2. Getting started with SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines

Virtual machines (VMs) are the core of all infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) deployments. A VM in Azure is similar to a VM premises using a hypervisor. The main difference is that Microsoft maintains the hypervisor and its related infrastructure in Azure. A VM also means that whether you choose to have Microsoft manage selected administration tasks, such as backups, or you perform those tasks yourself, it is still an operating system (Windows Server or a distribution of Linux) and installation of SQL Server that needs to be administered, maintained, patched, made available, and so on.

This chapter will help you understand why you should consider IaaS and covers how to approach choosing the right virtual hardware for a VM with SQL Server in Azure.