Running SQL In Azure
So you want to store your relational data in the Microsoft Azure Cloud. What is the best way to go about it? It turns out there are two methods for working with SQL Server in Azure:
- SQL Azure
- SQL Server running on a virtual machine in Azure
These two technologies differ considerably when it comes to capability, features and maintenance requirements.
Running SQL on a virtual machine would be the equivalent of running SQL Server on a virtual machine nearly anywhere. You select a virtual machine with the necessary horsepower and install your SQL Server. The main difference here is that you don’t have to maintain the operating system…that is handled by the Azure platform.
SQL Azure, by contrast, handles all the carving out of windows servers and database instances. Your database may be running beside the database from another company on the same server. Since you don’t have access to the operating system or the file system you are unable to access anything except your own data from your database.
SQL Azure handles real time failover should the primary image of your database fail for any reason. Backups are not necessary unless you wish to protect from bad data occuring in your applications.
The difference in this case is that using Azure SQL Service you have to share resources fairly with those required by other consumers. Microsoft has recently announced a community preview of a new feature in SQL Azure. They call it SQL Database Premium. This version allows you to specify required capacity so you are guaranteed a specific level of service. You are not throttled back when users from other systems have peaks.
Just like any other form of Premium, you pay a premium for Premium level of service. It hasn’t yet been released to the public at large. You can sign up for Premium preview today, but I am not sure you are guaranteed to gain access. Also, since it is in a preview state, they are not yet charging full price for the service.
Here is a link to a faq from Microsoft to give you some high level advice helping you sort through the different options available to you today.
http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/pricing/details/sql-database/
Why not share your experience in operating your databases in SQL Azure? Just leave a comment below, or drop an email to btaylor@sswug.org.
Cheers,
Ben
$$SWYNK$$
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