Create and Manage Your First Azure SQL Database via Azure Portal

A step-by-step guide to get you started with Azure SQL Database.

Introduction

Azure SQL Database is a cloud-based relational database service from Microsoft that provides a fully managed database engine. This tutorial will walk you through the process of creating your first SQL database and connecting to it using the Azure portal.

Tip: Azure SQL Database offers high availability, disaster recovery, and automatic backups, allowing you to focus on your applications rather than database infrastructure.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

Steps to Create an Azure SQL Database

1

Sign in to the Azure Portal

Open your web browser and navigate to the Azure portal. Sign in with your Azure account credentials.

(Placeholder for Azure portal login screen)
2

Navigate to SQL Databases

In the Azure portal search bar at the top, type "SQL databases" and select "SQL databases" from the results under the "Services" section.

(Placeholder for Azure portal search bar showing "SQL databases")

Alternatively, click on the menu icon (☰) in the top-left corner, then select "Azure services" -> "Databases" -> "SQL databases".

3

Create a New SQL Database

On the SQL databases page, click the + Create button.

(Placeholder for SQL databases page with "Create" button highlighted)
4

Configure Basic Settings

On the "Create SQL database" page, fill in the following details:

  • Subscription: Select your Azure subscription.
  • Resource group: Click "Create new" and enter a name for your resource group (e.g., myResourceGroup). Resource groups help you manage related Azure resources.
  • Database name: Enter a name for your database (e.g., mySampleDatabase).
  • Server:
    • If you don't have a SQL server, click "Create new" and configure server details like server name, administrator login, and password.
    • If you have an existing server, select it from the dropdown.
  • Compute + storage: Click "Configure database" to choose your performance tier and storage. For this tutorial, the default "Basic" or "Standard S0" is usually sufficient and cost-effective.
  • Collation: Leave the default unless you have specific requirements.
(Placeholder for "Create SQL database" - Basic tab with fields)
5

Configure Networking

Navigate to the "Networking" tab. For simplicity in this tutorial, you can select "Public endpoint" and "Allow Azure services and resources to access this server". For production environments, configure firewall rules more restrictively.

(Placeholder for "Create SQL database" - Networking tab)
6

Configure Additional Settings (Optional)

You can explore "Additional settings" for options like data redundancy, but the defaults are fine for a first database.

7

Review and Create

Click the "Review + create" button. Azure will validate your configuration.

(Placeholder for "Create SQL database" - Review + create tab)

Once validation passes, click the "Create" button to provision your SQL database.

8

Deploying

The deployment process may take a few minutes. You can monitor the progress in the Azure portal.

(Placeholder for deployment progress indicator)
9

Access Your Database

Once deployment is complete, click "Go to resource" to navigate to your newly created SQL database overview page.

(Placeholder for deployment success message and "Go to resource" button)

Next Steps

Congratulations! You've successfully created your first Azure SQL Database. Here are some common next steps: