Agent skill

Apex Azure Storage

by jonathan-vella in jonathan-vella/apex

UTILITY SKILL — Azure Storage: Blob, File Shares, Queue, Table and Data Lake, including access tiers and lifecycle management.

MITAuto-check passedDevOps & Cloud

Install Apex Azure Storage

skills CLI
$ npx skills add jonathan-vella/apex --skill apex-azure-storage -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install jonathan-vella/apex apex-azure-storage --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/jonathan-vella/apex.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/.github/skills/apex-azure-storage .claude/skills/apex-azure-storage && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
apex-azure-storage
GitHub stars
217
Token cost
~1.7k tokens
SKILL.md length
532 words
Files
13 (incl. references)
Skills in repo
39
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

UTILITY SKILL — Azure Storage: Blob, File Shares, Queue, Table and Data Lake, including access tiers and lifecycle management.

  • Works in 6 steps: Identify the storage service for the… → Choose redundancy — LRS / ZRS / GRS /… → Choose access tier — Hot / Cool / Cold /… → …
  • : SQL databases
  • SKILL.md covers Prerequisites, Services, CLI commands and Storage Account Tiers, plus 7 more sections
  • Calls az

What it does

Apex Azure Storage is an agent skill from jonathan-vella/apex. UTILITY SKILL — Azure Storage: Blob, File Shares, Queue, Table and Data Lake, including access tiers and lifecycle management. WHEN: "blob storage", "file shares", "queue storage", "table storage", "data lake", "which storage tier", "hot vs cool vs archive", "lifecycle management". DO NOT USE FOR: SQL databases, Cosmos DB (use apex-azure-prepare), Event Hubs / Service Bus messaging.

Its SKILL.md is about 1.7k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 14 other files, including reference files (for example `references/sdk-usage.md`, `references/sdk/azure-data-tables-java.md` and `references/sdk/azure-data-tables-py.md`).

It sits in DevOps & Cloud, covering File uploads and storage. It works with Microsoft Azure, Azure Blob Storage, Azure Cosmos DB and Azure Event Hubs. The repository describes itself as: APEX turns Azure platform engineering requirements into verified, deploy-ready IaC — powered by GitHub Copilot agents, real-time pricing, and built-in compliance. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • : SQL databases
  • Cosmos DB (use apex-azure-prepare)
  • Event Hubs / Service Bus messaging

Example prompts

  • “blob storage”
  • “file shares”
  • “queue storage”
  • “/apex-azure-storage”

Workflow steps

6 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

  1. Identify the storage service for the workload — see Services (Blob / File / Queue / Table / Data Lake)
  2. Choose redundancy — LRS / ZRS / GRS / GZRS based on RPO/RTO requirements
  3. Choose access tier — Hot / Cool / Cold / Archive based on expected access frequency
  4. Apply security baseline — see iac-security-baseline.md (HTTPS-only, TLS 1.2, public blob disabled, Managed Identity)
  5. Run routine operations via az storage CLI — see CLI commands
  6. Wire lifecycle management for long-lived data to auto-tier and reduce cost

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit b8e5908. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

    • az

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    Links to these hosts (documentation or services it may open):

    • learn.microsoft.com

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Apex Azure Storage loads about 1.7k tokens when it runs, and up to ~6.8k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 102 tokens; SKILL.md has 532 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~102
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~1.7k
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them
~6.8k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from jonathan-vella/apex at commit b8e5908, republished under its MIT licence (© jonathan-vella). 532 words, ~1,743 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/apex-azure-storage/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 12 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
apex-azure-storage
description
**UTILITY SKILL** — Azure Storage: Blob, File Shares, Queue, Table and Data Lake, including access tiers and lifecycle management. WHEN: "blob storage", "file shares", "queue storage", "table storage", "data lake", "which storage tier", "hot vs cool vs archive", "lifecycle management". DO NOT USE FOR: SQL databases, Cosmos DB (use apex-azure-prepare), Event Hubs / Service Bus messaging.
user-invocable
true
disable-model-invocation
false
argument-hint
storage service, resource scope and task
license
MIT
metadata.author
Microsoft
metadata.version
1.1.0

Azure Storage Services

Prerequisites

Confirm account, service, authorized operation and data-plane access. Use installed CLI/SDK capabilities; follow the language leaf's version requirements. Obtain separate authorization before uploads, overwrites, lifecycle changes or downloads that replace local files.

