Learn Azure SQL: How and Why

In my first post on Azure SQL, I described why Azure is the best cloud for SQL Server. I described a new set of learning tools for you to learn Azure SQL including the following resources:

Azure SQL fundamentals - https://aka.ms/azuresqlfundamentalsm

Azure SQL for beginners - https://aka.ms/azuresql4beginners

Azure SQL Bootcamp - https://aka.ms/azuresqlbootcamp

Azure SQL Workshop - https://aka.ms/sqlworkshops

All of these training resources allow you to learn in the best way that fits you. For example, if you want to go through a self-paced training course (and you don't have an Azure account), try out Azure SQL fundamentals. If you like to watch videos and "learn at your own pace", take a look at the some 60+ videos from Azure SQL for beginners. Let me stop and also tell you that even though the title of the video playlist has the word "beginners" in it, there is absolutely deep technical content as part of this. If you want to take a live training course, join us for the Azure SQL Bootcamp. If you want to take the content and fork it for your own needs, then go to our GitHub repository at Azure SQL Workshop (which is also where we will keep the latest version of the content). The workshop is open-source and yours to use for free. All we ask is that you help us make it better by filing issues at https://github.com/microsoft/sqlworkshops-azuresqlworkshop/issues. You will notice a common theme in all of these resources of introduction, deploy/configure, security, performance, and availability. And there is a fun last module to put it all together. Check out this video for a challenge to beat me on an Azure SQL solution (and notice my face as Anna put me on the spot)!

I think you will find it interesting how we built this training. It was honestly nothing short of amazing. I was in the process of assessing Azure SQL from the perspective of SQL Server and Anna Hoffman was tasked to find a way to educate the broader community on Azure SQL. So, Anna and I spent months assessing Azure SQL from the perspective of SQL Server. We studied the history of Azure SQL. We compared the capabilities and tasks of deploying, configuring, security, performance, and availability of SQL Server with Azure SQL. At one point, Anna asked me, "why the focus on security, performance, and availability?". I told here these three areas are the "meat and potatoes" of SQL Server. This term I coined from a phrase Conor Cunningham used with me one time when describing the core of the SQL Server engine. If you look at major SQL Server releases, these are the three areas we always focus on enhancing (not to mention adding incredible new innovation like Big Data Clusters, Polybase, or Machine Learning Services). As we were going through the assessment process, a world event happened as you all know that affected everything. Our plans were to build a workshop and hit the road teaching this to as many people as we could. We also wanted to build a digital and virtual version of the workshop. Given the virus pandemic, we quickly shifted to a complete virtual and digital experience, but set ourselves up to eventually deliver this as well in person. Anna was nothing short of amazing organizing groups within Microsoft such as Microsoft Learn and Channel 9 to allow us to use their platforms for self-paced learning and video content.

We started with a huge pile of OneNote pages with notes, exercises, labs, demos, and findings across the landscape of Azure SQL. We then built demos and labs on GitHub. We met constantly to review our findings and refine our labs. However, in order for us to structure our content, we needed a slide deck to center it all. You can see the final product of that deck on GitHub at https://github.com/microsoft/sqlworkshops-azuresqlworkshop/tree/master/slides. Using this deck we spent several days in June recording some 60+ videos and with the help of the Channel 9 team were able to get these videos professionally edited. The Microsoft Learn team saw our content and worked with us to use their platform which includes a "sandbox" for Azure services so you can complete the training without having an Azure account. For us and you, this was huge.

I think it is also important for you to understand why we built this training and why it may be important to you. As both Anna and I assessed existing Azure SQL training and content, we couldn't quite find the perspective of the existing SQL Server professional. As I've been on the road these last few years talking SQL Server, I still sensed an lack of comfort level from some about Azure SQL. Is it the same as SQL Server. Where is it different? Where is it better? Do my existing skills apply? Do my favorite DMVs work? Some of this information exists at a high-level but not really at the level that matters to most SQL Server professionals. This is also why I think you will find this training valuable. Even if you don't consider yourself an expert in SQL Server, you will find benefit from this training.

My hope is that this content will empower you to go farther with your skills and make the move to Azure SQL. Most who "make the move" to still manage SQL Server installations so this is why this training may be perfect for you. You will be able to manage both your existing SQL Server instances and new Azure SQL deployments.

In my next few posts, I'll talk more about some of the content in the various modules that provide the foundation for learning Azure SQL.

Bob Ward

Microsoft Azure Data, Principal Architect