blobxfer/docs/80-blobxfer-python-library.md

blobxfer Python Data Movement Library

blobxfer is comprised of two main components, the CLI tool and the data movement library. The blobxfer CLI tool is built on top of the blobxfer data movement library.

blobxfer Python Package structure

The blobxfer Python package is laid out as follows:

├── blobxfer
│   ├── models
│   └── operations
│       └── azure
│           └── blob
├── cli
...

The blobxfer CLI tool is entirely contained in the cli directory and is thus not part of the blobxfer data movement library. To import the blobxfer data movement library, you would simply perform import statements such as import blobxfer.

High-Level Operations: blobxfer.api

The high-level blobxfer API is found in the blobxfer.api module. This module exposes each of the operations: Downloader, SyncCopy and Uploader.

These high-level operations classes allow you to input various options for each type of operation and allows the blobxfer data movement library to do the rest without having to construct each of the pieces yourself. For example, to download a set of blobs, you would invoke the Downloader similar to the following:

# Downloader Example

import blobxfer.api


# construct general options
general_options = blobxfer.api.GeneralOptions(...)

# construct download options
download_options = blobxfer.api.DownloadOptions(...)

# construct skip on options
skip_on_options = blobxfer.api.SkipOnOptions(...)

# construct local destination path
local_destination_path = blobxfer.api.LocalDestinationPath(...)

# construct specification
specification = blobxfer.api.DownloadSpecification(
    download_options,
    skip_on_options,
    local_destination_path)

# construct credentials
credentials = blobxfer.api.AzureStorageCredentials(general_options)
credentials.add_storage_account(...)

# construct Azure source paths and add it to specification
asp = blobxfer.api.AzureSourcePath()
asp.add_path_with_storage_account(...)
specification.add_azure_source_path(asp)

# execute downloader
downloader = blobxfer.api.Downloader(
    general_options,
    credentials,
    specification)
downloader.start()

Canonical Example of Library Use: cli

As the blobxfer CLI is built on top of the blobxfer data movement library, examining the contents of the cli directory will provide you with a code sample of how to utilize the blobxfer data movement library for your own Python programs and modules.