Administering Relational Databases on Microsoft Azure Training Course

Introduction to Azure Database Services

• An overview of the Azure SQL ecosystem: SQL Database, Managed Instance, and SQL Server on VM.
• Insight into service tiers and associated pricing structures.
• Practical use cases for deploying relational databases in the cloud.

Provisioning and Configuration

• Creating Azure SQL resources via the management portal and deployment templates.
• Setting up elastic pools and configuring managed instances.
• Administering firewall rules and network connectivity settings.

Backup, Restore, and High Availability

• Understanding native backup and restoration capabilities.
• Configuring geo-replication and establishing failover groups.
• Formulating high availability and disaster recovery strategies.

Monitoring and Performance Tuning

• Leveraging Query Performance Insight and Extended Events for analysis.
• Optimizing index structures and evaluating query execution plans.
• Utilizing telemetry, alert systems, and resource consumption insights.

Security and Compliance

• Implementing authentication protocols via SQL Server and Azure AD.
• Managing encryption, auditing logs, and threat detection mechanisms.
• Safeguarding data access and enforcing role-based security policies.

Automation and Maintenance

• Automating recurring tasks using Azure Automation and Runbooks.
• Scheduling operational jobs with the Elastic Jobs Agent.
• Handling database updates, patching cycles, and SLA considerations.

Summary and Next Steps

• Reviewing core takeaways and industry best practices.
• Exploring professional certification pathways (e.g., DP-300).
• Accessing resources for continuous professional development.