Item: Azure SQL Database
Rating: 9
Author: Verified User

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We have an online application that is used by most employees, this online application depends on several SQL Databases for storing and accessing information, we needed a [cloud-based] DBaaS service to host the databases of the solution and provide a cost-effective way of scaling up and down based on our application usage since after hours the utilization is incredibly low, Azure SQL did the job quite nicely with the auto-scale capability and helped reduce the costs and optimize the performance.

Pros and Cons

An excellent option for cloud-based database hosting
Great if you already have on-premises SQL Databases that you want to migrate to the cloud
Cost-effective solution for cloud DB hosting with great scaling capabilities

Although it's a great option for migrating on-premises SQL DBs, it lacks some of the features of the on-premises SQL Server Instances
Server Collation is limited to SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS
Logs support only [the] Full Recovery Model, which doesn't scale well for databases that contain logs/audit trail, or databases that contain engine jobs such as HangFire DBs
Doesn't Support CLR, so certain on-premises databases with CLR are not compatible, so you are most likely left with the AzureSQL Managed Instance for this functionality

Return on Investment

Cost reduction was over 70%
Eliminated the need to invest [...] thousands of dollars in hardware and licenses
Quick and rapid deployment with quick recovery and scalability saved us countless hours in provisioning and deployment
Overall, Automation in Azure is great, and Azure SQL makes good use of Azure Automation, saving countless hours and automating many key operations
Scalability is a great cost saver that doesn't compromise on performance

Alternatives Considered

Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)

Amazon RDS for SQL Server is the best example to compare with Azure SQL Database since both provide a Microsoft SQL Engine to host your databases.

Amazon RDS for SQL is much more compatible with your on-premises databases than Azure SQL, the reason is that Amazon RDS for SQL actually runs Microsoft SQL Server On-Premises Engine but on its cloud-managed instances.

Due to that, Amazon RDS for SQL is more expensive, although it provides flexible licensing options with [bringing] your own license, it is still more expensive to use and its available options are dependant on the type of deployment you choose.

On the other hand, Azure SQL is fully cloud-managed since Microsoft owns the SQL Product itself and can customize it to match its cloud needs, [it's] a simple decision to be honest [...] if you plan to use a Microsoft SQL Engine, you should surely go with Azure SQL, Amazon RDS for SQL can be a good option if you are already on-boarded on AWS and would prefer not to expand or move to another cloud provider.

Key Insights

Do you think Azure SQL Database delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Azure SQL Database's feature set?

Yes

Did Azure SQL Database live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Azure SQL Database go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Azure SQL Database again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Azure Backup, Azure Virtual Machines, Azure CDN, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)

Likelihood to Recommend

Azure SQL is great for migrating already on-premises SQL Databases considering the compatibilities between the two, however, some limitations can interrupt the migrations and require some structure/schema changes to the database which can be [time-consuming].
Overall, if you are building your solution from scratch, and prefer to use [...] familiar technology, Azure SQL is a great option, that is secure, flexible[,] and scalable, however, if you are migrating from on-premises, the decision to use Azure SQL Database depends on how compatible your current database is with it and whether its features are sufficient for your requirements or not.
It is a recommended solution though, and a very [cost-effective] one indeed!

Going to the cloud with Microsoft SQL, Azure SQL Database is surely the way to go!

Overall Satisfaction with Azure SQL Database