SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines

Deploy and manage SQL Server instances running on Azure VMs for maximum flexibility and control.

Overview

Azure Virtual Machines (VMs) provide a highly scalable and flexible cloud computing solution. Running SQL Server on Azure VMs offers the full benefits of SQL Server with the added advantages of cloud scalability, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. This allows you to migrate existing SQL Server workloads to the cloud or build new, high-performance applications.

Key Benefits

• Full Control: Complete administrative control over the operating system and SQL Server instance.
• Hybrid Scenarios: Seamless integration with on-premises environments.
• Cost Optimization: Utilize Azure Hybrid Benefit and Reserved Instances for significant cost savings.
• Performance & Scalability: Choose VM sizes and storage options that meet your performance needs and scale up or down as required.
• High Availability & Disaster Recovery: Implement solutions like Always On Availability Groups and Azure Site Recovery.

Getting Started

Deploying SQL Server on an Azure VM

You can deploy SQL Server on Azure VMs in several ways:

• Azure Marketplace: Choose from pre-configured SQL Server VM images, including various editions and versions.
• Manually Install: Deploy a Windows Server VM and install SQL Server yourself.
• Azure Resource Manager (ARM) Templates: Automate deployments with Infrastructure as Code.

Creating a SQL Server VM from Azure Marketplace

1. Sign in to the Azure portal.
2. Navigate to "Create a resource".
3. Search for "SQL Server" and select the desired SQL Server image (e.g., "SQL Server 2019 Enterprise on Windows Server 2019").
4. Click "Create".
5. Follow the prompts to configure your VM, including resource group, VM name, region, administrator account, size, storage, and networking.
6. Review and create your virtual machine.

Conceptual image of the Azure portal VM creation wizard.

Managing SQL Server on Azure VMs

Connectivity

Once deployed, you can connect to your SQL Server instance using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) or other client tools:

• Ensure the SQL Server port (default 1433) is open in the VM's Network Security Group (NSG) if you need external access.
• Use the VM's public IP address or DNS name for connections.

Performance Tuning and Optimization

Azure provides various services and configurations to optimize SQL Server performance:

• Storage: Choose Premium SSD or Ultra Disk for demanding workloads.
• VM Size: Select VM families optimized for compute or memory-intensive applications.
• Monitoring: Utilize Azure Monitor and SQL Server performance metrics.
• Automatic Tuning: Leverage SQL Server's automatic tuning features.

High Availability and Disaster Recovery

Implement robust HA/DR solutions:

• Always On Availability Groups: For high availability and disaster recovery within Azure or across regions.
• Failover Cluster Instances (FCI): For shared storage high availability.
• Azure Site Recovery: For disaster recovery to a secondary Azure region.
• Automated Backups: Configure automated backups to Azure Blob Storage.

Pricing and Licensing

Understand the costs associated with running SQL Server on Azure VMs:

• Pay-as-you-go: Standard VM usage rates.
• Azure Hybrid Benefit: Use your existing on-premises SQL Server licenses with Software Assurance to save on SQL Server license costs.
• Reserved VM Instances: Commit to a 1-year or 3-year term for significant discounts on VM compute costs.

Refer to the Azure pricing calculator for detailed cost estimations.

Resources

Explore further resources: