Optimising Health Data Management Using Azure File Sync 

A leading state health organisation in Australia provides care to millions of people, generating and managing vast amounts of vital information every day. From clinical documentation to administrative records, the volume and importance of file data across departments are immense. Managing this critical data on legacy systems was creating inefficiencies, operational risks and unnecessary costs. It was clear the organisation needed a new strategy to support its evolving digital future. 

This marked the beginning of a collaborative journey with cubesys to modernise file storage using Microsoft Azure. 

"Our goal was to give the organisation confidence and clarity. By starting with a proof of concept, we showed how Azure File Sync could deliver control and visibility without disrupting day-to-day operations"

Dan Burton, Senior Cloud Consultant, cubesys

Laying the groundwork for cloud adoption 

The initial engagement, Phase 1, was intentionally scoped as a proof of concept (PoC). The goal was to test Azure File Sync in a controlled way, targeting just one on-premises file share. This allowed the IT team to validate the technology in their environment, confirm integration with existing systems and measure performance. 

The results were promising. Azure File Sync delivered seamless access to files while introducing intelligent cloud tiering, which automatically moved infrequently accessed files to the cloud. Users noticed no disruption. IT teams gained new insights into file usage. And most importantly, confidence grew across the department that a cloud-first approach could work. 

Discover our successful project with the Australian Red Cross

Scaling Up with Confidence 

Building on that foundation, Phase 2 expanded the scope significantly. This stage introduced Azure File Sync across eight file paths on a single on-premises server, each mapped to dedicated Azure Storage accounts and file shares. 

This time, Cloud Tiering was fully enabled to move inactive files to Azure after 30 days. If a file was needed again, it was automatically retrieved from the cloud and presented to the user in the same familiar way. Nothing changed for staff on the ground. But behind the scenes, storage requirements on the local server dropped substantially. 

With enhanced monitoring in place, the organisation could now see exactly how much data had been tiered and understand access patterns more clearly across departments. This level of visibility helped inform future planning and resource optimisation. 

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Shifting from Storage Management to Strategic Focus 

The impact of this approach extended well beyond technical improvements. By reducing the burden of on-premises storage, the health organisation began to free up IT resources for more strategic initiatives. Hardware dependencies and maintenance costs decreased. Data availability became more resilient. And the organisation took another step forward on its cloud transformation journey. 

Delivering impactful change 

With a deep understanding of public sector environments and a focus on people-centric outcomes, cubesys delivered a solution that was invisible to users, yet impactful to operations. 

Through proactive design, clear communication and continuous improvement, cubesys helped the organisation take a confident step toward a cloud-powered future without disrupting the critical work of healthcare delivery. 

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