When configuring a storage service for a Container instance that requires persistent storage, which service should be used?

When configuring a storage service for a Container instance that requires persistent storage, Azure Files is the correct choice because it provides a fully managed file share in the cloud that can be accessed via the SMB protocol. This allows for persistent storage that can be mounted to Container instances, ensuring that file-based data can be retained beyond the lifecycle of the container itself.

Azure Files enables scenarios where multiple containers can share the same files, making it ideal for applications that need to read from and write to a common set of files. The combination of being able to manage file shares and support for SMB access makes Azure Files particularly well-suited for containerized applications that require persistent state or shared access to files.

The other services do not meet the requirements for persistent storage in the same way. Azure Blob storage is focused on unstructured data and does not offer the same file share capabilities as Azure Files. Azure Queue storage is designed for message queuing, while Azure Table storage is used for structured NoSQL data. None of these provide the file system-like interface and access patterns needed for persistent storage with container instances.