Get Started with Azure Free SQL Database

Azure Free SQL Database is a fantastic way to get started with cloud-based database services. You can create a free SQL Database instance with 5 GB of storage and 100,000 read operations, 5,000 write operations, and 50 GB of backup storage.

To get started, you'll need to sign up for an Azure account, which is free for 30 days. This will give you access to all Azure services, including Azure Free SQL Database.

With Azure Free SQL Database, you can easily create a new database instance in just a few clicks. You can also use the Azure portal to manage your database, including configuring firewall rules and setting up backups.

Azure Free SQL Database is a great way to test drive the features and functionality of Azure SQL Database without committing to a paid subscription.

Creating a database on Azure is a straightforward process. To get started, navigate to your SQL Server resource in the Azure Portal.

First, click on "Create database" to initiate the database creation process. This will take you to a new page where you can configure your database settings.

Provide a name for your database, and select the workload environment as "Compute + storage". For testing, you can select the Standard-series (Gen5).

You'll also need to decide whether to create a database from scratch or use a sample database. Configure additional settings such as collation and security as needed.

Once you've configured your database settings, click on "Create" to create the Azure Database.

Database security is crucial for protecting sensitive data in the Azure Free SQL Database.

The Azure Free SQL Database offers robust security features, including encryption at rest and in transit, to safeguard your data.

Regular backups and automatic failover ensure business continuity in case of data loss or system failures.

To further enhance security, you can also enable Azure Active Directory (AAD) authentication for your database, allowing for secure and seamless user authentication.

To create databases, you'll need the right permissions.

CREATE DATABASE permissions are necessary for creating databases via Transact-SQL.

To be more specific, a login must be either the server admin login, the Microsoft Entra admin of the server, or a member of the dbmanager database role in master.

For Azure portal, PowerShell, Azure CLI, or REST API, Azure RBAC permissions are needed.

Specifically, you'll need the Contributor, SQL DB Contributor, or SQL Server Contributor Azure RBAC role.

First, make sure you have the latest Azure CLI installed.

Connections to Azure SQL Databases from outside the Azure environment are blocked by default. This is because Azure establishes a server-level firewall for these databases.

To allow external access, you must set up a firewall rule specifying the permitted IP addresses or IP address ranges. This rule ensures that Port 1433 is open for the specified IP addresses.

Click Set server firewall to configure the server-level firewall. By default, the platform shows the networks and existing firewall rules.

You can configure a new firewall rule by clicking Add your client IP. This rule will allow access to your Azure SQL Database from your specific IP address.

Remember to save the changes after setting up your firewall rule. This will ensure that your Azure SQL Database is accessible from outside the Azure environment.

To retrieve the Azure connection credentials, navigate to the Overview section of your Azure account. You'll see the fully qualified server name next to Server name on the top.

The username and password you set during the database creation process are the login details you require to connect to Azure SQL Database from other applications. You can find these details in the Overview section.

To connect to Azure SQL Database from other applications, you need to provide your Azure login credentials in the SQL Server database window. This includes the username and password you set during database creation.

The Azure login credentials can be obtained after creating a single database to deploy the sample database and accessing its schema and data. This process takes a couple of minutes and is detailed in the instructions provided by Microsoft.

To connect to SQL Server, you'll need to have the Azure connection credentials, which include the username and password set during database creation. These credentials can be found in the Overview section of your Azure SQL Database.

You'll also need to configure the server firewall to allow external access. By default, connections from outside the Azure environment are blocked, so you'll need to set up a firewall rule specifying the permitted IP addresses or IP address ranges.

To do this, click Set server firewall and add your client IP to configure a new rule. This will ensure that Port 1433 is open for the specified IP addresses.

Connecting to SQL Server with SSMS is a straightforward process. You can use SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) to connect to Azure SQL databases, query data, and perform other necessary operations.

To connect to Azure Database from SSMS, you'll need to open SSMS, launch a new connection, and enter the following details: Server type: Database engine, Server name: the necessary fully qualified server name, Authentication: SQL Server Authentication, Login: the username you set during the database creation, and Password: your password.

You'll also need to define the database to connect by clicking Options > Connection Properties. Then, click Connect, and SSMS will connect to Azure SQL and show the database in the Object Explorer pane.

It's worth noting that the Azure SQL Database does not support the USE statement. If you have multiple databases, you'll need to establish a new connection for each database if you want to switch between them in SSMS.

Here's a summary of the connection steps:

By following these steps, you'll be able to connect to your Azure SQL database using SSMS and start querying data.

The Azure SQL Database free offer is a great way to get started with SQL Server. You can get a free database with any type of subscription, including pay-as-you-go, enterprise agreement, or Microsoft partner network.

You can choose from .5 vCore to 4 vCore with the free amount and scale up or down as needed. This flexibility is perfect for running a variety of workloads, from daily usage to higher performance short-term usage.

If you use up your free amount of 100,000 vCore seconds before the end of the month, you have two options: let your database auto-pause and resume using it when the next month starts with a new free amount, or switch to continue usage mode and keep using your database for additional charges.

In continue usage mode, you'll still get a free amount every month, but you'll have additional capabilities unlocked, such as the ability to scale all the way up to 80 vCores of compute and 4 terabytes of storage.

You can keep your existing data, schema, settings, and connections and seamlessly transition from free to paid usage, making it a great way to scale up without having to migrate or reconfigure your database.