Cloud is the new normal and Platform as a service is the future. In this session we aim to understand SQL Database as a service, What it is, its key benefits and uses. We will also explore and compare the two leading providers of the service Azure SQL Server Database and Amazon Web Services - Relational Database Service; to understand their respective strengths.

1. Sql Server as a Cloud Service
Azure SQL Database vs. Amazon RDS

2. Pio R. Balistoy jr.
SQL Server DBA for more than 13 years… and counting
Ex-Accenture, Ex-Dupont, Ex-Resorts World Sentosa
Currently: Lead Database Consultant, Pythian
Pio.balistoy@gmail.com ; balistoy@pythian.com
http://www.pythian.com/blog/author/balistoy/
@pioisms
/pio.balistoy

3. Session Summary
• Understand SQL Database as a Service; its key benefits and uses.
• Compare the top providers for SQL Database as a Service: Azure SQL
Database and AWS RDS and understand their respective strengths
and uses.

4. What is Database as a Service?
• Database as a service is a cloud-based storage and management of
Relational Databases.
• Common Characteristics
• Usage Based – Pay-As-You-Go; no long-term contract.
• Self-Service – Capability to provision databases with a few clicks
• Elastic/Scalable – Dynamically scale up/down your database resources
• Infrastructure Agnostic - Everything from the engine down is hidden from the user
or the responsibility of the provider
• Backups – Normally managed by the Provider
• High Availability
• Security
• Other services depending on Provider

5. SQL Server Data Platform

6. Cost Savings
On Premises Cloud
Physical Space
Cabling
Cooling
Power
Rack
Networking
Servers
Storage
Softwares
Labor
(Capital Expenditure is High)
Login/Account
Cost to Get Started: $0

7. Lower/Shared Administration

8. Who is it for?
For Early-Stage Start-ups to Multi-National Corporations

9. When to Consider DBaaS?
• When you require rapid Provisioning and deployment
• When you need rapid scalability/elasticity in terms of resources
• When you want to reduce capital expenses to have more for
operational Expenses
• For Start-ups and SMEs, When you want to use the same technology
available for Big/Enterprise level companies
• For large companies, when you want to explore and start your Cloud
Journey

10. What to Watch Out For?
• Where you put your Data
• Integration with your on Premise
• Security
• Maintenance Responsibilities
• Support
• High Availability
• Supported Features
• Policies for Scaling up or Down

11. vs

12. Gartner’s Magic Quadrant
Database Management System Cloud IaaS

13. Head to Head (Configuration)
DBaaS Azure SQL Database AWS RDS
Licensing N/A
Included (up to std only) OR you can "Bring Your Own
License"
SLA- Availability 99.99% 99.95%
Edition N/A Express, Web, Standard & Enterprise
Version N/A Different Major/Minor versions available
Database Size Depends on the Pricing Tier, Max is 1 TB
Depends on Storage Option, Max is 4 TB (Provisioned
IOPS)
Compute: N/A categorized using DTUs Same choices as EC2 instances
Storage: N/A categorized using DTUs GP SSD, Provisioned IOPS SSD or Magnetic Disks
Backup 7-35 Days 0-35 Days
High Availability:
Geo Replication
Standard: 1 Offline Secondary;
Active: Up to 4 Readable Secondary Multi-AZ Deployment
Authentication: SQL and Windows Authentication (Azure AD) SQL and Windows Authentication (Directory Service)

14. Head to Head (SQL Features)
SQL Server
Features Azure SQL Database AWS RDS
Linked Server
Linked In: Yes;
Linked Out: No but You can do Elastic Query
Linked In: Yes;
Linked Out: No
Service Broker No No
Endpoints no NO
Log Shipping No No
SQL Replication Subscriber: Yes Not Officially Supported
.Net CLR Only Safe Assemblies Only Safe Assemblies
Database Mail No No
SSRS/SSIS/SSAS Not part of the service Not part of the service
Security Features
Auditing
Encryption at rest and in flight (Always
Encrypted is available)
Dynamic Data Masking
TDE Encryption at rest (KMS)
Depends on your version and edition

15. Azure SQL Server Database’s Advantage
• “Cloud First Development” for SQL Server features
• No License Cost (cons: You can not reuse your existing licenses)
• Elastic Database Tools
• Elastic Database Pool
• Elastic Database Queries
• Elastic database Jobs
• .Net Library specifically for Azure SQL Server Database
• Readable Secondary (HA: Active Geo-Replication)
• Scaling up/down is online
• DTU

16. What is DTU?
• Database Throughput Unit; DTU provides a way to describe the
relative capacity and performance requirement of the database. It is
the number of transactions that can be completed per second under
fully loaded conditions.
• A blended CPU, Memory, Read and write performance unit for
database.

17. How to compute for DTU?
• http://dtucalculator.azurewebsites.net/Home/Calculate

18. Azure SQL Server
Database Demo

19. AWS RDS’ Advantage
• Multiple SQL Version available
• You can reuse your existing SQL Server License
• Snapshots – Manual Backups
• Traditional way of provisioning resources

20. AWS RDS Demo

22. References:
• https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/documentation/services/sql-
database/
• https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/topics/database/
• https://aws.amazon.com/rds/sqlserver/
• http://dtucalculator.azurewebsites.net/Home/Calculate