Microsoft Azure SQL Database Reviews

Our organization utilizes Microsoft Azure SQL Database to support our Dynamics 365 business suite, and we also leverage Azure Virtual Machines for deploying SQL Server instances to accommodate other applications.

Microsoft Azure SQL Database runs in nature, allowing us to use it as a service without worrying about infrastructure or deploying servers. This has improved deployment speed as it's one less server to deploy, freeing up time for us.

We utilize Azure Hybrid Benefit daily as it provides a framework for deploying business applications within cloud-based virtual machines. This approach significantly reduces deployment time, requiring only a few clicks and a few hours of waiting before the virtual machine is ready for development and testing.

Azure SQL Database integrates well with other Microsoft products, which is critical.

Azure SQL Database offers strong performance, effectively managing tasks like tuning and indexing, which eliminates manual optimization and frees up our time for other priorities.

Azure SQL Database has significantly reduced our total cost of ownership. By utilizing it as a service, we have eliminated the need for physical servers and their redundant counterparts, which were previously necessary.

We use SQL Server as the back end for indexing performance.  

We appreciate that Microsoft Azure SQL Database supplies reliability and efficiency with its infrastructure, which is very beneficial to our organization. Furthermore, by using it as a service, we improve load scalability without experiencing major performance issues.

In terms of improvement, making Microsoft Azure SQL Database faster would cater to big companies that require speed. Additionally, having more statistics to help improve queries would be beneficial.

I have been using Microsoft Azure SQL Database for ten years.

We have not encountered any stability issues with Microsoft Azure SQL Database. Our relatively small customer base may contribute to this positive experience, but so far, the Azure SQL Database has performed excellently with no latency issues.

Azure SQL Database's ability to scale loads is a significant benefit.

We had a physical server with a redundancy server in the past, and now with Microsoft Azure SQL Database, that requirement is lessened.

The deployment of the Microsoft Azure SQL Database required additional configuration to establish connections and access data due to enhanced security measures. However, once operational, it functions similarly to a standard SQL Server.

Microsoft Azure SQL Database is not cheap.

I would rate Microsoft Azure SQL Database an eight out of ten. We should get more statistics to improve query performance. The SQL database is tied with Dynamics, so no other databases are viable.

We are not using Azure SQL Database much with AI, but it looks promising, and we are looking forward to those capabilities. 

I use Azure SQL for data storage and querying for applications.

Azure SQL works well. Our applications are hosted in AKS, and we can easily do the security and authentication. It's easer to set up than an on-premise SQL database, so that has had a positive effect on our productivity. 

We've saved time setting up the databases. While I'm not involved in the maintenance, I'm sure that's also a big factor. It's hosted in the cloud, so we don't have to maintain the servers. 

Azure SQL is really straightforward to use. It's nice that it's just SQL but in the cloud. We've switched from the on-premise SQL databases we use and have Azure SQL for some of our more recent stuff. It's seamless.

The AI applications sound neat. We haven't really gotten to do that yet, but we like that it works so well with Fabric. It seems like something we could easily connect.

One thing we struggled with was the network stuff. We had to figure out how to ensure we were secure. That part took a bit, but we're in a great spot now. We had to work with security to figure out our network policies. We're in a private instance, so you can only connect to it from our VPN. We've made some progress, and it's much easier to use now. Some more documentation and suggestions for network policies could be helpful.

We have used Azure SQL for a couple of years at this point.

The stability is great. I haven't noticed any problems with it so far.

The scalability is useful. Unlike our on-premise SQL Database, which is not easily scalable, Azure SQL allows us to increase the tier and get more performance as needed.

We switched from on-premise SQL databases to Azure SQL for more recent projects because it's easier to set up in the cloud without dealing with complex network rules.

We have a lot of people who are experts in Microsoft SQL stuff, so switching to Azure SQL was just a piece of cake for them because it's basically the same thing. 

We used our internal team, who are experts in Microsoft SQL, to switch to Azure SQL, finding it to be a seamless transition.

I rate Microsoft Azure SQL Database 10 out of 10.

Our primary use case is for Power Platform apps.

Azure SQL doesn't require any maintenance because Azure handles all that. is handled in Azure. Our team can focus on other activities instead of database management, and we save around two to three days a month.

Azure SQL connects directly to our Power Platform apps, making it easy to use. The integration with AI apps will be good because all the Azure AI apps are in the cloud, making it seamless. You don't need to connect to any on-premises or external sources to address integration. It will also speed up our data processing.

