Python for Azure: Enable Immutability on Azure blob containers for business-critical data

Introduction: Immutable Storage is an important feature of Microsoft Azure Blob Storage as it enable end-users to store business-critical data in a “Write Once, Read Many” (WORM) manner. Thus by enabling “immutability-policy” data cannot be modified or deleted.

There are two types of immutability policies:

1. Time-based retention policies: User can set immutability-policy for a specified period of time. Under this policy, objects can be created or read but not modified or deleted. After the retention-period for this policy is expired that can be deleted but not overwritten.
2. Legal-hold policies: This policy stores data in an immutable-way until the legal hold is explicitly set. Under this policy, objects can be created or read but not modified or deleted.

The following table provides a summary of protections provided by container-level immutability policies:

Points to Remember:

• Microsoft recommends enabling soft delete for additional protection before any immutability policies are applied, its adds extra protection and security.
• There is no additional capacity charge for using immutable storage.
• Creating, modifying, or deleting a time-based retention policy or legal hold on a blob version results in a write transaction charge.
• You cannot rename or move a blob when the blob is in the immutable state.
• Microsoft recommends that you configure immutability policies mainly for block blobs and append blobs.
• Storage account deletion fails if there is a container with at least one blob present with data-immutability policy enabled.
• With immutable storage once something is written, it cannot be changed or deleted.
• All blob access tiers support immutable storage.
• All redundancy configurations support immutable storage.
• The downside is, if you can’t delete the data, you’re stuck with storing it for some amount of time, which could bring additional costs.

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