If you are building database solutions in Azure , using Azure SQL Database then you will know that you have a purchasing option decision to make. That being should you use a vCore model or DTU approach?
Azure SQL vCore vs DTU
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Category Archives: Azure SQL DB
Azure SQL Database Connectivity
Have you ever wondered how your connection from outside of Azure to your database is handled? It is important to understand that there is a difference between route(s) from when connecting inside to that of outside of Azure.
[Video] Azure SQL Database – Import a Database
Quick Video showing you have to use a BACPAC to “import” a database into Azure (Via Storage container),
Azure SQL Database – Greatest and Least TSQL
Being in the cloud does have many benefits, from lower administration to fast scaling but another “side effect” of operating in Azure SQL Database is the cloud first nature of changes. By this I basically mean new features always get pushed to Azure first before the classic on-premises version so some gems come to light.
Azure SQL Database and Memory
There are many factors to consider when you are thinking about the move to Azure SQL Database (PaaS) – this could be single databases (provisioned compute or serverless) to elastic pools. Going through your head should be how many vCores do you want? What are the I/O requirements, do we need access to certain features like in-memory OLTP? But what about the memory requirements? This has always been a key requirement for SQL Server – those wonderful words – Min / Max memory settings.
How does this relate to Azure? Well it all depends on your vCore count and the generation of hardware we select during the build process.
There are currently 4 hardware generations ( each has its own purpose) :Gen4, Gen5, Fsv2-series and M-series. Each type has xGB per vCore up to a certain max. So it is important to remember this when sizing your workloads. (screen shot summarising is below) https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/service-tiers-vcore?tabs=azure-portal
So, for example I select a provisioned Azure SQL Database – 12 vCore on Gen 4 means I will have 84GB memory available for my workload.
[Video] Azure SQL Database – Failing Over (Failover Groups)
Quick video showing you how to failover your Azure SQL Database between your primary and secondary location.
Azure Defender for SQL
If you have been following me or generally topics around Azure SQL Database and security you would know that it is important to leverage Advanced Data Security (ADS) for Azure SQL Database, if you remember this meant having tools such as advanced threat protection, vulnerability scans at your finger tips.
Backups for Azure SQL Virtual Machines
When it comes to database backups for IaaS based Azure SQL Servers you have 3 options.
Automating DBCC CHECKDB for Azure SQL DB with Azure Functions
Warning, this is a longer post from me than usual.
The title is a mouthful and so is this post. In the past I have linked to blog posts from Microsoft that say consistency checks for Azure SQL Database is the responsibility of Microsoft. (https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/blog/data-integrity-in-azure-sql-database/)
Azure SQL Database for the DBA
Last month I gave a presentation to The PASS Hybrid VG https://hybrid.pass.org/. Now is a good time to become “cloud ready” as a DBA and my presentation gives a nice quick tour of Azure SQL DB.
Abstract for the presentation being ” During this presentation you will get to see the differences in security, high availability, performance, and monitoring of this cloud-first solution. You will also learn about the different service tiers and performance levels that are specific to Azure SQL Database and learn about the different ways that you could migrate to Azure”.
I do cross into many topics such as DBCC CHECKDB , extended events etc, all very useful when wearing your “DBA” hat.
The recording can be found here – https://hybrid.pass.org/Meeting-Details/EventID/15614
