SQL Server in AzureMarek ChmelMicrosoft MVP: Data PlatformMicrosoft MCSE: Data Management & AnalyticsCertified Ethical Hacker

Options to run SQL Server database

Microsoft SQL Server 2017

on-premise

Microsoft SQL Server 2017

Azure VM

Azure SQL Database

Azure DB Elastic PoolManagedInstance

Azure SQL DW

Iaas vs. PaaS

Your Responsibility

Advantages of Azure SQL Database

• RDBMS hosted as a service in Microsoft Azure

• Compatible with Microsoft SQL Server• Same T-SQL

• Same Data types

• Same clients

• Same protocols

• Cloud First Release Model - New features go to Azure SQL Database before going into the retail SQL Server product.

• Shares code base with on-premise SQL Server

Azure SQL Database – single DB

Single Database

• Database hosted on logical server

• A server in Azure SQL Database is a logical entity for groupingdatabases.• Databases on one logical server run on different physical servers

• Login management for mapping logins to DB users

Limitations

• Several common services are missing• SQL Server Agent

• Azure Webjobs• Azure SQL Elastic Job (S0 tier and higher)• Azure Automation• Azure Functions• On-premise SQL or Azure VM SQL Server with Agent

• SSIS• Azure Data Factory

• SSAS• Azure Analysis Services

• SSRS• PowerBI• Iaas SQL VM with SSRS

More limitations

• Azure SQL DB is a PaaS offering, you can‘t manage SQL Server instance• Cross-database queries

• System views

• Server roles

• DB file management

• Common SQL Server backup

Database Security

• Server firewall• Can also use virtual network, exposing the DBs only to limited set of resources

• Database firewall

• Authentication• SQL Server Authentication

• Azure AD authentication

• Authorization• Classic SQL Server model for database-level objects

Improved Security Features

Understanding Service Tiers

• The service tier determines the size, performance, features and recovery characteristics of the database

• First Release Configurations

• Web up to 5GB

• Business up to 150GB

• Current Configuration

• Basic

• Standard

• Premium

• 3rd Generation Configuration

• vCore based

DTU Explanation

• A DTU is a unit of measure of the resourcesthat are guaranteed to be available to an Azure SQL database at a specific performance level.

• Measures how powerful your database is!

• Blends CPU + Memory + Data IO + Log IO

• It is based on a Microsoft OLTP benchmark

• You can move from a lower tier to a higher oneand vice versa at any point in time.

• For an initial estimate, there is a DTU Calculator athttp://dtucalculator.azurewebsites.netdeveloped by Justin Henriksen, Azure SolutionsArchitect at Microsoft.

Not Only Performance matters ..

Basic Standard Premium

Target workload Development and production Development and production Development and production

Uptime SLA 99.99% 99.99% 99.99%

Backup retention 7 days 35 days 35 days

CPU Low Low, Medium, High Medium, High

IO throughput (approximate) 2.5 IOPS per DTU 2.5 IOPS per DTU 48 IOPS per DTU

IO latency (approximate) 5 ms (read), 10 ms (write) 5 ms (read), 10 ms (write) 2 ms (read/write)

Columnstore indexing N/A S3 and above Supported

In-memory OLTP N/A N/A Supported

Changing Tiers

Backups

• Backups happen automatically as part of the service.

• All databases support point-in-time recovery with a 12 hour RTO and 5 minute RPO for the in-region backups.

• Retention Period based on service tier

• Backups are replicated to a paired Azure region. In the event of a region outage, you can restore your backups to another region.

Tier Basic Standard Premium

Days 7 35 35

Type Full Differential TransactionLog

Frequency Weekly Hourly 5 minutes

Retention

SQL Elastic Pool

SQL Elastic Pools

• More efficient way to distribute the available performance acrossmore DBs• Can be more cost efficient, especially of DBs have short performance spikes

• 20 databases can share 100 eDTUs over this time period. This results in a 20x reduction in DTUs and a 13x price reduction compared to placing each of the databases in S3 compute sizes for single databases

SQL Managed Instances

SQL Server Managed Instances

• Still in preview, GA expected on 1st October

• Nearly 100% compatible with on-premise deployment

Different Pricing Tiers

• vCore-based purchasing model• General Purpose service tier

• Business critical service tierFeature Description

Number of vCores* 8, 16, 24 (Gen 4), 7GB RAM per vCore8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 64, 80 (Gen 5), 5.5GB RAM per vCore

Max storage size 8 TB

Expected storage IOPS 500-7500 IOPS per data file (depends on data file). See Premium Storage

Number of log files (LOG) per database 1

Managed automated backups Yes

HA Data stored in Azure Storage and Azure Service Fabric

Managed Instance vs. On-premise SQL Server

• User backups have to be COPY_ONLY

• No disk interaction• Backup to URL

• No BULK INSERT

• Can‘t change DB status and recovery model

• SQL Server Agent supports only T-SQL steps