Microsoft Learn

Documentation for Azure Services

Table of Contents

Overview of Azure SQL Database

Azure SQL Database is a fully managed platform as a service (PaaS) database engine that handles most of the database management functions such as upgrading, patching, backups, and provides high availability and disaster recovery without user intervention.

It's built on the SQL Server engine and offers compatibility with the latest stable version of SQL Server. This makes it a highly attractive option for organizations looking to migrate their on-premises SQL Server databases to the cloud, or for new cloud-native applications requiring a robust and scalable relational database.

Azure SQL Database offers a modern, intelligent, and scalable cloud database solution.

Key Features

Azure SQL Database provides a rich set of features designed to simplify database management and enhance performance, security, and availability:

Intelligent Performance

Automatic performance tuning, query analysis, and index management to optimize your database workload.

Scalability & Elasticity

Scale compute and storage resources up or down with minimal downtime to match your application's demands.

Security & Compliance

Advanced threat protection, transparent data encryption (TDE), firewall rules, and compliance certifications.

High Availability & Disaster Recovery

Built-in redundancy and automated backups ensure your data is always available and recoverable.

Hybrid Connectivity

Seamless integration with on-premises environments using features like Azure Arc.

Developer Productivity

Support for various programming languages and frameworks, along with familiar SQL Server tools.

Deployment Options

Azure SQL Database offers several deployment models to suit different needs:

Single Database

An isolated database with its own set of resources managed by Azure. Ideal for new cloud applications and microservices.

Elastic Pool

A collection of databases with pre-configured resource allocation that are shared among them. Cost-effective for applications with unpredictable usage patterns.

Managed Instance

A fully managed instance of the SQL Server engine, offering near 100% compatibility with on-premises SQL Server. Suitable for lift-and-shift migrations of existing applications.

Pricing

Pricing for Azure SQL Database is based on several factors, including the chosen service tier (General Purpose, Business Critical, Hyperscale), compute tier (Provisioned or Serverless), and the amount of storage used. There are also options for reserved capacity to reduce costs for predictable workloads.

You can explore the detailed pricing calculator on the Azure pricing page.

Getting Started with Azure SQL Database

Getting started with Azure SQL Database is straightforward:

  1. Create an Azure account: If you don't have one, sign up for a free Azure account.
  2. Provision a SQL Database: Use the Azure portal, Azure CLI, or PowerShell to create a new SQL Database instance.
  3. Connect to your database: Use familiar tools like SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) or Azure Data Studio to connect.
  4. Migrate your data: Utilize tools like the Azure Database Migration Service to move your existing data.

Example: Creating a database using Azure CLI


az sql db create \
    --resource-group <YourResourceGroup> \
    --server <YourServerName> \
    --name <YourDatabaseName> \
    --edition Basic \
    --capacity 5 \
    --family Gen5

This example demonstrates a basic creation command. For more advanced configurations, refer to the official Azure SQL Database documentation.