Running AI on Azure Storage - Fast, Secure, and Scalable

Explore how to build fast, secure, and scalable AI infrastructure using Azure Storage services in this 47-minute conference talk from Microsoft Ignite 2025. Discover how Azure Blob storage scales effectively for OpenAI workloads and learn to implement Azure Container Storage and Blobfuse2 to ensure GPU resources remain continuously active. Master the integration of Ray/KAITO for AI applications on Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) and understand how Blob storage seamlessly connects with AI services and frameworks to transform enterprise data into AI-ready formats. Examine the complete AI training and fine-tuning workflow, dive deep into Azure Container Storage capabilities for Kubernetes AI workloads, and understand Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) processes including essential data preparation steps. Learn comprehensive data and network security practices for Azure AI environments, explore the Azure Storage Center for unified storage management, and see practical demonstrations of integrating Azure Storage with AI services including LangChain. Gain actionable best practices for optimizing performance, enhancing security, and accelerating developer productivity when working with Azure Storage for AI applications.

Syllabus

0:00 - Overview of Azure Storage Families and Focus on Blob Storage
00:02:03 - Talk Structure: AI Workloads vs AI for Storage
00:03:02 - Deep Dive into AI Training and Fine-Tuning Workflow
00:22:43 - Deep Dive into Azure Container Storage and Kaito for Kubernetes AI Workloads
00:26:36 - Explaining Retrieval Augmented Generation RAG and data preparation steps
00:29:49 - Overview of data and network security in Azure AI environments
00:32:09 - Demo of Azure Storage Center for unified storage management
00:36:24 - Demonstration of integrating Azure Storage with AI Services
00:37:20 - Introduction to LangChain integration with Azure