Administering Azure SQL Databases

Introduction to Azure SQL

Azure SQL is a relational database service in the Microsoft cloud based on Microsoft SQL Server. In this introduction module, participants are introduced to the Azure SQL offering and concepts like Service Tiers, DTU's and the pricing of Azure SQL.

• What is Azure SQL?
• Azure SQL Architecture
• Azure SQL Pricing
• Azure SQL Service Tiers and DTU's
• Limitations of Azure SQL
• Differences between Azure SQL Databases and Azure SQL Managed Instances
• Working with the Azure Management Portal
• LAB: Introduction to Azure SQL

Provisioning Azure SQL Databases

In this module, participants will learn how to create Azure SQL Servers and Databases. Once the Azure SQL Server and Azure SQL Databases are up and running, Firewall rules must be configured to allow client applications to connect to the Azure SQL Databases.

• Creating and configuring a Server in Azure SQL
• Creating and configuring an Azure SQL Database
• Implementing Firewall Rules
• Azure SQL networking overview
• Overview of the Azure SQL Management Tools
• LAB: Creating Azure SQL Databases

Provisioning Azure SQL Managed Instances

Azure SQL Managed Instance is a cloud database service that combines the broadest SQL Server database engine compatibility. Students will learn about the key differences between an On-Premises SQL Server and and Azure SQL Managed Instance, how to provision and configure an Azure SQL Managed Instance,....

• Azure SQL Managed Instance overview
• Differences between an On-Premises SQL Server and an Azure SQL Managed Instance
• Virtual Networks and Azure SQL Managed Instances
• Provisioning and configuring an Azure SQL Managed Instance
• Accessing Azure SQL Managed Instances
• Optional LAB: creating an Azure SQL Managed Instance

Azure SQL Data Storage

Before you can create and manage databases, you should understand how data is stored in them, know about the different types of files that SQL Server can utilize.

• Introduction to Data Storage with SQL Server
• The structure of Data Files
• Working with Transaction Log files
• Working with Filegroups
• LAB: Azure SQL Data Storage

Creating and Migrating Azure SQL Databases

In this module students will learn how on-premises SQL Server databases can be migrated to Azure SQL.

• Creating tables, views, stored procedures, ...
• Migrate an existing SQL Server database to Azure SQL
• The Data Migration Assistant
• Exporting and Importing BACPAC files of a SQL Database
• The Azure Database Migration Service
• Copy an Azure SQL Database
• LAB: Migrating Azure SQL Databases

Azure SQL Database Client Connectivity

• Connectivity Overview
• Available Connectivity Libraries
• Azure SQL Database Connection Strings

Elastic Databases and Pools

A common application pattern in building SaaS applications is to provision a single database for each customer. But different customers often have varying usage patterns making it difficult to predict the resource requirements for each individual database. Elastic Database Pools solve this problem by allowing you to purchase resources for a pool of databases. Within a Database Pool, each database can then request resources between specified minimum and maximum parameters.

• Introducing Elastic Database Pools
• Implementing Elastic Database Pools and working with eDTU's
• Creating Elastic Database Pools
• Configuring Elastic Databases
• Monitoring Elastic Database Pools
• Creating Elastic Jobs
• Introducing instance pools in SQL Managed Instance
• LAB: Working with Elastic Database Pools and Elastic Jobs

Securing user access to Azure SQL

Authentication requires that users must prove their identity before they can login to an Azure SQL Server or Database. Authorization is used to control what users can do and see inside an Azure SQL Database. Participants will learn how they can work Logins and Users to configure the security of Azure SQL

• Authentication overview
• Configuring Authentication
• Configuring Authorization
• Creating Logins and Users
• Working with contained databases
• LAB: Securing user access to Azure SQL databases

Securing Azure SQL

Azure SQL Database and Azure SQL Managed Instance secure customer data by providing auditing and threat detection capabilities. This module covers how you can secure your data using features like Always Encrypted, Azure Defender for SQL,... You will also learn how you can audit user access to Azure SQL

• Network security
• Auditing in Azure SQL
• Azure Defender for SQL
• Advanced Thread Protection
• Always Encrypted
• Data Discovery and Classification
• Dynamic Data Masking
• LAB: Auditing and securing Azure SQL

Monitoring and Tuning in Azure SQL

Azure SQL provides several ways for you to monitor your databases for issues, as well as look for ways to improve performance. You can create alerts using Microsoft Azure Monitor with metrics such as DTU, Database size percentage, and Deadlocks. You can also help improve your performance by using tools such as Query Performance Insight.

• Working with Extended Events
• The SQL Server Query Store
• Query Performance Insight in Azure SQL Databases
• Azure SQL Analytics
• Automatic tuning in Azure SQL
• Monitoring using DMVs
• LAB: Monitoring Azure SQL databases

Backup and Restore in Azure SQL

This chapter will introduce you to backup and restore with Azure SQL Databases and Azure SQL Managed Instances. You'll learn about automated and manual backups, explore automated backup features, and perform the manual backup of an Azure SQL Managed Instance

• Automatic backups in Azure SQL
• Backup retention and storage
• Configure Long-term backup retention
• Perform manual backups with Azure SQL Managed Instances
• Perform a Point-in-time restore
• Long-term database restore
• Geo-restoring databasesL
• LAB: Backup and restore databases

High availability and disaster recovery

This module describes the capabilities that Azure SQL Database provides for business continuity and disaster recovery. Students will learn about the backup and restore features of an Azure SQL Database, how to setup geo-replication of Azure SQL Databases.

• Business Continuity overview
• High Availability in the Basic, Standard and General-Purpose service tiers
• High Availability in the Premium and Business Critical service tiers
• Active geo-replication
• Auto-failover groups
• LAB: High Availability