Table Storage

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Shahzad Mian

Content developer, DataCamp

Table storage

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Understanding Table storage

  • Identify when to use Azure Table Storage versus Cosmos DB.
  • Understand how data is organized using tables, entities, and properties.
  • Perform create, read, update, and delete operations in a Table.

Table storage vs CosmosDB

CRUD

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What is Table storage?

  • Azure Table Storage offers a simple, schema-less way to store structured data.
  • It's perfect for lightweight scenarios like:
    • Logs
    • IoT telemetry
    • Configuration settings
  • Fast, affordable data store for straightforward lookups.
  • No need for complex schema or relationships.

Table of data

Relational schema diagram labeled "Complex joins = Not needed here

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When to use Table storage

  • Used for quick, cost-effective access to structured data simple key-value lookups.
  • Common use cases include:
    • Storing IoT sensor readings.
    • Configuration data.
  • Best for simplicity and scalability over complex querying.

When to use Table storage

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When to use Cosmos DB instead?

  • Cosmos DB = advanced querying, global distribution, or multiple APIs.
    • Supports global replication with low latency and rich indexing.
    • Ideal for applications with large-scale, high-performance requirements.
    • Better suited when supporting APIs such as MongoDB or Cassandra.
  • The trade-off: more features come at a higher cost.

Azure Table vs Cosmos DB

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Data organization

Table storage example

  • Data in Table Storage is grouped into tables.
  • Each table contains entities, similar to rows.
  • Each entity includes properties, similar to columns.
  • Every entity must have a PartitionKey and a RowKey to uniquely identify it.
  • These keys make queries fast and efficient, even at scale.
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CRUD operations

  • You can perform CRUD actions using:
    • The Azure Portal.
    • SDKs or REST API.
    • Azure Storage Explorer.
  • Manage data without worrying about indexes or schema updates.

CRUD operations

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Create example

  • To add an entity, define a unique PartitionKey and RowKey.
  • Example record for a customer might look like this:
      "PartitionKey": "CustomerA",
      "RowKey": "1001",
      "Name": "Ava",
      "Points": 120
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Querying

Screenshot 2025-12-29 at 10.39.44 pm.png

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Update and Delete

  • Updating replaces an entity's properties with new values.

  • Deleting removes an entity entirely.

  • Example commands:


table_client.update_entity(entity)
table_client.delete_entity("CustomerA","1001")
  • Foundation for working with Table Storage.
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Key takeaways

  • Use Table Storage for simple, scalable, and cost-efficient structured data.

  • Every record needs a PartitionKey and RowKey.

  • Use Cosmos DB when you need richer querying, global replication, or multiple data models.

  • Both services can complement each other in hybrid data architectures.

Table storage summary

Table with partition key and row keys

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Let's practice!

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