Stretch Database (Stretch DB) is a feature introduced in SQL Server 2016 that allows you to move data or a portion of data transparently and securely from your local database to the cloud (Microsoft Azure). All you need to do is mark the tables that you want to migrate, and the data movement is done transparently and securely. The intention of this feature is to let companies store their old or infrequently used data on the cloud. Companies need to store data locally and operate with active data only, thus reducing the cost and using their resources more effectively. This feature is great and very promising, but there are many limitations that reduce its usability.

In this chapter, we will cover the following points:

• Stretch DB architecture
• How to enable Stretch DB
• How to select tables or part of tables for migration
• Managing and troubleshooting Stretch DB
• Under what circumstances should you use Stretch DB