Containers
Each blob (block or page) is held in a container and given a unique name within that container.
A container name must be a valid DNS name that follows the following rules:
- Name must start with a letter or number, and can contain only letters, numbers, and the dash (
-) character.
- Every dash character must be immediately preceded and followed by a letter or number; consecutive dashes are not permitted in container names.
- All letters in a container name must be lowercase.
- Container names must be from 3 through 63 characters long.
Typically, a container groups related blobs according to their security requirements.
Partition key
The triple (account name, container name, blob name) is the partition key for a blob.
The partition key is used to partition data into ranges which can then be load-balanced across the system (but a single blob can only be served by a single server).