Marco Cenzato - PeerSpot reviewer
Product Architect at Wolters Kluwer
Real User
Top 10
Enables us to manage highly intensive workloads and scale in real-time and on demand
Pros and Cons
  • "They have good documentation. It's concentrated information."
  • "Their support is nice but their responses aren't effective."

What is our primary use case?

We use the public cloud model of this solution. 

How has it helped my organization?

With Azure, we can achieve very high workloads (~6K queries/min) and, if necessary, scale databases in real-time with only one minute of downtime for our customers. It enables us to scale up on demand and to scale down when needed. 

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of Azure Database is the read-scaleout one: in Premium and Business tiers, the logic single DB consists of 4 identical DBs, the main one (writable) and three read-only synchronized copies; in our application we can use the three read-only copies for almost all of the read-only query and this allows workload distribution and minimizes the concurrency in write operations.

They have good documentation. It's concentrated information. 

What needs improvement?

Migrating existing application to SQL database had many problems, developing a new app for Azure Database not. 

Their support is nice but frequently their responses aren't effective. 

The documentation is always updated with the latest features but the documentation for the database features should be better. It doesn't specify when specific features will be released. The documentation needs improvement. They should improve the way they explain the information to the market.

It should have better support for UTF 8 (a feature already present on the on-premises version of SQL Database 2019) a for Hadoop integration.

Buyer's Guide
SQL Azure
March 2024
Learn what your peers think about SQL Azure. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for two years in a production environment and for four years in development.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is stable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is very scalable. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was incredibly easy. Moving from a standard tier to a business tier is not so easy and the documentation isn't so clear the presence of the read scale out copies.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate it a nine out of ten. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Manager of Architecture/Design with 51-200 employees
Real User
You can arrange training and demos based on the client’s budget.

What is most valuable?

  • Cloud products reduce the cost of the production of software products
  • You do not have to buy the product at the up-front market cost
  • You pay for it as you use the product
  • You can develop a product on your own premises
  • Just give the key to the vendor, so that there are no separate deployment costs.
  • You save on travel and meals, as well as housing required for a development team required for deployment and implementation.
  • The distance between the client and development team is invisible.
  • You may arrange virtual-real trainings/demos based on the affordability of the client’s budget.
  • There is no requirement of special hardware, as costs and additional software are bared by the cloud platform. You can spend as you need based on what the client’s needs are and scale hardware and software up to the client’s needs.
  • Cost of the platform and the software upgrades are covered under the service contract.

How has it helped my organization?

We developed our product with a small team of .NET developers for a client, a law university in Delhi, India.

We received the requirements from conversations of our team with our client, over the phone, and with email.

There was minimal training required for the team to be trained in cloud, as every developer in the team had basic .NET skills.

This product was then intended to be used by law university students for their training in court room sessions as student lawyers debating against each other to deduce lawful judgements of a case under study.

We provided virtual chat rooms for the students and had facilitated a method to share video sessions of their debates in virtual court rooms.

What needs improvement?

Microsoft has delivered on its promise by providing a free, developer-student (community) edition of Visual Studio.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used this for around 6-9 months to develop and implement the product.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

There are questions in the developers’ and clients’ minds:

  • Since Azure is a pay-by-use product, what is the provision for the future?
  • If, for some reason, we lost this provision, what fallback parachute is Microsoft planning for customers?
  • What risk planning and hedging should the client do? There is no such possibility, but the concern must be addressed by Microsoft.

Physically owned products are also subject to failure. The hardware on premise also fails and needs to be maintained, so there is expected downtime.

Microsoft provides mirroring of cloud servers. There is a sure provision of backup and restore of the cloud environment.

By centralizing these services and products at a central location (datacenter), we are optimizing on services and goods cost and sharing these costs with other cloud dwellers.

By going towards the cloud, we are going towards a virus and spyware free environment.

We are moving away from special, owned hardware and products, to cloud-based datacenters, which exist in the other resource rich, low cost, areas.

This is Platform as a Service of the SOA revolution.

Along with overseas datacenters, we shall promote near shore or local datacenters to capitalize on the cloud advantage. We will also address issues of risk hedging, which will spur job growth in local areas.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We didn’t have any scalability problems.

How are customer service and technical support?

We did not explore this option, but the response was good for whatever we did request.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We switched due to the advantages I mentioned earlier.

How was the initial setup?

