Azure Documentation

Step 1: Sign in to the Azure portal

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

Step 2: Navigate to the SQL servers resource

In the Azure portal search bar, type SQL servers and select SQL servers from the results. Then, click on + Create.

Alternatively, you can go to Create a resource, search for SQL Server, and select SQL Server from the marketplace. Then, click Create.

Step 3: Configure the basic settings

On the Basics tab, configure the following settings:

• Subscription: Select your Azure subscription.
• Resource group: Create a new resource group or select an existing one. A resource group is a logical container for your Azure resources.
• Server name: Enter a globally unique name for your SQL server. This name will be part of the server's Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN), for example, yourservername.database.windows.net.
• Region: Select the Azure region where you want to deploy your server. Choose a region close to your users or applications for optimal performance.
• Version: Select the SQL Server version. For Azure SQL Database, this typically defaults to the latest supported version.
• Server admin login: Create a login name for the server administrator.
• Password: Enter a strong password for the server administrator. Confirm the password.

Step 4: Configure networking

On the Networking tab, you can configure network access to your server:

• Connectivity method: Choose your desired connectivity method. Public endpoints are the default and allow access over the internet. Private endpoints provide more secure access within your virtual network.
• Firewall rules: Configure firewall rules to allow or deny access from specific IP addresses or ranges. For initial setup, you might choose to allow Azure services and resources to access this server.

Note: It's recommended to configure strict firewall rules for production environments.

Step 5: Configure additional settings (Optional)

On the Additional settings tab, you can configure options like:

• Data source: You can choose to create a new blank database or restore from a backup.
• Collation: Select the collation for your database.

Step 6: Review and create

On the Review + create tab, review all the settings you have configured. Azure will validate your configuration. If validation passes, click the Create button.

The deployment process may take a few minutes. You will be notified when the deployment is complete.