> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://knowledge.cloudquant.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Azure Blob Storage

> Retrieving access keys for Azure Blob Storage connections with CloudQuant Data Liberator

# Azure Blob Storage connections

This guide explains how to retrieve and configure Azure Blob Storage access keys for use with the CloudQuant Data Liberator platform.

## Prerequisites

* An Azure account with a Storage Account
* Access to the Azure Portal
* Your CloudQuant account credentials

## Retrieving access keys

### Step 1: Navigate to your storage account

1. Sign in to the [Azure Portal](https://portal.azure.com)
2. Navigate to **Storage accounts**
3. Select the storage account you want to connect

### Step 2: Find access keys

1. In the storage account menu, select **Security + networking** > **Access keys**
2. You will see two keys: **key1** and **key2**
3. Select **Show** to reveal the key values

### Step 3: Copy required information

You will need:

* **Storage account name** — The name of your Azure Storage Account
* **Access key** — Either key1 or key2
* **Container name** — The blob container holding your data

<Warning>
  Keep your access keys secure. Never commit them to source control or share them in plain text.
</Warning>

## Configuring the connection

Provide the following to CloudQuant for CloudQuant Data Liberator connectivity:

```
Storage Account: your_storage_account_name
Access Key: your_access_key
Container: your_container_name
```

## Connection string format

If configuring programmatically, the connection string format is:

```
DefaultEndpointsProtocol=https;AccountName=your_account;AccountKey=your_key;EndpointSuffix=core.windows.net
```

## Key rotation

Azure provides two keys to enable rotation without downtime:

1. Update your applications to use **key2**
2. Regenerate **key1**
3. Update applications to use the new **key1**
4. Regenerate **key2**

<Tip>
  Rotate your access keys regularly as a security best practice.
</Tip>

## Troubleshooting

| Issue                 | Solution                                                          |
| --------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Authentication failed | Verify the access key hasn't been rotated                         |
| Container not found   | Check the container name and ensure it exists                     |
| Network error         | Verify firewall rules allow access from CloudQuant Data Liberator |