Marcin Policht

In one our articles recently published on this forum, we described the process of deploying a Windows Server 2012 R2 into an Azure Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) virtual machine using the latest gallery image. This was meant to constitute the first step of the process involving prestaging a setup of SQL Server 2014 from […]

As we explained in our previous article, there are several different approaches to automating deployment of the SQL Server Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) virtual machines in Microsoft Azure. To briefly summarize, your options include: using one of the natively available Azure Gallery images that contains a SQL Server installation, ranging from SQL Server 2008 R2 SP2 to […]

In general, Microsoft Azure provides two types of SQL Server based relational data services. So far, we have been focusing on this forum on Azure SQL Database Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) offering. Its primary benefits are derived directly from its PaaS nature, which eliminates the overhead associated with installation and maintenance of host operating systems and database […]

When planning for deployment of Azure SQL Database, it is important to consider all of the security measures that can be implemented as part of the defense in depth strategy. We have already covered in detail one facet dealing with firewall-based protection in one of our earlier articles. We have also briefly described authentication, authorization, […]

Contemplating migration of on-premises systems to Microsoft Azure commonly raises security and confidentiality concerns since it is associated, at least to a certain degree, with relinquishing some of the oversight inherent to fully managed environments. While a diminished level of control is certainly a factor to consider, especially when dealing with Platform as a Service […]

One of the primary advantages of Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) solutions offered by Microsoft Azure is the ease with which scaling can be implemented. This typically applies to both vertical and horizontal scaling, allowing you to change (respectively) the current pricing tier (along with the corresponding performance targets and associated supplemental features) as well as the number […]

One of the primary benefits of Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) offerings hosted by Microsoft Azure is considerably minimized management overhead. This principle also applies to Azure SQL Database, which eliminates the need to administer and maintain the underlying hardware, operating system, and the database management platform. However, such hands-off approach does not imply that you should fully […]

In our recent articles published on this forum, we have been exploring the ability to administer Azure SQL Database by leveraging REST APIs invoked from PowerShell-based scripts. While this seems somewhat redundant considering management capabilities incorporated into the Azure PowerShell module (available via Microsoft Web Platform Installer), such an approach offers more flexibility, facilitating functionality […]

Management of Azure SQL Databases has been greatly simplified by introduction of the Azure PowerShell module, which includes a collection of cmdlets that handle the most common administrative tasks targeting cloud-resident SQL Server instances and their databases. Their comprehensive documentation is readily available as part of the MSDN Library, and obviously can also be explored […]

In our recent articles published on this forum we have been discussing characteristics of the Microsoft Azure SQL Database offering. So far, we have been dedicating our attention to the process of its deployments (mainly by importing schema and data from an on-premises environment) and applying initial settings critical from the security standpoint (controlling, in […]

In our recent posts published on this forum, we have been discussing characteristics of the SQL Database Platform as a Service (PaaS) offering hosted on the Microsoft Azure platform. As we have pointed out, its convenience, competitive pricing, resiliency, and ease of maintenance (including automated patching as well as monitoring, availability, scalability, and geo-replication capabilities) […]

In our most recent article published on this forum, we started an overview of securing Microsoft Azure-based SQL Database deployments, focusing on SQL Server- and database-level firewall access control and methods that can be employed to implement it. While the approach presented so far constitutes the first line of defense against unauthorized use, it is […]