Create Azure SQL Database and Configure Settings

To create an Azure SQL Database, you'll need to navigate to the Azure portal and click on the "Create a resource" button. This will take you to a page where you can choose the type of resource you want to create, in this case, an Azure SQL Database.

You can choose between a single database and an elastic pool, depending on your needs. For a single database, you'll have more control over the configuration, while an elastic pool is better suited for multiple databases that share similar characteristics.

To configure the settings for your Azure SQL Database, you'll need to provide a server name, database name, and choose a pricing tier. Be sure to choose a pricing tier that meets your needs, as this will impact the cost of your database.

The server name should be unique and follow the Azure naming conventions, which include only letters, numbers, and underscores.

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Before we dive into creating an Azure SQL database, let's make sure you have everything you need. You'll need an active Azure subscription, which you can easily create for free if you don't already have one.

To manage your Azure resources, you can use the Azure portal, which is the primary tool for this process. Optionally, you can also use the latest version of Azure PowerShell or Azure CLI for added flexibility.

To get started, make sure you have an Azure subscription up and running. If you're new to Azure, you can create a free account in just a few minutes.

To create an Azure SQL database, you'll need the right permissions. To create databases via Transact-SQL, CREATE DATABASE permissions are necessary.

You can obtain these permissions by being either the server admin login, the Microsoft Entra admin of the server, or a member of the dbmanager database role in master. For more information, see CREATE DATABASE.

Alternatively, you can use the Azure portal, PowerShell, Azure CLI, or REST API to create a database, but you'll need Azure RBAC permissions specifically. The Contributor, SQL DB Contributor, or SQL Server Contributor Azure RBAC role will give you the necessary permissions. For more information, see Azure RBAC built-in roles.

You can create a database with the New-AzSqlDatabase cmdlet, but you'll still need to have the right permissions set up first.

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Creating Azure SQL Database is a straightforward process. You can use the Azure CLI to create and manage your servers, databases, and firewalls. The Azure CLI commands are easily accessible, and you can run them in the Cloud Shell or install them on your operating system.

To create a database, use the az sql db create command. This command creates a database in the serverless compute tier. You can also create a server using the az sql server create command and then create a database in that server.

You can create a resource group using the New-AzResourceGroup cmdlet or the az group create command. A resource group is a logical container for your Azure resources.

Here are the Azure CLI commands for creating and managing databases:

You can also create a database using the Azure portal. Choose the Azure SQL Database resource in Azure Marketplace to create a single database. You can create a blank database or a sample database based on Adventure Works LT.

When selecting a configuration for your Azure SQL Database, it's essential to consider your workload requirements.

There are two main types of configuration: DTU and v-core based.

DTU stands for Database Transaction Unit, which defines how much resources your database has.

The DTU configuration has three options: Basic for less demanding workloads, Standard for average performance requirements, and Premium for IO intensive workloads.

It's often better to start with a lesser configuration and upgrade as needed, making it easier to monitor usage and adjust accordingly.

You can monitor the usage of your database in the Azure Portal to get a better understanding of resource configurations.

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Creating a database can be a hassle, especially when it comes to maintenance and scalability. You can create a database on-premise, but that leaves you to maintain the operating system and database server.

You have the freedom to travel and work from anywhere, but maintaining a database on-premise can be a headache. Disaster recovery and High Availability are just a few of the issues you'll face.

Cloud computing is a great alternative, allowing you to focus on your work without worrying about database maintenance. With Azure SQL Database, you can easily scale up or down to meet your needs.

To get started, you need to choose an Azure subscription. Then, you'll need to select or create a new resource group to organize and manage your resources.

Resource groups are like folders that help you keep your resources tidy. You can place resources for development, quality assurance, and production separately, or organize them by project to maintain your budget.

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PowerShell and Azure CLI are two powerful tools you can use to create and manage Azure SQL databases.

You can use the New-AzSqlDatabase cmdlet in PowerShell to create a database. This cmdlet is part of the Az.Sql module, which is the recommended module for future development.

To create and manage servers, single and pooled databases, and server-level firewalls with Azure PowerShell, you can use the following PowerShell cmdlets: New-AzSqlDatabase, Get-AzSqlDatabase, Set-AzSqlDatabase, Remove-AzSqlDatabase, New-AzResourceGroup, New-AzSqlServer, Get-AzSqlServer, Set-AzSqlServer, Remove-AzSqlServer, New-AzSqlServerFirewallRule, Get-AzSqlServerFirewallRule, Set-AzSqlServerFirewallRule, Remove-AzSqlServerFirewallRule, and New-AzSqlServerVirtualNetworkRule.

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For Azure CLI, you can use the az sql db create command to create a database. This command is part of the Azure CLI, which is a cross-platform tool for managing Azure resources.

Here are some common Azure CLI commands for managing Azure SQL databases:

You can also use the az group create command to create a resource group, and the az sql server create command to create a server.

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To query your Azure SQL Database, you can use the Query editor in the Azure portal. This editor allows you to connect to your database and run SQL queries to retrieve data.

First, in the Azure portal, search for and select SQL databases, then select your database from the list. Next, select Query editor (preview) in the left menu, and enter your SQL authentication server admin login information or use Microsoft Entra authentication.

To run a query, enter the following SQL code in the Query editor pane: SELECT TOP 20 pc.Name as CategoryName, p.name as ProductName FROM SalesLT.ProductCategory pc JOIN SalesLT.Product p ON pc.productcategoryid = p.productcategoryid; Then, select Run and review the query results in the Results pane.

You can also connect to your database using SSMS (SQL Server Management Studio). To do this, you need to enable your IP address to connect to the created database.

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To query a database, you can use the Query editor (preview) in the Azure portal. This allows you to connect to the database and query data.

To access the Query editor, search for and select SQL databases in the portal, then select your database from the list. On the database page, select Query editor (preview) in the left menu.

You'll need to enter your SQL authentication server admin login information or use Microsoft Entra authentication. Microsoft Entra ID was previously known as Azure Active Directory (Azure AD).

Once you're connected, you can enter a query in the Query editor pane. For example, you can use the following query to retrieve the top 20 product categories and product names:

SELECT TOP 20 pc.Name as CategoryName, p.name as ProductName FROM SalesLT.ProductCategory pc JOIN SalesLT.Product p ON pc.productcategoryid = p.productcategoryid;

After running the query, you can review the results in the Results pane.

If you're using the Azure portal, you can also delete the resource group and all its resources using the Delete resource group option. To do this, search for and select Resource groups, then select the resource group you want to delete.

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You can use your popular SSMS to connect to the newly created Database in Azure.

To connect, you need to enable your IP address so that you can connect to the created database.

Once you're connected, it's similar to a standard database in On-Premise.

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