What is a disadvantage of using Azure Table Storage?

Using Azure Table Storage can present challenges, particularly when it comes to filtering data using non-key fields. In Azure Table Storage, each entity is identified and accessed using a combination of the partition key and the row key. While this allows for efficient queries based on these keys, querying by other attributes can be less efficient and may require a full table scan, which can lead to performance issues. This limitations stems from the way data is indexed in Azure Table Storage, as it primarily optimizes retrieval based on the partition and row keys.

When managing large datasets, the inability to easily filter on non-key fields can complicate data retrieval and increase query response times, which is a significant consideration for applications that rely on performance. Thus, this characteristic can be seen as a disadvantage for users who need to frequently filter on various attributes not indexed as keys, making it crucial to design your data model thoughtfully to work within these constraints.