Blob storage setup

Azure Blob Storage integration allows your Jyro scripts to persist files beyond the default 1-hour in-memory expiration. Use it for scheduled exports, report archives, file sharing, and any scenario requiring persistent file storage.

Overview

By default, files generated by GenerateExcel() are stored in memory and expire after 1 hour. Blob storage provides:

• Persistent storage - Files remain until explicitly deleted
• Scalable capacity - Not limited by web server memory
• File management - List, download, and delete files programmatically
• Secure sharing - Generate time-limited download URLs (SAS tokens)

Prerequisites

Before configuring blob storage for your tenant, you need:

1. Azure Storage Account - An Azure subscription with a Storage Account
2. Container - A blob container in the storage account (will be auto-created if it doesn’t exist)
3. Connection String - The storage account connection string
4. Admin Access - Tenant administrator permissions in Iris

Configuration Steps

Step 1: Locate your Azure Storage Account

Locate or create an Azure Storage Account.

Step 2: Get Connection String

1. Open your Storage Account in Azure Portal
2. Go to Security + networking > Access keys
3. Click Show next to Connection string for key1
4. Copy the connection string (starts with DefaultEndpointsProtocol=https;...)

This connection string contains a password. Anyone with this string has full access to your storage account.

Step 3: Store Connection String in Iris

Store the connection string as an encrypted secret in Iris:

1. Navigate to System > Secrets
2. Click + Create Secret
3. Configure:
   • Name: blobstorage.connectionstring
   • Description: Azure Blob Storage connection string
   • Value: Paste your connection string
4. Click Save

The connection string is encrypted at rest and only decrypted when blob storage operations are performed.

Step 4: Configure Tenant Properties

Set up the blob storage properties for your tenant:

1. Navigate to Administration > Tenant Settings > Properties
2. Configure the following properties:

Property Name	Value	Description
blobstorage.enabled	true	Enables blob storage for the tenant
blobstorage.container.name	iris-exports	Container name (auto-created if needed)
blobstorage.maxfilesize	100	Maximum file size in MB

Property Details:

blobstorage.enabled

• Type: Boolean (true or false)
• Default: false
• Description: Master switch to enable blob storage. Must be true for any blob storage functions to work.

blobstorage.container.name

• Type: String
• Default: iris-exports
• Description: The name of the blob container. Will be created automatically if it doesn’t exist. Must be lowercase, 3-63 characters, containing only letters, numbers, and hyphens.

blobstorage.maxfilesize

• Type: Integer
• Default: 100
• Description: Maximum file size limit in megabytes. Uploads exceeding this size will fail.

Step 5: Verify Configuration

Test your configuration with a simple script:

1. Navigate to Administration > Scripting > Ad-hoc Scripts
2. Create a test script:

# Test blob storage configuration
if IsBlobStorageEnabled() then
    Log("Information", "Blob storage is enabled!")

    # Test write
    var testContent = "Hello from Iris! " + Now()
    var success = WriteToBlobStorage("test", "hello.txt", testContent)

    if success then
        Log("Information", "Write test: SUCCESS")

        # Test read
        var content = ReadFromBlobStorage("test", "hello.txt")
        if content != null then
            Log("Information", "Read test: SUCCESS")
            Log("Information", "Content: " + content)
        else
            Log("Error", "Read test: FAILED")
        end

        # Test list
        var files = ListBlobStorage("test", "*")
        Log("Information", "Files in test folder: " + Length(files))

        # Test SAS URL
        var sasUrl = GetBlobStorageSasUrl("test", "hello.txt", 5)
        Log("Information", "SAS URL generated (valid 5 minutes)")

        # Cleanup
        DeleteFromBlobStorage("test", "hello.txt")
        Log("Information", "Cleanup complete")
    else
        Log("Error", "Write test: FAILED - check connection string")
    end
else
    Log("Warning", "Blob storage is NOT enabled")
    Log("Information", "Set blobstorage.enabled = true in tenant properties")
end

1. Click Execute
2. Check the log output for success messages

Troubleshooting

“Blob storage is not enabled for this tenant”

Cause: The blobstorage.enabled property is not set to true.

Solution:

1. Go to Administration > Tenant Settings > Properties
2. Set blobstorage.enabled to true

“Blob storage connection string not configured”

Cause: The blobstorage.connectionstring secret is missing or empty.

Solution:

1. Go to Administration > Tenant Settings > Secrets
2. Add the blobstorage.connectionstring secret with your Azure connection string

“Failed to connect to blob storage”

Cause: The connection string is invalid or the storage account is inaccessible.

Solution:

1. Verify the connection string is correct (copy it again from Azure Portal)
2. Check if the storage account has firewall rules blocking access
3. Ensure the storage account exists and hasn’t been deleted

“File size exceeds maximum allowed size”

Cause: The file you’re trying to upload is larger than blobstorage.maxfilesize.

Solution:

1. Increase the blobstorage.maxfilesize property value
2. Or reduce the file size before uploading

“Invalid container name”

Cause: The container name doesn’t meet Azure naming requirements.

Solution: Container names must be:

• 3-63 characters long
• Start with a letter or number
• Contain only lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens
• Not contain consecutive hyphens

Security Best Practices

1. Use Dedicated Storage Account

Create a dedicated storage account for Iris exports rather than sharing with other applications. This provides:

• Clear cost allocation
• Isolated access control
• Simpler security auditing

2. Enable Soft Delete

Configure soft delete on your storage account to protect against accidental deletions:

1. Go to your Storage Account in Azure Portal
2. Navigate to Data management > Data protection
3. Enable Soft delete for blobs (7-365 days retention)

3. Configure Access Tiers

For cost optimization, configure lifecycle management:

1. Go to Data management > Lifecycle management
2. Create rules to move old files to Cool or Archive tiers

Example rule: Move files older than 30 days to Cool tier.

4. Monitor Access

Enable Azure Storage Analytics or Azure Monitor to track:

• Who is accessing files
• Download patterns
• Failed access attempts

5. Rotate Connection String

Periodically rotate your storage account keys:

1. Generate a new key in Azure Portal
2. Update the blobstorage.connectionstring secret in Iris
3. Delete the old key

File Organization

Path Conventions

Organize files using meaningful paths:

# By date
WriteToBlobStorage("exports/2025/01", "report.xlsx", bytes)

# By type
WriteToBlobStorage("reports/monthly", "january.xlsx", bytes)
WriteToBlobStorage("backups/daily", "data.json", bytes)

# By source
WriteToBlobStorage("dynamics-bc/exports", "customers.xlsx", bytes)
WriteToBlobStorage("scheduled/nightly", "summary.xlsx", bytes)

Naming Conventions

Include timestamps in filenames for uniqueness:

var fileName = "EXPORT_" + FormatDate(Now(), "yyyyMMdd_HHmmss") + ".xlsx"
# Result: EXPORT_20250111_153045.xlsx

Usage Examples

Persistent Excel Export

# Generate Excel with persistent storage
var worksheets = [
    {
        "name": "Data",
        "data": GetAllOrganizations(),
        "tableName": "OrganizationsTable"
    }
]

var bytes = GenerateExcelBytes(worksheets)
var fileName = "organizations_" + FormatDate(Now(), "yyyyMMdd") + ".xlsx"

if WriteToBlobStorage("exports", fileName, bytes) then
    # Generate download link valid for 7 days
    var downloadUrl = GetBlobStorageSasUrl("exports", fileName, 10080)

    Data._payload = {
        "success": true,
        "downloadUrl": downloadUrl,
        "fileName": fileName,
        "expiresIn": "7 days"
    }
    Data._statusCode = 200
else
    Data._payload = {}
    Data._payload.error = "Failed to save file"
    Data._statusCode = 500
end

List Recent Exports

# List all Excel files from this month
var month = FormatDate(Now(), "yyyy/MM")
var files = ListBlobStorage("exports/" + month, "*.xlsx")

var results = []
foreach file in files do
    var item = {
        "name": file.name,
        "size": file.sizeBytes,
        "modified": file.lastModified,
        "downloadUrl": GetBlobStorageSasUrl("exports/" + month, file.name, 60)
    }
    Append(results, item)
end

Data._payload = {
    "month": month,
    "fileCount": Length(results),
    "files": results
}
Data._statusCode = 200

Cleanup Old Files

# Delete files older than 30 days
var files = ListBlobStorage("exports", "*")
var now = Now()
var deletedCount = 0

foreach file in files do
    var ageMs = now - file.lastModified
    var ageDays = ageMs / (1000 * 60 * 60 * 24)

    if ageDays > 30 then
        if DeleteFromBlobStorage("exports", file.name) then
            deletedCount = deletedCount + 1
            Log("Information", "Deleted: " + file.name + " (age: " + ageDays + " days)")
        end
    end
end

Log("Information", "Cleanup complete. Deleted " + deletedCount + " files.")

Available Functions

Once configured, these functions become available in your scripts:

Function	Description
IsBlobStorageEnabled	Check if blob storage is enabled
WriteToBlobStorage	Upload file to blob storage
ReadFromBlobStorage	Download file from blob storage
ListBlobStorage	List files with wildcard support
DeleteFromBlobStorage	Delete file from blob storage
BlobStorageExists	Check if file exists
GetBlobStorageSasUrl	Generate time-limited download URL
GenerateExcelBytes	Generate Excel as bytes for storage

Cost Considerations

Azure Blob Storage costs depend on:

1. Storage capacity - GB stored per month
2. Operations - Read/write/list operations
3. Data transfer - Egress from Azure (downloads)

For typical Iris usage (reports, exports):

• Hot tier: ~$0.02/GB/month
• Cool tier: ~$0.01/GB/month (for older files)

Use Azure Cost Management to monitor actual costs.

Next Steps

• GenerateExcelBytes - Generate Excel files for blob storage
• Dynamic Endpoints - Create file download endpoints
• Script Scheduling - Schedule automated exports