If you are using SQL Server in an Azure VM (IaaS) you have a number of options of where to store the database files (.mdf, .ldf, and .ndf). Most customers use managed disks, available in a number of offerings: Standard HDD, Standard … Continue reading →
As a follow-up to my blog Azure Archive Blob Storage, Microsoft has released another storage tier called Azure Premium Blob Storage (announcement). It is in private preview in US East 2, US Central and US West regions. This is a performance … Continue reading →
I often hear people say moving to the cloud does not save money, but frequently they don’t take into account the savings for indirect costs that are hard to measure (or the benefits you get that are simply not cost-related). … Continue reading →
There is no better way to see the art of the possible with the cloud than in use cases/customer stories and sample solutions/architectures. Many of these are domain-specific which resonates best with the business decision makers: Use cases/customer stories Microsoft IoT … Continue reading →
Last week Microsoft released a public preview of a new service called Azure Archive Blob Storage, offering customers a lower-cost cloud storage solution for rarely accessed data. This allows for storage tiering, where organizations can place their critical data on expensive, … Continue reading →
Azure SQL Data Sync has been ignored for quite some time, but has finally gotten an update (it’s in public preview). This release includes several major improvements to the service including new Azure portal support, PowerShell and REST API support, … Continue reading →
Microsoft has introduced two new disk sizes for Azure IaaS VMs in P40 (2TB) and P50 (4TB) for both managed and unmanaged Premium Disks and S40 (2TB) and S50 (4TB) for both managed and unmanaged Standard Disks. This enables customers … Continue reading →
I have been working at Microsoft now for 3 years and 4 months (side note: it’s by far the best company I have ever worked for). You would think by now I know about every Azure product, but we release … Continue reading →
Yesterday was the Microsoft Data Amp event where a bunch of very exciting announcements were made: SQL Server vNext CTP 2.0 is now available and the product will be officially called SQL Server 2017: Runs on Linux and Docker Support … Continue reading →
There are a number of options for using Azure for free. This is very useful for those of you who are not familiar with Azure and want to “play” with it: Create a free Azure account and get $200 in … Continue reading →
There can sometimes be confusion, in IoT scenarios, between IoT Hub and Event Hub, as they can both be valid choices for streaming data ingestion. My Microsoft colleague, Steve Busby, an IoT Technology Specialist, is here to clear up the … Continue reading →
For a long time clients would ask me how to determine the cost savings by migrating their applications and databases to Azure. I never had a good answer until now: The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Calculator. Now in preview, just … Continue reading →
Azure Advisor is a really cool personalized recommendation engine that provides you with proactive best practices guidance on High Availability, Security, Performance and Cost when using Azure. It is in public preview. Learn more about Azure Advisor here. Azure Advisor … Continue reading →
With Windows Server 2016 just been released, now is the perfect time to build an Azure VM with SQL Server 2016 on Windows Server 2016. In a matter of minutes you can be playing and learning both platforms. Below I will … Continue reading →
In my role as a Data Platform Solution Architect (DPSA) at Microsoft, part of my responsibility is to keep up with all the Microsoft on-prem and cloud data-related technology and trends, as well as non-Microsoft technology and trends in areas such … Continue reading →
One thing I try to do in my role with Microsoft is to get clients to think of possible use cases for building solutions in the Azure cloud. To set off light bulbs in their heads. Sometimes this is accomplished … Continue reading →
For companies that sell an on-prem software solution and are looking to move that solution to the cloud, a challenge arises on how to architect that solution in the cloud. For example, say you have a software solution that stores … Continue reading →
I see a lot of confusion when it comes to creating a private cloud. Many seem to think that by virtualizing your servers in your local on-premise data center, you have created a private cloud. But by itself, virtualization falls … Continue reading →
Azure storage is a great, inexpensive solution for storing your data in the cloud. There are many types of Azure storage options, but I wanted to list here the pricing of the most common type: block blob. The pricing below … Continue reading →
Hopefully you went through my presentations Should I move my database to the cloud?, Introducing Azure SQL Database and Implement SQL Server on an Azure VM and are convinced to move your databases to the cloud. If you are going to migrate to Azure … Continue reading →