/azure-sql-database

name: azure-sql-database
description: Expert knowledge for Azure SQL Database development including troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, architecture & design patterns, limits & quotas, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. Use when choosing DTU/vCore tiers, configuring Hyperscale/HA, setting geo-replication/Data Sync, or automating CI/CD, and other Azure SQL Database related development tasks. Not for Azure SQL Managed Instance (use azure-sql-managed-instance), SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines (use azure-sql-virtual-machines), Azure Cosmos DB (use azure-cosmos-db), Azure Data Factory (use azure-data-factory).
compatibility: Requires network access. Uses mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch or fetch_webpage to retrieve documentation.
metadata:
  generated_at: "2026-09-13"
  generator: "docs2skills/1.0.0"

Azure SQL Database Skill

This skill provides expert guidance for Azure SQL Database. Covers troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, architecture & design patterns, limits & quotas, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. It combines local quick-reference content with remote documentation fetching capabilities.

How to Use This Skill

> **IMPORTANT for Agent**: Use the **Category Index** below to locate relevant sections. For categories with line ranges (e.g., `L35-L120`), use `read_file` with the specified lines. For categories with file links (e.g., `[security.md](security.md)`), use `read_file` on the linked reference file

> **IMPORTANT for Agent**: If `metadata.generated_at` is more than 3 months old, suggest the user pull the latest version from the repository. If `mcp_microsoftdocs` tools are not available, suggest the user install it: [Installation Guide](https://github.com/MicrosoftDocs/mcp/blob/main/README.md)

This skill requires **network access** to fetch documentation content:

• **Preferred**: Use `mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch` with query string `from=learn-agent-skill`. Returns Markdown.
• **Fallback**: Use `fetch_webpage` with query string `from=learn-agent-skill&accept=text/markdown`. Returns Markdown.

Category Index

| Category | Lines | Description | |----------|-------|-------------| | Troubleshooting | L37-L62 | Diagnosing and fixing Azure SQL issues: performance, deadlocks, blocking, CPU/memory, capacity, import/export, connectivity, geo-replication, Data Sync, serverless, and log-full errors. | | Best Practices | L63-L80 | Best practices for securing, monitoring, tuning, and operating Azure SQL: HA/DR, failover, read replicas, maintenance, auditing, TDE, Data Sync, and adapting T-SQL. | | Decision Making | L81-L108 | Guidance for choosing Azure SQL deployment, tiers, pricing, Hyperscale options, DR/HA, automation, reservations, and migration paths (SQL Server, DTU↔vCore, Data Sync, elastic sharding). | | Architecture & Design Patterns | L109-L127 | Architectural patterns for Azure SQL apps: geo-replication, DR/BCP, connectivity/routing, sharding & elastic scale, multi-tenant SaaS models, Hyperscale internals, and upgrade/failover designs. | | Limits & Quotas | L128-L143 | Limits, quotas, and behaviors for Azure SQL: free tier and offers, DTU/vCore and serverless resource caps, backups immutability, maintenance windows, and billing rules. | | Security | L144-L208 | Securing Azure SQL: auth with Entra/managed identities, auditing/Defender, network/firewall controls, Always Encrypted/TDE keys, masking, DR security, and secure import/export and backups. | | Configuration | L209-L279 | Configuring Azure SQL databases: backups, geo-replication, failover, security (encryption, TDE), monitoring, scaling (DTU/vCore/serverless), maintenance windows, Data Sync, and CLI/PowerShell automation. | | Integrations & Coding Patterns | L280-L309 | Connecting apps and tools to Azure SQL (EF Core, .NET, Node.js, Python, Go), plus PowerShell/CLI automation for auditing, scaling, geo-replication, data sync, and streaming/Spark integration. | | Deployment | L310-L322 | Deploying and migrating Azure SQL: CI/CD with GitHub/Terraform, scaling and tier changes (Hyperscale, elastic pools), region moves, zone redundancy, dev environments, and feature availability. |

Troubleshooting

| Topic | URL | |-------|-----| | Troubleshoot Azure SQL capacity deployment and scaling errors | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/capacity-errors-troubleshoot?view=azuresql | | Resolve common Azure SQL database watcher issues | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database-watcher-faq?view=azuresql | | Analyze and prevent deadlocks in Azure SQL Database | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/analyze-prevent-deadlocks?view=azuresql | | Fix slow database import and export in Azure SQL | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/database-import-export-hang?view=azuresql | | Use RecoveryManager to fix Azure SQL shard maps | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/elastic-database-recovery-manager?view=azuresql | | Troubleshoot Azure SQL Database Elastic Scale issues | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/elastic-scale-faq?view=azuresql | | Diagnose and fix high CPU in Azure SQL Database | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/high-cpu-diagnose-troubleshoot?view=azuresql | | Troubleshoot performance issues in Azure SQL Hyperscale | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/hyperscale-performance-diagnostics?view=azuresql | | Diagnose Azure SQL query performance bottlenecks | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/identify-query-performance-issues?view=azuresql | | Monitor and troubleshoot In-Memory OLTP storage capacity | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/in-memory-oltp-monitor-space?view=azuresql | | Use DMVs to troubleshoot Azure SQL performance | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/databa