1. MANAGING & ADMINISTERING SQL AZURE
TIM PLAS - VIRTEVA
OCT. 29, 2010
SQL SATURDAY # 58 – MINNESOTA

2. The presenter: Tim Plas, Principal Consultant at Virteva (Mpls)
Production DBA: Keeps SQL servers up &
running for managed-services clients
Other current specialties: Storage, Server
virtualization, Cloud computing
25+ years in IT; multiple MS certs starting in 1994

3. The Presentation Comes from viewpoint of production DBA:
Not developer (as with most Azure materials)
Why go to the cloud
What needs to be watched
What needs admin / management
Based on “science project”
Information we need to know soon

4. Cloud Computing Not a technology, but a business model
Three major forms of cloud services:
SaaS – Software as a Service (e.g., MS BPOS)
IaaS – Infrastructure as a Service (e.g., AWS)
PaaS – Platform as a Service (e.g., MS Azure)
Who they’re aimed at:
SaaS – End users
IaaS – IT
PaaS – Developers
But still has operational considerations (e.g., $$$ )

5. What is SQL Azure Part of Microsoft Azure service offering
Runs in Microsoft data centers
Contract with Microsoft for services
Pay by the slice – Usage-based pricing
Very close relative of SQL 2008

7. Microsoft Azure Services
Windows Azure (rented computer time)
Azure Storage (storage in the cloud)
AppFabric (new framework)
SQL Azure (relational DB in the cloud)
How they’re billed:
Others (like Windows Azure) – Computer time (when on), per-transaction, etc.
SQL Azure – Per database (per GB per day)
Data transfers in / out – Per GB (often w/ deals on inbound)

8. System architectures with cloud DB
Communications aspect affects the client/server model (latency & round-trip time)
Possible relationships between app & DB:
“Code-Near”
“Code-Far”
Hybrid

9. System architectures with cloud DB

10. Which apps make sense on SQL Azure?
Mostly, new ones
New platform / new app framework
Some more-recent apps can be readily migrated (browser-based)
Some “Code-Far” systems– Just put DB in the cloud
Distributed low-volume data-gathering app (“data hubs”)

11. What does SQL Azure mean for the DBA?
You’re managing a service, not an infrastructure
“Follow the money”; the meter’s always running
You’re managing databases, not servers
Microsoft handles server-side issues
(Patching, capacity, storage, HA, backups… )
Automatic updates (now on Service Update 5)
Still have admin issues; just different ones (along with some of the old ones)
Still can have performance issues in apps

12. Azure terminology Account – Who gets / pays the bills
Has account administrator; tied to Live ID
Signs up for one or more Azure services
Service – Subscriptions for Win Azure, SQL …
Can have multiple instances of each service type
Each subscription has a service administrator
For SQL Azure, service subscription = SQL instance
“Server” – One per SQL Azure service subscription
Has server “principal login” (like SA)
Can have multiple databases – Billed per-DB

13. Setting up new server &/or DB
Sign up, if no account yet
Needs Live ID, and credit card
Set up new service subscription (“server”)
Give it a name
Each one gets separate bill, on separate billing cycle
Specify service admin, & server “principal” (SA)
Server name will be assigned to you
Has “Master” DB (no charge)
Set up new database, in “SQL Azure Developer Portal” (or with T-SQL from Master DB)
Each DB will be a line item on your bill

14. Security – Network / firewall
Secure by default – NO access until opened up
Publicly exposed SQL Server on port 1433
Set it to accept connections from desired IP’s
Can change firewall in web portal, or via T-SQL commands

15. Security - Logins SQL authentication only
Same general concepts; different names:
sa – “server-level principal login”
dbcreator role – dbmanager
securityadmin role – loginmanager
No server-level roles like sysadmin, serveradmin
Can’t use certain names: sa, admin, root, guest …
Standard ways to manage logins: SSMS, T-SQL

16. Tools – How to access SQL Azure for admin
SSMS (from SQL 2008 R2)
SQLCMD
SMO - PowerShell
Project Houston – web-based GUI
Very particular server & user name syntax

18. Server= tcp:r5786abr0i.database.windows.net; Database=vtest;User ID= Password=******;Trusted_Connection=False; Encrypt=True;

21. Tools – Moving / migrating data
No RESTORE, no ATTACH capability
Differences: in syntax, data types, clustered index requirement
BCP (and bulk-insert statements)
SSIS
SSMA – SQL Server Migration Assistant
From Oracle, DB2, MS Access …
SQL Azure as target
Scripting from SSMS -mostly for schema

24. Tools – Using data on SQL Azure
ODBC
DAC, PHP
SSIS, SSAS, SSRS --from on-premise SQL Server
Linked server --from on-premise SQL Server
PowerPivot for Excel
MS Office, including MS Access
OLE DB not supported
Use SNAC from SQL 2008 R2

25. Database backup Sore spot Microsoft handles HA real-time copy of data
But what do you do for archival copies?
SQL Azure Data Sync
Currently in CTP
Database Copy function
Came out in SU4
Creates new copy of DB, on SQL Azure
When do we get real backups?

26. Billing – How much does it cost?
Web edition:
1 GB = $9.99 /mo 5 GB = $49.95 / mo
Business edition:
10 GB = $99.99 /mo 40 GB = $ / mo
20 GB = $ / mo 50 GB = $ / mo
30 GB = $ / mo
(System doesn’t allow exceeding your cap)
Data transfers = $0.10 in / $0.15 out
(Inbound off-peak transfers free until 10/31)

27. Billing – How to check it
Bills – Notified via
Reconciliation process
Scripts to check usage
(Scripts on SQL Azure Team Blog)

28. Performance issues – Termination for cause
SQL / app performance still an issue for DBA
Multi-tenant: Don’t want “noisy neighbor”
Azure will shut down connection if transaction:
Holds > 1 million locks
Uses > 1GB log or > 20% of log file
Uses > 5 GB of TempDB
Blocks system resource > 20 seconds
Uses > 16 MB memory for > 20 seconds
Exceeds CPU %, I/O latency, busy workers thresholds
Is active > 24 hr

29. Performance issues – Tools for DBA
Still important: Indexing, query execution plans
No SQL Profiler or Trace
DMV’s available (but not all)
Database level (no info at server level)
Scripts available for troubleshooting with DMV’s
White paper on SQL Azure site
Max 50 GB database at present
Hopefully, eventually scale-out, perhaps sharding

30. Monitoring SQL Azure Do we want to pay for health-check traffic?
Do we need to monitor Microsoft’s SLA?
Do I need to know about unavailability?

31. Conclusions about SQL Azure
It’s real and DBA’s will be dealing with it
Still not completely baked; some assembly required; tools still catching up
Mostly for developers, but has some operational-DBA aspects
Pay attention to the meter; it’s always running

32. Managing & Administering SQL Azure
Resources:
SQL Azure Team Blog (scripts, etc.):
SQL Azure home page:
(especially “Whitepapers” link)
Questions?
-Tim Plas, Virteva
(952)