Azure SQL Database is a fully managed, platform as a service (PaaS) database engine that handles most database management functions like upgrading, patching and backups without user involvement.

It's built on the SQL Server engine, offering familiar tools, capabilities, and on-premises management for your relational database needs in the cloud. Azure SQL Database provides a highly available and high-performance database service that scales with your business needs.

Azure SQL Database Architecture

Key Features and Benefits

Intelligent Performance

Leverage built-in intelligence to automatically tune performance, detect anomalies, and provide recommendations for your database. Azure SQL Database offers elastic scaling for compute and storage.

Built-in High Availability and Disaster Recovery

Benefit from Azure's global infrastructure for automatic backups, point-in-time restore, and geo-replication to ensure your data is always accessible and protected, even in the event of a disaster.

Advanced Security

Protect your data with a comprehensive suite of security features, including encryption at rest and in transit, vulnerability assessment, threat detection, and granular access control.

Hybrid Cloud Capabilities

Seamlessly integrate your on-premises SQL Server environment with Azure SQL Database using hybrid cloud solutions like Azure Arc for consistent management and deployment across environments.

Getting Started

Discover how to create your first Azure SQL Database, connect to it, and start building your applications. Explore the various deployment options to find the best fit for your workload.

Quickstart Guide

Use Cases

  • Web and mobile application backends
  • E-commerce platforms
  • Enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) systems
  • Data warehousing and business intelligence
  • Internet of Things (IoT) data storage

Explore More

Dive deeper into specific aspects of Azure SQL Database, including performance tuning, security best practices, and cost management.

Database Features Tutorials