Azure Cosmos DB

Welcome to Azure Cosmos DB: A Quick Start

Azure Cosmos DB is a globally distributed, multi-model database service that enables you to harness the benefits of global distribution with minimal effort. It supports various data models, including document, key-value, graph, and column-family, and offers robust APIs to interact with your data.

This guide will walk you through the essential steps to create your first Azure Cosmos DB account, container, and item, setting you up for success with this powerful database solution.

Prerequisites

• An Azure subscription. If you don't have one, you can sign up for a free account.
• Basic understanding of database concepts.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Create an Azure Cosmos DB Account

   Navigate to the Azure portal. Search for "Azure Cosmos DB" and select it. Click "Create".

   Choose your desired API (e.g., Core (SQL) API for document data). Fill in the required fields, including subscription, resource group, account name, region, and capacity mode.

   Review and create your account. This process typically takes a few minutes.

   For a Core (SQL) API account, you can use the following sample data structure for your initial item:

   {
       "id": "example-item-1",
       "category": "example",
       "name": "My First Cosmos DB Item",
       "description": "This is a sample document stored in Azure Cosmos DB.",
       "tags": ["sample", "getting-started", "cosmosdb"]
   }

2. 2

   Create a Database and Container

   Once your Cosmos DB account is deployed, navigate to its resource page in the Azure portal.

   Under "Data Explorer", select "New Container".

   Choose or create a database. Enter a container ID (e.g., my-container) and specify a partition key (e.g., /category if using the sample data above). The partition key is crucial for performance and scalability.

3. 3

   Add Your First Item

   Within the newly created container in Data Explorer, select "Items" and then "New Item".

   Paste the sample JSON data provided earlier (or your own custom data) into the editor.

   Click "Save". You should now see your item listed in the container.

4. 4

   Explore Your Data

   In Data Explorer, you can view, query, and manage your items directly. Try running a simple query like:

   SELECT * FROM c

   To see all items in the container.

Next Steps

Congratulations! You've successfully set up your first Azure Cosmos DB instance and added data. Here are some recommended next steps:

• Explore SDKs: Learn how to interact with Cosmos DB programmatically using our official SDKs for various programming languages (SDKs Overview).
• Understand Partitioning: Dive deeper into how partition keys affect performance and scalability (Partitioning in Cosmos DB).
• Cost Management: Learn about pricing models and how to optimize costs (Cosmos DB Pricing).
• Security: Discover best practices for securing your Cosmos DB data (Cosmos DB Security).