SQL's native connection and efficiency in scaling workloads are quite beneficial, and the ability to integrate well with other Microsoft applications adds significant value.

A potential area for improvement could be integrating with third-party clouds. Adding a feature to bring Azure SQL in Azure with SQL on-premises would be helpful.

I have used Azure SQL for three to four years.

We haven't noticed any latency since we do not have mission-critical solutions on the cloud yet, and the stability has been good so far.

If more space is needed in a specific moment of time, Azure SQL can grow and downsize quickly, demonstrating good scalability.

I have found Microsoft's resources and support particularly helpful as they provide a big environment to work with.

Positive

The initial setup was straightforward. We did not migrate from an existing system but implemented it from scratch and did not require Microsoft support. We were building Power Platform apps using SharePoint databases and Excel. And after that, we realized that we had to integrate it with SQL. It wasn't too hard, and our partners have people with experience. 

We did the implementation ourselves without involving Microsoft support.

While I think there has been a reduction in our total cost of ownership, I have not measured it.

We did not evaluate other cloud databases as we preferred to maintain a standardized SQL environment.

I rate Microsoft Azure SQL Database eight out of 10 because I believe nothing is perfect.

Our company uses the solution for on-premises production and PR. We sync data from the database service to our on-premises SQL server. 

The SQL connector effectively syncs data to our database. 

The default 1433 port for communication should be customizable because most hacks or attacks are attempted when creating any application or database on the default port. The solution should allow use of any custom port. 

I have been using the solution for more than three years. 

I also used the solution and handled its administration at my previous job with a government entity.

The setup is straightforward so is rated an eight out of ten. 

We implement the solution in-house. 

I rate the solution a nine out of ten. 

We're a healthcare organization hosting EHR systems like NextGen, Allscripts, Athena, and ECW, which require an SQL back end. We have a lot of NextGen clients who need a production SQL Server, a reporting server, and maybe a test server. We set up AO clusters if they have enterprise licensing, and we also do physical servers, depending on the client. 

We use Nutanix infrastructure and are moving more to Azure and AWS. We integrate SQL Servers for our clients, matching set-ups with their financial capacity and licensing. 

Overall, Azure SQL has been great. The ease of deployment and scalability are significant reasons we push our larger clients to Azure. We could throw the kitchen sink at the thing if we wanted. 

We use Azure Hybrid Benefit, depending on the client. We work with many nonprofits, and we always make reservations because you save tons of money. Normally, when we do our initial deployment, the first month's bill is sky-high. We build out the environment and servers, then we do the reservations. Of course, we will enable the hybrid licensing depending on the client. It saves time because everything is in one pane of glass it just simplifies the deployment of things. 

Azure SQL has improved our productivity. We try to customize with alerts to gain visibility into SQL. We have dedicated DBAs to do the SQL coding work, especially when it comes to specific EHRs or client-specific.

The deployment was straightforward, and the overall experience was very positive. I feel like I could do SQL migrations blindfolded. We onboard a lot of clients that have as many as 1,500 users. We're migrating from our private cloud to Azure or AWS, so it all goes hand in hand. I'm typically not involved with deployment. Once they set up the SQL clusters, I ensure everything runs like it did before. 

We're starting to implement more AI solutions. For example, we have a custom dev team that does live archiving. If the EHR system goes down, they have another way to access patient records and images. We have another new product called ChartAI that's integrated with AI to do dictation and handle things involving charts. It saves the practitioners and doctors time by automating processes and simplifying things. We integrate with multiple platforms across the board, and we've never had any issues. It's pretty seamless. 

Microsoft is at the forefront of databases, and everyone uses SQL. It's a reliable, solid platform.

Improvement could be made in the performance tools, offering a better overview of core issues like process activity and latency, as we currently rely on third-party tools and SQL jobs for monitoring and alerts. A comprehensive built-in solution for performance analysis would also be beneficial.

I have used SQL databases for around 20 years, and I have worked with my current organization for five years.

The latency and availability of Microsoft Azure SQL have been great. It's always been reliable. The only issue we've had has been connectivity between sites like the SonicWall locking up. SQL never crashes or suddenly becomes unavailable.

It's easy to scale Azure SQL. Scalability is critical because we can only scale so much in our private cloud. Our clients choose to have physical SQL clusters. Scalability is big for our large clients because we can always increase. 

We haven't had needed to open a ticket to customer service, but the great thing is that there's so much information online that you can troubleshoot your issues without getting support involved.

