Introduction

In today's fast-paced digital world, efficient file management is crucial for seamless operations. If you're working with Azure Blob Storage and looking for a hassle-free way to upload files from your local system, look no further. In this blog post, we'll introduce you to the LTC-CloudUploader_CLI, a Bash script designed to simplify and expedite the process of uploading files to Azure Blob Storage.

Prerequisites

Before diving into the LTC-CloudUploader_CLI, make sure you have the following prerequisites in place:

1. Azure Account: Sign up for an Azure account or use an existing one.

2. Azure Storage Account: Create a storage account via the Azure portal.

3. Azure Storage Explorer (Optional): Utilize the Azure Storage Explorer for enhanced management and exploration of your Azure Storage resources.

Setup

Azure Storage Account Setup

1. Navigate to the Azure portal.

2. Create a new Storage Account or use an existing one.

Configure Azure Storage Account Credentials

When running the script, you'll be prompted for the following credentials:

1. Azure Storage Account Name

2. Azure Storage Account Key

3. Target Container Name

Script explanation:

1. Usage Information

function display_usage {
    echo "Usage: $0 <file_path> [options]"
    echo "Options:"
    echo "  -c, --container   Target container in the cloud"
    echo "  -h, --help        Display this help message"
}

This function display_usage is responsible for showing usage information when the user runs the script without proper arguments or with the -h or --help option. It simply echoes out a formatted message explaining how to use the script.

2. Reading User Input

function read_input {
    read -p "$1: " INPUT
    echo "$INPUT"
}

The read_input function prompts the user to input information. It takes an argument as the prompt message and then uses read command to read input from the user. The input is stored in a variable called INPUT, which is then echoed back.

3. Command-line Argument Parsing

while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
    case $1 in
        -c|--container)
            TARGET_CONTAINER=$2
            shift
            shift
            ;;
        -h|--help)
            display_usage
            exit 0
            ;;
        *)
            FILENAME=$1
            shift
            ;;
    esac
done

Iterating Over Command-line Arguments

The script uses a while loop to iterate over each command-line argument provided by the user. The condition [[ $# -gt 0 ]] checks whether there are still arguments remaining to process ($# represents the number of arguments).

Case Statement

Within the loop, a case statement is used to evaluate the value of each argument ($1). The script examines the argument and takes different actions based on its value.

Handling Different Argument Cases

• -c|--container: If the argument is -c or --container, the script assumes that the next argument contains the name of the target container in the cloud. It assigns the value of the next argument ($2) to the TARGET_CONTAINER variable. Then it shifts the arguments twice (shift command) to move to the next set of arguments.

• -h|--help: If the argument is -h or --help, the script calls the display_usage function to show the usage information. Then it exits the script with a status code of 0, indicating successful completion.

• Filename: If the argument doesn't match any of the above cases, the script assumes it's the filename. It assigns the value of the argument to the FILENAME variable and shifts the arguments once to move to the next argument.

4. File Existence Check

if [ ! -f "$FILENAME" ]; then
    echo "Error: File not found - $FILENAME"
    exit 1
fi

This part checks if the file specified by the user exists. If the file doesn't exist, it prints an error message and exits the script with a non-zero exit code.

5. Azure Blob Storage Details Input

echo "Please provide Azure Blob Storage details:"

ACCOUNT_NAME=$(read_input "Azure Storage Account Name")
ACCOUNT_KEY=$(read_input "Azure Storage Account Key")
TARGET_CONTAINER=$(read_input "Target Container Name")

Here, the script prompts the user to provide Azure Blob Storage details, specifically the storage account name, account key, and the target container name. It uses the read_input function we discussed earlier to get this information from the user.

6. File Upload to Azure Blob Storage

echo "Uploading $FILENAME to $CLOUD_PROVIDER..."

az storage blob upload --account-name "$ACCOUNT_NAME" --account-key "$ACCOUNT_KEY" --container-name "$TARGET_CONTAINER" --name "$(basename "$FILENAME")" --type block --content-type "application/octet-stream" --file "$FILENAME"

Finally, the script uploads the specified file to Azure Blob Storage using the Azure CLI (az) command. It uses the provided Azure storage account name, account key, target container name, and the file name.

How To Use

Follow these simple steps to get started with LTC-CloudUploader_CLI:

1. Clone the Repository

sudo dnf install -y git
git clone https://github.com/vsingh55/LTC-CloudUploader_CLI.git

2. Run the Command

az login

3. Run the Script

Make the script executable:

chmod +x CloudUploader.sh

4. Run the Script with File Path

Specify the local file path and the desired Azure Blob Storage destination path:

bash CloudUploader.sh /path/to/local/file.*

Example

As an illustration, let's upload a file named sample.txt from the local system to the Azure Blob Storage container:

bash CloudUploader.sh ~/Documents/sample.txt

This command will efficiently upload the specified file, streamlining the process and enhancing your overall file management experience.

Conclusion

In conclusion, LTC-CloudUploader_CLI provides a powerful yet user-friendly solution for uploading files to Azure Blob Storage. By following the simple setup and usage steps outlined in this blog, you can enhance your file management workflow and ensure a seamless interaction with Azure Storage. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just getting started, this Bash script is a valuable addition to your toolkit. Try it out and optimize your file upload process today!