You don’t have to install the product on the cloud platform. You receive a login with pre-pared software installs. Custom requirements need to be implemented or requested.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Every region of a country has cheaper locations that can provide cost advantages, and data center growth must be equally distributed on earth with electricity and resource rich, low cost, areas to keep the cost of the cloud minimal. This will also avert natural and man-made calamities.

The United States and other countries can take this cloud option to the next level of off-shoring without any immigration and terrorism issues, enabling development in impoverished areas of the world.

This can further cut down the cost of software development, other "down-the-line" products, services and goods, and will empower the poor and neglected of the world.

This will also improve trade between the countries. There are always imbalances amongst populations in any country in skills and monetary status. An equalizer could be achieved by allowing more trade, more freedom, and more pollination.

In India, we had to start development using the 3-month free subscription Azure platform .net and SQL . Now as far as I know, vs 2015 community edition is a free download. One can develop software application in it and deploy it with an Azure subscription which is pay as you use. All nitty-gritty development can be done by a development team. That's why Microsoft has delivered their dream cloud promise with the zero cost alternative of community edition.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We considered local cloud and physical install options. These options were expensive and less effective.

What other advice do I have?

Microsoft Cloud is reliable and dependable.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
SQL Azure
March 2024
Learn what your peers think about SQL Azure. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Data Engineer at a consultancy with self employed
Real User
Top 20
Easy to deploy, straightforward setup, and stable
Pros and Cons
  • "The hardware is all managed by Microsoft."
  • "The pricing plans when using multiple Microsoft solutions are complex and have room for improvement."

What is our primary use case?

The solution is used to manage our databases in the cloud.

What is most valuable?

The hardware is all managed by Microsoft.

What needs improvement?

The pricing plans when using multiple Microsoft solutions are complex and have room for improvement.

For how long have I used the solution?

I am currently using the solution.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support is good.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup depends on the requirements but is easier than the on-prem SQL.

What was our ROI?

I have seen a return on investment.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing is flexible and can be adapted based on our requirements but the pricing options are complex especially if we are using a VM.

What other advice do I have?

I give the solution a nine out of ten.

Maintenance is minimal and can easily be done.

I suggest researching the solution on Microsoft.com where there is a good learning platform before using the solution.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Joyal Benni - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Consultant at ProArch
Real User
Top 5
Good stability with a straightforward deployment
Pros and Cons
    • "The preset configuration switches we can select on SQL Azure should be made more liberal to work on."

    What is our primary use case?

    We usually work on a valuation basis. When a customer wants to get on to our cloud, we suggest SQL Azure to them.

    What needs improvement?

    The preset configuration switches we can select on SQL Azure should be made more liberal to work on. The licensing cost for the solution is very expensive and should be improved.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using SQL Azure for eight years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    SQL Azure is a stable solution.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    SQL Azure is a scalable solution. Around 30 to 40 customers are using the solution.

    How are customer service and support?

    Their customer support is not ok at all because sometimes the tickets we raise don't get authorized.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup for the solution is easy. It takes around 10 to 15 minutes to set up the solution. The deployment of the solution is straightforward.

    What was our ROI?

    The ROI depends on the customer and the scenario.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    SQL Azure's licensing cost is expensive.

    What other advice do I have?

    SQL Azure is a cloud-based solution. We usually require one or two people to deploy and maintain the solution. I would recommend SQL Azure for other people who don’t want to manage their environment. The worst thing about Microsoft is that it has a very bad license agreement that nobody understands.

    Overall, I rate SQL Azure an eight out of ten.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
    PeerSpot user
    software engineer at a university with 11-50 employees
    Real User
    Great programming facility with good problem solving capabilities; very efficient
    Pros and Cons
    • "The solution is efficient and easy to use."
    • "Lacks some tools on the SQL Server for data virtualization."

    What is our primary use case?

    Our core business is to make mathematical models for production and solutions. We don't develop or use software. The data comes with the Excel format stored in SQL and we write complex queries about the data and run it in our models. Our data is not sensitive and it's a matter of having a server for storage. I'm a software engineer.

    What is most valuable?

    SQL Azure is efficient and very easy to use. The programming facility is very good and the solution is great at solving problems. 

    What needs improvement?

    SQL Azure could offer a lot more services and applications. I'd also like to see some tools that we could use on the SQL Server for data virtualization. That would be an improvement. 