Positive

I have the deployment down to a science. We cut everything over and build it from scratch on the other side. We use Nutanix Move to move SQL databases between data centers if needed and set up the core databases or the support server. The day of the cutover, we back it up, stop the database, and restore it. From there, we're putting all the SQL logins back in and doing the maintenance jobs. 

I've seen significant cost savings due to hybrid licensing and reservations. Initially, the costs might be high, but savings occur once everything is in place and reservations are applied.

It greatly reduces the total cost of ownership through efficient licensing depending on the client, the cost savings, and hybrid benefits. We aim for a blend of organizational and client-owned licensing.

I rate Microsoft Azure SQL 10 out of 10.

Our primary use case for Microsoft Azure SQL Database is OLTP workloads.

We've reduced costs a little on the dev side, but not so much in our production workloads. Our productivity is the same as that of on-prem SQL.

Azure SQL is highly available, and I have not really noticed any performance difference compared to my on-prem environment. While we don't have any AI-related workloads on Azure Database, I believe they will be native to SQL 2025, so that might change. 

I would like to see more compatibility with SSMS and more backward compatibility with regular on-prem SQL. The solution is somewhat user-friendly, but it's limited by the lack of full backward compatibility. 

I have been using Azure SQL for three to four years.

I have not really noticed any performance difference compared to my on-prem environment. It's been pretty good.

It is easy to scale in Azure in a way that I cannot scale on-prem. However, it comes at a cost, but overall, it's been beneficial.

We currently have a unified support contract with Microsoft, and we contact them when necessary. However, we have not needed Microsft's help for our migration processes or any regular workloads.

Positive

We did not encounter any challenges during migration or implementation.

We handled our migration processes without needing help from Microsoft.

The cost was a factor in choosing Azure SQL over other options out there.

We chose Azure SQL because it's easy to implement and integrate with our existing tools and and technologies. Most of what we have is within the Microsoft stack, so Azure made sense.

I rate Azure SQL Database eight out of 10. 

We use Microsoft Azure SQL Database mainly for the backend of the transaction of data. It is used for various sectors like healthcare, patient data, and ERP.

Azure SQL's user interface makes it easy to provision a database. It integrates well on the back end with our functions and logic apps. While Azure SQL is probably not a good fit for running AI-based applications on top of it, AI might provide better performance monitoring or bottleneck analysis. AI can help the SQL server operate better. 

There is a need for dynamic scaling support without losing current transactions. That should be part of the standard offering to SKUs. It doesn't have Auto SQL. We have HyperSQL, but there are limitations on the Elastic Pool. It only allows 25 databases. It would help if we could automatically analyze and optimize long-running queries instead of handling these tasks manually. 

We have been using Azure SQL Database for about 10 years.

For our solution, Microsoft Azure SQL Database has been accessible, though there are performance bottlenecks related to old code and long-running or poorly optimized queries.

Scaling is primarily manual unless using Elastic Pool. Automatic scaling without transaction loss is a desired feature. Scalability could be improved with auto scale options.

Our interaction with Microsoft has been limited as our team is experienced. However, we recently worked with Microsoft on the new database watcher feature and confirmed limits for the hyperscale with Elastic Pool.

Positive

Our solution was initially built for an on-premises data center using SQL Server as the backend. Moving to Azure, we continued with Azure SQL Database because it supports the majority of needed functionalities.

We used managed instances and standard offerings to manage the transition from on-prem data hosting to Azure, given the lack of auto-scaling.

Our internal DBA team handled the implementation, leveraging their expertise to ensure a smooth process.

Our main savings come from using Elastic Pool, which reduces costs by 30 to 40 percent for multiple databases and 10 percent from vCore provisioning. The serverless feature should save a lot, but the database is rarely paused or parked, so we don't save as much as we should. 

We do not use Azure Hybrid Benefits because of company policy. Hence, all licensing costs are associated with Azure SQL licensing rather than bringing on-prem licenses to Azure.

Options like Cosmos DB and vector databases are considered for AI applications. However, we stay with Azure SQL for transactional data stores.

I rate Microsoft Azure SQL Database nine out of 10. It's still missing some features, so I deducted one point. 

