Running SQL Server on a Windows Azure virtual machine

On June 6, 2012, we announced that some of the powerful new features on Windows Azure are now available for previewing, including new Windows Azure virtual machines (VMS). One of the most powerful things about Windows Azure virtual machines is that they use your ability to store accounts, that is, the operating system and hard drive are automatically saved in Windows Azure by default, and you can choose whether to replicate geographically. This makes Windows Azure virtual machines The ideal solution for migrating your non-cloud database applications to Windows Azure without having to modify the application. In addition, in addition to some of the features during the preview, what we'll discuss here is that you can take advantage of all the available features of SQL Server 2012 in a virtual machine. Support for the full version of SQL Server functionality makes Windows Azure virtual machines an ideal solution for the following scenarios:

Migrate your existing non-cloud SQL Server applications to quickly develop, test new, cost-effective database applications back up your non-cloud SQL Server database or the entire non-cloud virtual machine to Windows Azure Storage, using Windows Azure virtual machines quickly restore backups. Expand your non-cloud database applications to Windows azure– For example, you have some of your applications and data running on Windows Azure virtual machines for size, connectivity back to the center, non-cloud applications, and consistent data.

During the preview you have the opportunity to access the image in the SQL Server 2012 evaluation Library to try to run SQL Server on a Windows Azure virtual machine. During the preview, database mirroring, log shipping, transactional replication, and backup restore features are supported, but SQL Server 2012 does not support AlwaysOn availability groups and families. When the virtual machine is transferred from the preview to the basic available version (GA), the AlwaysOn availability group and family are supported, leaving only the AlwaysOn failover cluster instance. In addition to this feature, you have SQL Server 2012 complete functionality on the Windows Azure Virtual machine Basic available version (GA).

Let's now delve into 4 important scenarios for running SQL Server on Windows Azure virtual machines.

1. Migrate your existing non-cloud SQL Server applications

Our enterprise customers may now have applications that have not yet been virtualized but want to be virtualized. Migrating your existing applications, we recommend starting with your 2nd and 3rd tier applications. If the program is not virtualized, you can use System Center 2012 virtual it to become a Windows Server Hyper-V. vhd format, or if your application is virtualized with other virtualization technologies, you can use System Center 2012 Convert this virtual application to the Windows Server Hyper-V. vhd format. Either way, System Center 2012 makes it easy for you to do this. If the application is in the appropriate format, you can either simply migrate the database to the Windows Azure virtual machine, or migrate the entire non-cloud VHD to the Windows Azure virtual machine.

The following are steps for migrating only the database:

Step 1: Using a free tool called Microsoft Assessment and calculates (MAP) you need to verify which database is migrating. Then provide a new virtual machine that uses the Windows Azure Management Preview Portal to store one of the SQL Server mirrors. Step 2: You can use SQL Server Management Studio to create a database deployment package for a non-cloud database. Or use the Database Export/Import Wizard to migrate the database to SQL Server on the Windows Azure virtual machine. Step 3: You need to configure security policy on the Windows Azure Preview portal site and virtual machine Windows Firewall entry port settings. You can then import the database using the deployment package or the Database Export/Import Wizard. Step 4: After this, you can use Windows Azure Preview Portal to monitor virtual machines, or use SQL Server Management Studio to monitor SQL Server databases.

The following steps are to migrate the entire VHD:

Step 1: Use a free tool called Microsoft Assessment and calculates (MAP) you need to verify which database is migrating. Step 2: You need to convert your database application to the Hyper-V. vhd format. System Center Virtual Machine Manager enables physical-virtual transformations (VMware) or virtual-virtual transformations (WebPart). After that, you can upload the VHD to Windows Azure Storage using Csupload, Vhdctrl, or any other Windows Azure Storage Resource management tool available in the marketplace. Make sure that you enable Remote Desktop before (uploading) the VHD, and then convert the VHD to a fixed-size VHD, which is passed in the form of a page blob. Step 3: You can create a virtual machine using the uploaded VHD. Then you need to configure security policy on Windows Azure Preview portal site and virtual machine Windows Firewall into port settings. Step 4: After this, you can use Windows Azure Preview Portal to monitor virtual machines, or use SQL Server Management Studio to monitor SQL Server databases.

2. Development and Testing

Developed and tested on Windows Azure virtual machines, you can start with a familiar SQL Server data tool that uses the same non-cloud to develop your project, rather than uploading database applications to virtual machines and deploying virtual machines to test the application. You can later decide to retrieve this application without modifying the application to the cloud.

Here are the steps to develop and test a new application:

Step 1: You need to provide a new virtual machine that uses the Windows Azure Management Preview portal to store one of the SQL Server mirrors. Step 2: Then you can use SQL Server data tools to develop new applications. You can then use SQL Server Management Studio to create a database deployment package for a non-cloud database, or use the Database Export/Import Wizard to migrate the database to SQL Server on the Windows Azure virtual machine. Step 3: You need to configure security policy on the Windows Azure Preview portal site and virtual machine Windows Firewall entry port settings. You can then import the database using the deployment package or the Database Export/Import Wizard. Step 4: After this, you can use Windows Azure Preview Portal to monitor virtual machines, or use SQL Server Management Studio to monitor SQL Server databases.

3. Back up your non-cloud SQL Server database or the entire non-cloud virtual machine

To back up the database or the entire virtual machine to the cloud, you can start by creating your backup file using SQL Server Management Studio. Once the backup files have been created, you simply use the Windows Azure Preview portal to migrate them to Windows Azure Storage. It's easy.

The following steps are for backup:

Step 1: You need to confirm which database to back up. Then you need to use the Windows Azure Admin Portal to provide a new Windows Azure storage account. Step 2: You can use SQL Server Management Studio to perform backup operations. Step 3: Then you can upload all the backup files to Windows Azure Storage using Csupload, Vhdctrl, or any other Windows Azure Storage Resource management tool available at the mall. Step 4: After you complete these, you can continue to use SQL Server Management Studio daily backup maintenance work.

4. Extend your non-cloud database application to Windows Azure

To extend your non-cloud applications to applications running on Windows Azure virtual machines, you can take advantage of the new Windows Azure Networking feature, which allows you to safely join Windows Azure Network on your virtual machine to your non-cloud network domain. This allows you to seamlessly authenticate end users with existing, non-cloud Active Directory authentication stores. This situation allows you to make full use of Windows Azure, which is globally influential and cost-effective, while still complying with the laws of any local, industry, or corporate data.

The next step is to extend an application:

Step 1: You can make a VPN connection between Windows Azure virtual network and child labor in non cloud and Windows Azure. Then you need to provide a new virtual machine that uses the Windows Azure Management Preview portal to store one of the SQL Server mirrors. Step 2: You can use SQL data Tools on Windows Azure virtual machines to modify the application to point to SQL Server. You can then use SQL Server Management Studio to create a database deployment package for a non-cloud database, or use the Database Export/Import Wizard to migrate the database to SQL Server on the Windows Azure virtual machine. Step 3: You need to configure security policy on the Windows Azure Preview portal site and virtual machine Windows Firewall entry port settings. You can then import the database using the deployment package or the Database Export/Import Wizard. Step 4: After this, you can use Windows Azure Preview Portal to monitor virtual machines, or use SQL Server Management Studio to monitor SQL Server databases.

If you have not already tried the SQL Server 2012 evaluation version, it is now available on the Windows Azure virtual Machine preview.

-Ramnik
Gulati,sql Server Advanced Product Marketing Manager