Determine best method for Azure authentication

[johnbradley]

For Azure backend support we will need to authenticate with various Azure API endpoints via the Azure python SDK. We also want to have support for using the azcopy command line tool to upload and download efficiently.

Azure python SDK

For authenticating with Azure python SDK there is a DefaultAzureCredential. This provides many options to authenticate but many are focused on running with a VM on Azure. Options that work in a non-Azure VM context:

• Environment variables - Allows a user to authenticate as a service principle or via username/password. Not sure if username/password would work with Duke Auth.
• Azure CLI - Uses authentication setup by the az login command.
• InteractiveBrowserCredential - Opens a browser where user logs in via Azure website.
• DeviceCodeCredential - Prints a URL and a token that the user opens/pastes into a browser.

azcopy

Users can authenticate via two high level options:

• Azure Active Directory
• SAS token

There is a azcopy login command that allows a user to login via a web browser. There are also environment variables that can be set to authenticate with azcopy.