Azure Kubernetes Service

Just Enough Azure for AKS

Azure Database offerings

When building cloud-native or hybrid applications on Azure, choosing the right database service is critical. Azure’s data platform spans relational and NoSQL offerings, delivering fully managed options, predictable performance, global distribution, and enterprise-grade security.

At a Glance

CategoryServiceDeployment TypeKey Benefits
Azure SQLAzure SQL DatabasePaaSSingle DB, elastic pools, Hyperscale scaling
Azure SQL Managed InstancePaaSNear 100% SQL Server compatibility
SQL Server on Azure Virtual MachineIaaSFull OS/SQL control, custom extensions
Open Source Relational EnginesAzure Database for MySQLPaaSCommunity MySQL, high availability, scaling
Azure Database for MariaDBPaaSPredictable performance, built-in security
Azure Database for PostgreSQLPaaSSingle & Flexible Server, HA, enterprise-grade
Globally Distributed NoSQL (Multi-Model)Azure Cosmos DBPaaSJSON, MongoDB, Gremlin, Cassandra, Table APIs

Azure SQL Offerings

Azure SQL delivers managed SQL Server–based engines with varying levels of control and compatibility:

ServiceDescriptionIdeal Use Case
Azure SQL DatabaseFully managed single databases, elastic pools, or Hyperscale for large-scale workloads.New cloud apps, SaaS, rapid scaling
Azure SQL Managed InstanceHosted PaaS instance with near-100% compatibility to on-premises SQL Server.Lift-and-shift migrations, legacy apps
SQL Server on Azure VMInfrastructure-level control over the OS and SQL Server instance.Custom extensions, unsupported PaaS features

Deployment and Scaling

# Create a single Azure SQL Database
az sql db create \
  --resource-group myRG \
  --server mySqlServer \
  --name myDatabase \
  --service-objective S0

Note

Azure SQL Database Hyperscale supports up to 100 TB of storage and rapid auto-scaling—ideal for unpredictable workloads.

Azure Database for Open Source Relational Engines

Azure’s managed services for MySQL, MariaDB, and PostgreSQL deliver community-driven engines with enterprise features:

EngineDeployment ModelHigh AvailabilityScaling Options
MySQLSingle ServerZone redundantVertical and read replicas
MariaDBSingle ServerZone redundantVertical scaling
PostgreSQLSingle & Flexible ServerBuilt-in HARead replicas, burst

Quickstart: Deploy PostgreSQL Flexible Server

az postgres flexible-server create \
  --resource-group myRG \
  --name myFlexServer \
  --location eastus \
  --tier Burstable \
  --storage-size 128

Azure Cosmos DB

Azure Cosmos DB is a fully managed, globally distributed NoSQL database service with multi-model support and five well-defined consistency levels:

  • Core (SQL) API for schemaless JSON.
  • MongoDB API for wire-protocol compatibility.
  • Gremlin API for graph data models.
  • Cassandra API for wide-column workloads.
  • Table API for key–value storage.

Warning

Selecting a consistency level has cost and performance implications. Review Consistency levels in Azure Cosmos DB before production deployments.

Global Distribution & Throughput

{
  "location": "East US",
  "locations": [
    { "locationName": "East US", "failoverPriority": 0 },
    { "locationName": "West Europe", "failoverPriority": 1 }
  ],
  "databaseThroughput": 400
}

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