Guided Lab: How to Launch an Azure SQL database
Description
Azure SQL Database operates on the latest stable version of the SQL Server database engine and is continuously updated with patched operating systems, offering 99.99% availability. Its Platform as a Service (PaaS) capabilities allow you to focus on essential database administration and optimization tasks specific to your business. With Azure SQL Database, you can establish a highly available and high-performance data storage solution for your applications within Azure. This service is ideal for a wide range of modern cloud applications, as it supports the processing of both relational data and non-relational formats, such as graphs, JSON, spatial data, and XML.
In this guided lab, you’ll learn how to deploy an Azure SQL Database using the Azure portal, configure essential settings including resource group, database name, server authentication, compute tier, and deployment tracking, and explore optional features like networking, security, and backup to build a resilient, cloud-native data platform.
Objectives
In this lab, you will:
- Configure essential settings such as resource group, database name, SQL server, authentication method, and service tier.
- Explore additional configuration tabs such as Networking, Security, Additional Settings, etc.
- Review and validate the configuration before initiating the deployment.
- Monitor the deployment progress and access the database.
Subscribe to access Azure PlayCloud LabsLab Steps
Navigating to Azure SQL Database
1. In the Azure portal, go to the unified search bar at the top.
2. Type “SQL Database” and select Azure SQL Database from the results.
3. On the SQL Database blade, click Create to begin provisioning a new database.
Launching an Azure SQL Database
1. Under the Basics tab:
- Select an existing Resource Group from the dropdown.
- In the Database name field, enter your preferred name.
2. Click Create new under the Server section to provision a new SQL Server.
3. On the Create SQL Server blade:
- Enter a unique Server name.
- Set the Region to Central US.
- Under Authentication method, select Use SQL authentication.
- Provide a Server admin login and a secure password.
4. Click OK to save, and you’ll be redirected back to the main configuration page automatically.
5. Under Workload environment, choose Development.
6. In the Compute + Storage section:
- Click Configure database.
- Select the Basic service tier.
- Click Apply to confirm, and you’ll be redirected back to the main configuration page automatically.
7. Once you’ve completed the required fields in the Basics tab, take a moment to explore the other configuration sections, such as Networking, Security, and Backup. The default settings in these additional tabs can be left unchanged.
13. Lastly, review all configurations and click Create to initiate the deployment of your Azure SQL Database.
Deployment Overview
Once you’ve clicked Create, Azure begins provisioning your SQL Database and associated resources. You’ll be redirected to the Deployment Overview blade, where you can monitor the progress in real time.
Key Elements to Review:
- Deployment Name: A unique identifier for your deployment (e.g., Microsoft.SQLDatabase.newDatabaseNewServer_…)
- Status: Displays the current state (e.g., Accepted, In Progress, Succeeded, or Failed)
- Start Time: Timestamp indicating when the deployment began
- Resource Group: The group where your resources are being deployed
- Subscription: The Azure subscription used for billing and access control
- Correlation ID: A unique trace ID useful for support and diagnostics
- Resource Details: Lists each deployed resource, its type (e.g., Microsoft.Sql/servers), and operation status.
Once the deployment is complete, click the Go to resource button to open your newly created SQL Database. This takes you directly to the resource blade, where you can begin managing, configuring, or connecting to your database.
That’s it! You’ve successfully completed the guided lab and deployed an Azure SQL Database using the Azure portal. You’ve learned how to configure essential settings, including resource group selection, database and server naming, authentication method, service tier, and deployment tracking. Your SQL Database is now ready to store and manage relational data for scalable, secure, and cloud-native applications.