Scalability is a feature associated with SQL Azure. The primary use cases of the tool are for the retail sector where there are transactions, specifically high peak transactions during Black Friday or month ends, where people go on a spending spree after their salaries get credited to their bank accounts. Different sets of transactions have a few peaks during the month, especially during festivals or marketing events. When it comes to transactions in the retail sector, there can also be low peaks during the middle of the month. To address the high and low peaks in transactions, SQL Azure has a feature that can scale automatically to support a period involving a high level of transactions. Similarly, SQL Azure can automatically scale down to support fewer transactions. Whenever SQL Azure scales up, you need to pay the additional or premium fees associated with the extra use due after the product scales up. When the tool scales down, the cost reduces automatically, and you only pay according to your subscription.

The most valuable part of the solution stems from its scalability and its functionalities, which support high availability and are directly available as an out-of-the-box tool for users, ensuring that it provides you with business continuity features. I like the product's direct out-of-the-box features, which you don't have to go out and configure separately. In the product, you need to place a tick mark so that the solution can automatically take care of the configuration part for you. The intelligence part is pretty much built into the tool. You just have to go and enable specific settings, which automatically make those features available to you.

There are certain shortcomings when it comes to the stability of the product, especially if I consider the fact that there can always be some bug-related issues in the tool. The aforementioned area can be considered for improvement in the product.

I am sure that the tool does all sorts of quality checks before releasing the product in the market, but there are thousands of different environments today where users use the solution for their own purposes and customize it to fit their business requirements. In some cases, there may be some bugs that users need to fix, and many of them might even fix it as well. As SQL Azure is available as a cloud-based tool, it helps to maintain uniformity in the environment, so the number of issues is reduced significantly.

I have been using SQL Azure for 5 years. I use SQL Azure 2022, which is the solution's latest version.

The solution provides clear SLAs on paper, so I am sure that it is a very stable product. It also comes across as a secure product.

Stability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

It is a scalable solution.

My company deals with more than 7,000 customers who use the product.

The solution's technical support is knowledgeable and fast. The product offers clear documentation that explains how to reach out to the technical support team over the phone. Users can also chat with the product support team or Microsoft Teams and get help with any troubleshooting procedures. Users can reach out to the support team via email. The tool's technical team is very supportive.

The product's initial setup phase is very easy.

The product's setup phase can be completed in a couple of clicks.

The solution is deployed using Azure's cloud services.

During the first year of use, SQL Azure's ROI is around 30 to 40 percent. In the subsequent years of its use, the ROI will increase.

The price of the product depends on what you need in the tool. You can use it for smaller instances and pay less. You can also go for the premium product with all the security, scalability, and business continuity features, but you have to pay a premium amount. The tool offers different versions on the cloud. Similarly, SQL Azure also has offerings in the form of a web-based version of SQL database for very small customers who want to do PoC involving the solution in their environment, but it is available only in an on-premises version. The tool offers different pricing structures depending on the requirements of users. SQL Azure also has a freeware software version available for very small-sized customers.

Data warehouse and analytics are completely different concepts when it comes to SQL Azure. SQL Azure is not used for data warehousing. Data warehousing is used specifically in Azure, which consists of multiple tools that will use it. The data warehousing part may be associated with SQL Server Database Engine, but it is not used in SQL.

The product offers built-in high-availability features. I can design the product to support the business-critical requirements depending upon my business requirements. The product has features available or built into the tool, which I can use to achieve what I need.

The product has very strong integration features, especially considering that it can integrate with Azure Key Management or Azure Key Vault. SQL Azure can integrate with the security features within Azure, such as Microsoft Sentinel. SQL Azure can integrate with Azure Monitor. SQL Azure can integrate with Microsoft Defender. SQL Azure has ready-made integrations with all Azure products and all of the enterprise-grade products in the market.

When it comes to the product's security features, I would say that Microsoft releases patches on a monthly basis. Whenever a critical update is available, Microsoft informs our company about it. In some cases, Microsoft goes ahead and deploys the security updates directly, ensuring that users are always in a fully secured environment. The tool also has a clear structure of various regulatory and governance features, like PCI DSS, SOX, or HIPAA. Microsoft also certifies its products to support the aforementioned security regulatory and security compliances.

Speaking about how the transition from the on-premises version of SQL Azure impacts a company's operational cost, I feel that it will reduce the overall cost for a user over a period of time. There might be a transformation cost to migrate from- the on-premises version to the cloud, but once it is moved to the cloud, you will see that the month-on-month price will automatically reduce or at least stay stable and won't increase for a period of time.

I recommend the product to others, considering the fact that it is a stable and reliable solution with different price points and licensing models. As a customer, you have choices in picking what you want. The product also offers an option to scale up or scale down when you face struggles in your business.

I rate the tool a nine out of ten.