Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cloud
    • Cloud
    • Database

    More Microsoft SQL on Azure Update Details Emerge

    By
    Pedro Hernandez
    -
    May 6, 2014
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Microsoft Azure is rolling out the welcome mat for big SQL databases.

      Scott Guthrie, head of Microsoft’s cloud and enterprise software division, recently announced some major updates to the SQL on Azure cloud database services portfolio. The enhancements, currently in preview, include an improved 99.95 percent service-level agreement (SLA), new service tiers, support for up to 500GB databases and Active Geo Replication.

      Shawn Bice, director of program management for Microsoft’s Data Platform Group, followed up with more specifics in a series of lengthy blog posts. He provided additional details on how the new service tiers work and their effect on pricing.

      “As you move up the performance levels, the available throughput increases. This service design offers customers the opportunity to dial up the right set of resources to get the throughput their database requires,” stated Bice, echoing Guthrie’s assertion that the new setup offers customers the ability to fine-tune their cloud databases as their requirements change.

      The new service tiers are further broken down into performance levels, revealed Bice. “The performance levels are Basic, S1, S2, P1, P2, and P3,” a total of six levels that span Basic, Standard and Premium plans. “Each performance level will deliver a set of resources required to run light-weight to heavy-weight database workloads,” he added.

      Performance levels are measured using the company’s Database Throughput Unit (DTU). Basic supports 1 DTU, a Standard S1 plan can handle 5 DTUs while a Premium P3 can provide 800 DTUs. In practical terms, DTU translates into Microsoft benchmark OLTP transaction rates of 3,467 transactions per hour for the Basic tier and up to 730 transactions per second for the high-end Premium P3 option.

      Indicating that the new SQL on Azure capabilities are very much a work in progress, Bice cautioned that customers may initially encounter some restrictions while provisioning databases and may have to jump through a few hoops in the process.

      For example, at the start, “customers cannot upgrade a Web or Business database to Basic or Standard,” he said. “However, customers can export a Web or Business database, and then import the resulting BACPAC file into a newly created Basic or Standard database using the database import Powershell cmdlet,” recommended Bice.

      The final product will be far more flexible. Bice reported that Microsoft is working on clearing these hurdles “during the course of the previews, enabling customers to freely mix Web, Business, Basic, Standard and Premium databases on the same server, and enabling upgrade and downgrade between any editions.”

      In terms of billing, there will be no surprises, assured Bice. Microsoft will charge “based on a predictable daily rate” of a customer’s choosing. “Additionally, performance levels (eg. Basic, S1, and P2) are broken out in the bill to make it easier to see the number of database days you incurred in a single month for each performance level.”

      Pedro Hernandez
      Pedro Hernandez is a contributor to eWEEK and the IT Business Edge Network, the network for technology professionals. Previously, he served as a managing editor for the Internet.com network of IT-related websites and as the Green IT curator for GigaOM Pro.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Big Data and Analytics

      Alteryx’s Suresh Vittal on the Democratization of...

      James Maguire - May 31, 2022 0
      I spoke with Suresh Vittal, Chief Product Officer at Alteryx, about the industry mega-shift toward making data analytics tools accessible to a company’s complete...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×