Services

ServiceUse WhenCLI
Blob StorageObjects, files, backups, static contentaz storage blob
File SharesSMB file shares, lift-and-shiftaz storage file
Queue StorageAsync messaging, task queuesaz storage queue
Table StorageNoSQL key-value (consider Cosmos DB)az storage table
Data LakeBig data analytics, hierarchical namespaceaz storage fs

CLI commands

bash
# List storage accounts
az storage account list --output table

# List containers
az storage container list --account-name ACCOUNT --auth-mode login --output table

# List blobs
az storage blob list --account-name ACCOUNT --container-name CONTAINER --auth-mode login --output table

# Download blob
az storage blob download --account-name ACCOUNT --container-name CONTAINER --name BLOB --file LOCAL_PATH --auth-mode login

# Upload blob
az storage blob upload --account-name ACCOUNT --container-name CONTAINER --name BLOB --file LOCAL_PATH --auth-mode login

These data-plane commands use the signed-in Entra identity. It needs scoped Storage Blob Data Reader for reads or Storage Blob Data Contributor for writes; management-plane Reader alone is insufficient.

For deeper service docs and patterns, call mcp_azure-mcp_documentation with command: "microsoft_docs_search" and the relevant Azure Storage topic, or follow the links in Service Details.

Storage Account Tiers

TierUse CasePerformance
StandardGeneral purpose, backupMilliseconds
PremiumDatabases, high IOPSSub-millisecond

Blob Access Tiers

TierAccess FrequencyCost
HotFrequentHigher storage, lower access
CoolInfrequent (30+ days)Lower storage, higher access
ColdRare (90+ days)Lower still
ArchiveRarely (180+ days)Lowest storage, rehydration required

Redundancy Options

TypeDurabilityUse Case
LRS11 ninesDev/test, recreatable data
ZRS12 ninesRegional high availability
GRS16 ninesDisaster recovery
GZRS16 ninesBest durability

Rules

  • Use Managed Identity over shared keys — connect via DefaultAzureCredential (or equivalent SDK helper) instead of account keys or SAS where possible
  • Disable public blob access by default; use private endpoints + Entra-only access for prod data
  • Match the access tier to the access pattern — Hot for active, Cool for 30+ days, Cold for 90+ days, Archive for 180+ days (rehydration required to read)
  • Pick redundancy by RPO/RTO — LRS for dev, ZRS for regional HA, GRS/GZRS for DR
  • Apply lifecycle management to auto-tier blobs based on age and last access
  • Premium tier is for sub-millisecond latency / high-IOPS workloads; default is Standard
  • Security baseline is non-negotiable — see iac-security-baseline.md (TLS 1.2 minimum, HTTPS-only, public blob disabled, Managed Identity)
  • Out of scope: SQL / Cosmos DB (use apex-azure-prepare), messaging via Event Hubs / Service Bus
Show full SKILL.md (179 more words)Show less

Steps

  1. Identify the storage service for the workload — see Services (Blob / File / Queue / Table / Data Lake)
  2. Choose redundancy — LRS / ZRS / GRS / GZRS based on RPO/RTO requirements
  3. Choose access tier — Hot / Cool / Cold / Archive based on expected access frequency
  4. Apply security baseline — see iac-security-baseline.md (HTTPS-only, TLS 1.2, public blob disabled, Managed Identity)
  5. Run routine operations via az storage CLI — see CLI commands
  6. Wire lifecycle management for long-lived data to auto-tier and reduce cost

Service Details

For deep documentation on specific services:

SDK Quick References

For building applications with Azure Storage SDKs, see the condensed guides:

For full package listing across all languages, see SDK Usage Guide.

