In this chapter, we will go through one of the trendiest topics for IT professionals, developers, and DBAs: Azure SQL Database. This chapter will be kicked off by an introduction to Azure SQL Database. We'll look at why you should use this service and the difference between SQL Database in the IaaS and PaaS models. Then, we'll look at the different SQL database types available on Azure, followed by service tiers and performance levels. Finally, we will demonstrate how to create Azure SQL Database and how to connect to it.

The following topics will be covered in this chapter:

• Introduction to Azure SQL Database
• SQL Database (IaaS/PaaS)
• Azure SQL Database types
• Service tier types
• Creating Azure SQL Database
• Connecting to Azure SQL Database