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These days, data drives the world. Microsoft is no exception, having fully embraced Microsoft Azure and the cloud to create and manage the data needed by a modern enterprise. That includes the need to transfer cloud data from one party to another.
Microsoft Digital has been largely cloud-based since 2018 and has developed a powerful skillset when it comes to implementing cloud strategies. That in part led them to develop a new and modern data transfer and storage solution.
In 2019, Microsoft engineers used Microsoft Azure’s out-of-the-box storage configurations and capabilities to start work on a new way to securely store and transfer cloud data and manage the growing amounts of data in the cloud.
What they came up with was Modern Data Transfer and Storage (MDTS), which is now available for teams across Microsoft. MDTS helps address legacy on-premises storage patterns and supports Microsoft commitment to fully adopting Microsoft Azure.
This commitment include:
- Sharing and distributing large, complex datasets
- Driving cloud storage adoption, versus on-premises
- Consolidating multiple storage solutions into a single solution to reduce security risks and administrative overhead
[Learn how Microsoft automates revenue processing with Power Automate. Find out more about how Microsoft protects files in the cloud with Azure Information Protection.]
Data transfer in the time of COVID-19
For some Microsoft groups, adopting MDTS to transfer cloud data has been a timely move.
With COVID-19 driving extensive work from home since early 2020, teams with heavy data traffic have faced challenges managing their data.
One such group is Studios Quality, which manages testing for titles created by Xbox Game Studios. They work with the internal game studios to test all aspects of the games, so that players have high-quality experiences.
“We have an enormous throughput of data,” says Fraser Murrell, senior quality lead for Microsoft, based in Reading, England. “Every single day, the studios we work with will generate a number of builds of games that we’re testing. We need to take these builds and distribute them among all of our testers.”
Typically, the builds range between 30–50 gigabytes each. But by the time additional data is added in the form of “downloadable content,” such as new levels, characters, or 3D models, the load can reach half a terabyte. That’s 500 gigs of data.
Suddenly everyone was working from home. That’s where Azure Storage Explorer was incredibly useful. It has made things very easy to access.
– Samuel Hanke, software engineer, Microsoft
“Obviously, it’s quite a challenge to move that data around, regardless of COVID-19,” Murrell says. “We’ve partnered really closely with John Dellenbaugh, a Microsoft engineer who led development of MDTS, and his team to try to push things forward.”
The Studios team had just started the process of moving from on-premises servers to MDTS early in 2020, when COVID-19 struck.
“Suddenly everyone was working from home,” says Samuel Hanke, a software engineer for Microsoft based in Reading, England, and a teammate of Murrell’s. “That’s where Azure Storage Explorer was incredibly useful. It has made things very easy to access.”
Now, when the team needs access to the latest game build or data, they use Azure Storage Explorer to download the build. It works wherever they are located and is supported with the security and performance of the Microsoft Azure cloud infrastructure behind them.
We’re talking about sharing content outside of Microsoft’s network, so that’s important. It helps us with business-to-business collaboration.
– Saravana Kumar Perumalsamy, principal group engineering manager, Microsoft
Better speed, security for Surface team
The Surface team has customized MDTS for its own needs to transfer cloud data, and uses it for content publishing and partner collaboration. They’ve worked with Dellenbaugh on a system that meets their particular needs but shares much of what is used by Studios Quality and other groups.
“This system has much better speed,” says Saravana Kumar Perumalsamy, a principal group engineering manager for Microsoft. “And its security is super-tight. We’re talking about sharing content outside of Microsoft’s network, so that’s important. It helps us with business-to-business collaboration.”
The release of Azure Data Lake Gen 2 and the improvements in the latest release of Azure Storage Explorer make MDTS a fully native Microsoft Azure service. By eliminating its dependency on third-party software, Microsoft Digital has reduced licensing fees by more than $1 million.
It has also streamlined data storage and reduced or eliminated reliance on on-premises storage.
Data powers the modern enterprise. Making it easier to store and share large volumes of data makes it easier to unlock the full power of data.
Learn how Microsoft automates revenue processing with Power Automate.
Find out how Microsoft protects files in the cloud with Azure Information Protection.
