If you are a SLQ database administrator or developer, Microsoft Azure will give you with multiple database features normally found on your server. Cloud based computing has received a lot of publicity. Microsoft is presenting a SQL Database called Azure that is a cloud-based relational database service built on the back of existing SQL Server technologies like Sql Server 2005, or SQL Server 2008. It provides a scalable, highly available, and multi-tenant service hosting a database by Microsoft on the cloud. For IT database managers, SQL Azure Database helps to address the problems associated with the deployment and distribution of multiple databases.
Microsoft SQL Azure - A SQL Database on the cloud
Among the things that developers do not have to do is to install, setup, patch or manage any software. The high availability and fault tolerance is a part of the database service, and there is no physical administration required.
SQL Azure Database supports Transact-SQL (T-SQL), a standard in the database development environment. Customers can use their existing knowledge in T-SQL development which is the standard relational data model. The model is familiar for its symmetry and coordintaion with existing on-premises databases. When database administrators use SQL Azure they can help reduce costs by integrating their programs with existing toolsets. This will provide symmetry with databases that reside on-premises as well as on cloud databases.
What do you get with SQL Asure?
- You can create scalable, and custom web applications. These are especially needed in a small to mid-size businesses, hobbyist, and startups.
- You can develop corporate departmental applications
- You can make packaged line-of-business applications. These are attractive to traditional, SaaS ISVs and for custom developers.
- You can also bring multiple data sources together that are in the Cloud to enable secure access from multiple locations, desktop and/or devices.
Source: Microsoft
