-Agnostic" resilience ensures data residency compliance while allowing you to leverage your preferred cloud partnerships.

• Rapid, Granular Recovery: Easily recover individual files, folders, or entire shares. Druva supports restoration to the original location, or to an alternate subscription, region, or file share, ensuring maximum operational continuity during disaster recovery scenarios.

Deep Integration and Partnership with Microsoft

Our commitment to the Microsoft ecosystem is further cemented by our deep partnership and availability within the Azure ecosystem:

• Available on the Azure Marketplace: Druva is readily available via the Azure Marketplace, allowing customers to easily procure, deploy, and manage our solution while leveraging their existing Azure consumption commitments.

• A Trusted Microsoft Partner: Druva is a recognized Azure Storage archive, backup, and disaster recovery partner, demonstrating our deep integration and commitment to delivering best-in-class data resilience solutions for the Azure platform.

This launch reinforces the Druva Data Security Cloud as the single, unified platform that future-proofs your data protection and cyber resilience investment across your entire cloud footprint—now with comprehensive, agentless support for Azure Files and robust Azure backup solutions.

Ready to simplify your Azure Files protection and lower your TCO?

Download our Azure Files datasheet today to learn more about how Druva can strengthen your cyber resilience and ensure business continuity for your Azure workloads.

Want to see Azure Files backup in action? Schedule your personalized demo today and experience its capabilities firsthand. Book your demo now!