Reference Index

Load these on demand — do NOT read all at once:

ReferenceWhen to Load
../apex-entra-app-registration/references/auth-best-practices.mdAuth Best Practices
references/sdk-usage.mdSdk Usage

© jonathan-vella, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 12 other files (references) in .github/skills/apex-azure-storage of jonathan-vella/apex.

  • SKILL.md
  • references/sdk-usage.md
  • references/sdk/azure-data-tables-java.md
  • references/sdk/azure-data-tables-py.md
  • references/sdk/azure-storage-blob-java.md
  • references/sdk/azure-storage-blob-py.md
  • references/sdk/azure-storage-blob-rust.md
  • references/sdk/azure-storage-blob-ts.md
  • references/sdk/azure-storage-file-datalake-py.md
  • references/sdk/azure-storage-file-share-py.md
  • references/sdk/azure-storage-file-share-ts.md
  • references/sdk/azure-storage-queue-py.md
  • references/sdk/azure-storage-queue-ts.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit b8e5908

Compare with similar skills

Apex Azure Storage next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Apex Azure Storage compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Apex Azure Storage this skilljonathan-vella/apex217—~1.7kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Azure Storagemicrosoft/GitHub-Copilot-for-Azure2552 repos~1.3kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Dt Obs AzureDynatrace/dynatrace-for-ai163—~6.3kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0
Azure Resource Manager Cosmosdb Dotnetmicrosoft/skills3.1k5 repos~2.1kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Azure Synapse AnalyticsMicrosoftDocs/Agent-Skills7761 repos~13kAutomated safety check: PassCC-BY-4.0
Azure Elastic SanMicrosoftDocs/Agent-Skills776—~2kAutomated safety check: PassCC-BY-4.0

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Categories

Questions about Apex Azure Storage

What does Apex Azure Storage do?

UTILITY SKILL — Azure Storage: Blob, File Shares, Queue, Table and Data Lake, including access tiers and lifecycle management. Apex Azure Storage is an agent skill from jonathan-vella/apex. UTILITY SKILL — Azure Storage: Blob, File Shares, Queue, Table and Data Lake, including access tiers and lifecycle management.

When should I use Apex Azure Storage?

Apex Azure Storage fits situations like: : SQL databases; cosmos DB (use apex-azure-prepare); event Hubs / Service Bus messaging.

How do I install Apex Azure Storage in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add jonathan-vella/apex --skill apex-azure-storage -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (.github/skills/apex-azure-storage in jonathan-vella/apex) into .claude/skills/apex-azure-storage in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Apex Azure Storage in Codex?

Run `npx skills add jonathan-vella/apex --skill apex-azure-storage -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (.github/skills/apex-azure-storage in jonathan-vella/apex) into .agents/skills/apex-azure-storage in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Apex Azure Storage in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add jonathan-vella/apex --skill apex-azure-storage -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/apex-azure-storage, .gemini/skills/apex-azure-storage, .github/skills/apex-azure-storage and .opencode/skills/apex-azure-storage in your project.

What does Apex Azure Storage need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Apex Azure Storage needs the command-line tools its instructions call (az).

Does Apex Azure Storage access the network?

SKILL.md names 1 domain. As links in the text: learn.microsoft.com. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Apex Azure Storage safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Apex Azure Storage use?

Apex Azure Storage is published under the MIT licence (declared in SKILL.md). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Apex Azure Storage use?

About 1.7k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 7k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 5k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to Apex Azure Storage?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Apex Azure Storage: Azure Storage (microsoft/GitHub-Copilot-for-Azure, 255 stars), Dt Obs Azure (Dynatrace/dynatrace-for-ai, 163 stars), Azure Resource Manager Cosmosdb Dotnet (microsoft/skills, 3.1k stars) and Azure Synapse Analytics (MicrosoftDocs/Agent-Skills, 776 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Apex Azure Storage?

jonathan-vella (a GitHub user) maintains it in jonathan-vella/apex, which has 217 GitHub stars. The repository holds 39 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 10, 2026.

Source: jonathan-vella/apex on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.