Microsoft® SQL Azure™ Database is a cloud-based relational database service built for Windows®

Azure platform. It provides a highly available, scalable, multi-tenant database service hosted by
Microsoft in the cloud. SQL Azure Database enables easy provisioning and deployment of multiple
databases. Developers do not have to install, setup, patch or manage any software. High Availability
and fault tolerance is built-in and no physical administration is required. SQL Azure supports Transact-
SQL (T-SQL). Customers can leverage existing tools and knowledge in T-SQL based familiar relational
data model for building applications.

Cloud based Database
as a Service
SQL Azure is built on the enterprise-
class SQL Server relational database
and Windows Server® technologies.
It provides the following benefits:
It helps developers to quickly
build or extend applications to
run in the cloud environment.
It helps maintain low-cost
management with a highly
scalable infrastructure.
It helps maintain business-
continuity with reliability,
security and availability.
SQL Azure Database
Highlights
Symmetry with SQL Server -
Support for T-SQL based relational
data model. Integration with existing
SQL Server tools.
Self-Managing across multiple DBs -
No need to install or patch software
or other physical administration.
Auto High availability and Fault
tolerance. Simple provisioning and
deployment of multiple databases.
Elastic scale across multiple
DBs - Security management.
Databases can be scaled up or
down based on business needs.
Pay as you grow.
Business Scenarios
Organizations are seeing an explosion
of data and applications that access
and manage the growing amount
of data.
New types of data-driven
Web 2.0 applications are
emerging. Developers want to
build interconnected database
applications quickly and integrate
end-to-end mash-ups with existing
applications. They want to focus
more on innovating with data and
less on setting up infrastructure.
Businesses are looking for ways
to lower their upfront CapEx costs,
quickly scale to meet growing
demands, and offset rising data
management costs.
According to analysts, more than
70 percent of a typical IT budget
is spent on infrastructure such as
servers, operating systems, storage,
and networking. The cost of
managing this infrastructure
is increasing.
Customers want highly secure
access to information on any
device from anywhere.
Typical database scenarios include:
Scalable Web Applications: Small
customers, hobbyists or startups
with web applications of all scale
that have RDBMS needs
ISV Packaged/Custom LOB
Applications: Traditional SaaS ISVs
and custom developers extending
their offerings or packaged/custom
software hosted in the cloud
Departmental Application:
Enterprises building departmental/
workgroup applications
Data Hub: Companies using SQL
Azure to consolidate multiple data
sources in the Cloud and enable
secure access from multiple locations,
desktop and/or devices.
Developer Agility With SQL Azure Database, you can Business-Ready SLAs
explore relational data model to Use the proven Microsoft data
By using SQL Azure Database, build the next generation of Internet platform infrastructure and large
developer agility and quick services and implement centralized geo-dispersed data centers. Take
deployments are ensured through data storage for multiple users, advantage of the SQL Server
a familiar data access interface applications, and devices relational database architecture
and a relational data model that that extends to the cloud to include
supports tools developers are Elastic Scale security, compliance, and high
already familiar with. availability. Web service ISVs can
Gain business flexibility and scale with easily create multi-tenant solutions,
TSQL-based relational Data Model the ability to pay as you grow without providing the required isolation
and Familiar Tool Support limits; remove database procurement between tenant data while
SQL Azure Database is built on the and management needs, and access simplifying provisioning
Microsoft CloudDB platform; a highly data virtually anytime, anywhere. and management.
scalable database platform for the Scale databases easily with low
Internet based on the solid foundation upfront costs and a pay as you grow Protect Against Data Loss
of SQL Server. The relational data model. Provision only the data storage Microsoft SQL Azure manages
model used by Microsoft SQL Azure you need, and then extend your multiple replicated copies of the data
provides the same core database storage solution as your application and provides transactional consistency
features as SQL Server; making it easy grows or to cope with cyclical across multiple copies.
to develop an application in an on- database utilization increases.
premise SQL Server instance and then Secure Your Data
deploy the database schema and data Self-managing Help maintain confidentiality
to the SQL Azure Database. and privacy through highly
SQL Azure Database provides self secure login access.
Applications access SQL Azure managing capabilities for multiple
Database across the Internet by databases that enable developers Additional Information
using the same Tabular Data Stream to focus on developing business For more information, see:
endpoint as SQL Server. This enables applications and removes concerns Product page:
developers to use the same network about provisioning multiple http://www.microsoft.com/azure/sql.
libraries, data access components, databases. No need to install, patch mspx
and development tools as they use and upgrade software. MSDN Developer Center:
to access on-premise SQL Server Self-provisioning and self-deployment http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-gb/
data stores. capabilities remove the manual steps sqlserver/dataservices/default.aspx
required for physical administration. Blog:
Developers can use familiar data http://blogs.msdn.com/ssds
access technologies like ADO. Access Any Amount of Data Training:
NET, ODBC, and JDBC; and take Virtually Anytime, Anywhere http://www.microsoft.com/
advantage of new innovations in on the Web downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=
data programmability through SQL Azure Database offers near 413E88F8-5966-4A83-B309-
technologies like LINQ, the ADO.NET anytime access to your data. Using 53B7B77EDF78&displaylang=en
Entity Framework, and ADO.NET your credentials, almost any device
Data Services. with an Internet connection can
access it.
Create Innovative New Solutions
Microsoft SQL Azure Database is the Business-Ready Reliability,
relational database as a service for Security Features,
the Microsoft Windows Azure. As
you build new solutions that take
and Continuity
advantage of the possibilities of Gain reliability and security features
cloud-based software services, you with the enterprise-class Microsoft
can take advantage of the relational data infrastructure and features that
database services provided by offer high levels of data protection.
Microsoft SQL Azure to complement
the Windows Azure Storage.
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