Administering Relational Databases on Microsoft Azure Training Course

Introduction to Azure Database Services

• Overview of the Azure SQL family, including SQL Database, Managed Instance, and SQL Server on VM
• Comprehension of service tiers and associated pricing models
• Exploration of use cases for cloud-hosted relational databases

Provisioning and Configuration

• Creating Azure SQL resources via the portal and resource templates
• Setting up elastic pools and managed instances
• Managing firewall rules and network connectivity

Backup, Restore, and High Availability

• Understanding integrated backup and restore functionalities
• Enabling geo-replication and establishing failover groups
• Implementing high availability architectures and disaster recovery strategies

Monitoring and Performance Tuning

• Leveraging Query Performance Insight and Extended Events for analysis
• Optimizing index structures and reviewing execution plans
• Utilizing telemetry, alerts, and resource consumption analytics

Security and Compliance

• Implementing authentication methods, including SQL and Azure AD
• Managing encryption, auditing logs, and threat detection systems
• Securing data access through role-based security enforcement

Automation and Maintenance

• Automating routine operations using Azure Automation and Runbooks
• Scheduling tasks with the Elastic Jobs Agent
• Handling database updates, patching, and SLA considerations

Summary and Next Steps

• Recap of key takeaways and industry best practices
• Investigation of certification pathways, such as DP-300
• Identification of resources for continued professional development