Configure Your Azure Database

Accessing Database Configuration Settings

Navigate to your Azure database resource in the Azure portal. On the overview page, you'll find links and sections related to configuration, such as "Connection strings," "Firewall rules," "Networking," and "Pricing tier."

For Azure SQL Database, you can find settings under "Settings" in the left-hand menu.

Configuring Firewall Rules

Security is paramount. By default, Azure databases have strict firewall rules. You need to configure these to allow access from your application servers or specific IP addresses.

To configure:

• Go to your database resource in the Azure portal.
• Under "Security," click on "Firewall."
• Click "Add client IP" to automatically add your current public IP, or manually enter IP address ranges.
• Ensure "Allow Azure services and resources to access this server" is set to "Yes" if your application is hosted within Azure.

Example: To allow access from the IP range 203.0.113.0/24, you would add this as a new rule.

// In Azure Portal, navigate to Firewall settings and add a new rule.
// Rule Name: MyAppServerAccess
// Start IP: 203.0.113.0
// End IP: 203.0.113.255

Setting Up Network Connectivity

Depending on your needs, you might use public endpoints, private endpoints, or service endpoints for secure and private network access to your database.

• Public Endpoint: Default, accessible over the internet (with firewall rules).
• Private Endpoint: Provides a dedicated private IP address within your virtual network, enhancing security by keeping traffic off the public internet.
• Service Endpoint: Limits access to your database service to resources within a specific virtual network and subnet.

To configure a Private Endpoint:

1. In your database resource, navigate to "Networking."
2. Select "Private endpoint connections."
3. Click "+ Private endpoint."
4. Follow the wizard to select your subscription, resource group, virtual network, and subnet.
5. Choose the specific database resource.

Optimizing Performance and Sizing

Selecting the right pricing tier and performance level is crucial for balancing cost and performance.

• Review the different performance tiers (e.g., Basic, Standard, Premium, Business Critical).
• Monitor your database's performance metrics (CPU, IOPS, memory) using Azure Monitor.
• Adjust the pricing tier or compute size as needed. For example, if you're experiencing high latency, consider scaling up to a higher performance tier.

You can typically change the pricing tier under the "Settings" or "Compute + storage" section of your database resource.

Configuring Security and Auditing

Beyond firewall rules, consider additional security measures:

• Azure Active Directory (AAD) Authentication: Integrate with AAD for centralized identity management and enhanced security.
• Encryption: Ensure data is encrypted at rest (Transparent Data Encryption) and in transit (SSL/TLS). Azure services typically enforce this by default.
• Auditing: Enable auditing to track database events and maintain a log of activities. This is vital for compliance and security analysis.

To enable Auditing for Azure SQL Database:

1. Navigate to your database resource.
2. Under "Security," click "Auditing."
3. Toggle Auditing to "On."
4. Choose a destination for audit logs (e.g., Log Analytics workspace, Storage account).

Managing Connection Strings

Your application will need connection strings to access the database. These are usually found on the database's overview page or in a dedicated "Connection strings" section.

Always store connection strings securely, preferably using Azure Key Vault, and avoid hardcoding them directly into your application code.

Example Azure SQL Connection String (ADO.NET):

Server=tcp:your_server.database.windows.net,1433;Initial Catalog=your_database;Persist Security Info=False;User ID=your_username;Password=your_password;MultipleActiveResultSets=False;Encrypt=True;TrustServerCertificate=False;Connection Timeout=30;