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've been using this solution for 10 years. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    We don't run critical data and haven't had any issues with the stability. 

    How are customer service and support?

    We have a lot of experience and good programmers and IT administrators in the company, so we haven't needed customer support. 

    How was the initial setup?

    Our implementation was straightforward and carried out internally. We have 10 users of this solution, the majority are in production and engineering, with a couple in software engineering. 

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    Our license is pay-as-you-go and we pay around €200 per month. You need to keep an eye on this because with scaling the cost can increase quite quickly. 

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    This solution is more expensive than some others, but not as expensive as Amazon, Google and Oracle, which all have a lot of extra costs involved. 

    What other advice do I have?

    I recommend this solution and rate it 10 out of 10. 

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Public Cloud

    If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

    Microsoft Azure
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Associate Manager at a consultancy with 501-1,000 employees
    Real User
    Good interface and support, yet cheaper than most cloud environment solutions
    Pros and Cons
    • "The interface is awesome."
    • "I would like to see integration with Snowflake."

    What is our primary use case?

    We are in infrastructure development. We are using this solution with Power BI to consume the data.

    We are creating on top of this SQL server. It will be consumed by Power BI for the customers, where they can customize their reports. 

    What is most valuable?

    I am delighted to use this solution.

    The most valuable feature is the moment of data. It's infused data where we can pull the data and post it immediately.

    Also, it can connect to different sources. It's a storage mechanism where you can consume the data and post it into the target systems.

    The interface is awesome. It's ready and easy to use.

    What needs improvement?

    It is difficult to find any disadvantages when I can only see advantages in using SQL Azure.

    When you have a subscription, the subscription itself is not secure. You have to add the user into the directory and you will be able to use it. 

    I would like to see integration with Snowflake.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using SQL Azure for a couple of months.

    We are using the 2017 version.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It's a stable solution.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    It's a scalable product. We have eight members in our organization who are using this solution.

    We have plans to continue using this solution.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    Technical support is good and always available.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    Previously, we did not use another product.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup is straightforward and the installation is simple.

    It only requires you to get a subscription. Once you have downloaded it, you can create it as a resource and you can already use it.

    The number of members required to maintain this solution is dependant on the server.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    They have standard subscriptions that are not the entire version. If you have a full version of your subscription then you have the entire version that you can download.

    When you no longer need it, you can just stop the services. You can reduce the amount you pay, which is an advantage. Essentially, it's a pay and use mechanism.

    It's reasonably priced and when you compare it with other products in the cloud environment, it's cheaper.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would rate SQL Azure a nine out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Alvaro Olivares - PeerSpot reviewer
    Head of Cloud Engineering at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
    Real User
    Top 5
    Easy setup, good backup features, and good stability and scalability
    Pros and Cons
    • "The backup features are the most valuable."
    • "Its compatibility with existing applications can be improved. Its compatibility is currently a little bit imbalanced."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use it as a backend product. We are using the Managed Instance and the SQL Database.

    What is most valuable?

    The backup features are the most valuable.

    What needs improvement?

    Its compatibility with existing applications can be improved. Its compatibility is currently a little bit imbalanced.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using this solution for about two years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It is pretty good. It seems very stable.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    It has good scalability. We have about a thousand users.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    Technical support was very good. I would rate them a ten out of ten.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup is pretty easy. The deployment took about a day.

    What other advice do I have?

    It is a good product for any new development or organization.

    I would rate SQL Azure a nine out of ten. It is working fine right now, and I am pretty happy with this solution.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Hybrid Cloud
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Solution architect at ACS
    Real User
    Top 10
    A highly stable solution that has user-friendly VMs
    Pros and Cons
    • "The most valuable feature of SQL Azure is the user-friendly VMs."
    • "The solution’s visibility could be improved."

    What is most valuable?

    The most valuable feature of SQL Azure is the user-friendly VMs.

    What needs improvement?

    The solution’s visibility could be improved.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The solution's stability is good, and we haven't faced any issues so far.

    I rate SQL Azure a nine out of ten for stability.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    SQL Azure is a scalable solution. Around ten users are regularly using SQL Azure in our organization.

    How was the initial setup?

    The solution’s initial setup is straightforward.

    What about the implementation team?

    The solution’s deployment takes hardly a day.

    What other advice do I have?

    Overall, I rate SQL Azure ten out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator
    Flag as inappropriate
    PeerSpot user