SQL Azure Database is a cloud based relational database service from Microsoft. SQL Azure provides relational database functionality as a utility service. Cloud-based database solutions such as SQL Azure can provide many benefits, including rapid provisioning, cost-effective scalability, high availability, and reduced management overhead. This paper provides an architectural overview of SQL Azure Database, and describes how you can use SQL Azure to augment your existing on-premises data infrastructure or as your complete database solution.

If you are struggling with a SQL Azure problem, one of the first resource to refer is the Microsoft SQL Azure FAQ document which presents a number of commonly asked SQL Azure questions along with a very detailed answer to each of them.

Questions starting from “How do I connect?” to “How does the billing work?” are addressed in the document. It pretty much covers almost all the questions you might ask when getting ready for SQL Azure.

Questions are classified into the following categories:

1. Connectivity related questions
2. Questions about supported and unsupported features
3. Questions about database migration, backup and restore
4. Questions about database size
5. Billing and metrics
6. Managing subscriptions (to SQL azure)
7. Questions about updates to the SQL Azure platform.
8. Other – Questions that do not fall in any of the categories above.

Download SQL Azure FAQ here.