/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 using Hyperscale/serverless, geo-replication/DR, elastic pools/sharding, Managed Instance, or Terraform/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 Database for MySQL (use azure-database-mysql).
compatibility: Requires network access. Uses mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch or fetch_webpage to retrieve documentation.
metadata:
  generated_at: "2026-11-08"
  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 (CPU, memory, deadlocks, blocking), connectivity, scaling, import/export, geo-replication, ransomware, Data Sync, and Managed Instance errors. | | Best Practices | L63-L86 | Operational best practices for Azure SQL: monitoring, HA/DR and failover, elastic pool tuning, maintenance, security and ransomware defense/recovery, and T‑SQL/serverless/Data Sync guidance. | | Decision Making | L87-L114 | Guides for choosing Azure SQL service tiers, pricing models, migration paths, disaster recovery, automation, and Hyperscale/serverless options based on performance, cost, and workload needs. | | Architecture & Design Patterns | L115-L131 | 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 | L132-L146 | Usage, resource, billing, and backup limits for Azure SQL: free tier quotas, DTU/vCore caps for single DBs and pools, serverless billing rules, and maintenance/long-term retention constraints. | | Security | L147-L217 | Securing Azure SQL: authentication (Entra, managed identities, MFA), network/firewall, auditing, encryption/TDE, data masking, threat/vuln protection, policy/compliance, and secure backup/DR. | | Configuration | L218-L289 | Configuring Azure SQL databases: monitoring, alerts, backups, replication/failover, scaling (single, pools, serverless), security (encryption, audit), maintenance windows, and CLI/PowerShell automation. | | Integrations & Coding Patterns | L290-L319 | Connecting to Azure SQL from various languages/tools, managing auditing, sharding, geo-replication, scaling, and automating operations via PowerShell, CLI, REST, Spark, and Stream Analytics. | | Deployment | L320-L331 | Deploying and scaling Azure SQL databases/Managed Instances: CI/CD with GitHub Actions, Hyperscale setup and upgrades, zone redundancy, regional moves, feature availability, and Terraform provisioning. |

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 | | Diagnose Azure SQL per