Configure compute and storage resources for scaling

To configure compute and storage resources for scaling in Microsoft Azure SQL Solutions, you have several options available. Whether you need to handle increased workload or improve performance, Azure provides tools and features that allow you to effectively scale your compute and storage resources. In this article, we will explore these options and walk you through the process of configuring scalable solutions.

1. Scaling Compute Resources:

Azure SQL Database offers multiple deployment options to scale compute resources:

• a. Single Database: If you have a single database and want to scale its compute resources, you can use the Azure portal, PowerShell, or Azure CLI.

// Azure portal:
1. Go to the Azure portal (https://portal.azure.com) and navigate to your Azure SQL Database.
2. Under Settings, select "Compute + storage".
3. Adjust the "Compute" settings as per your requirements, such as adjusting the vCore, storage size, and DTU limits.
4. Click "Apply" to save the changes.

• b. Elastic Pool: If you have multiple databases with variable workloads, you can leverage Azure SQL Database Elastic Pools. Elastic Pools allow you to scale compute resources shared across multiple databases in the pool.

// Azure portal:
1. Go to the Azure portal (https://portal.azure.com) and navigate to your Azure SQL Elastic Pool.
2. Under Settings, select "Pricing tier".
3. Adjust the "Elastic Pool" settings, such as the number of eDTUs, storage size, and the number of databases.
4. Click "Apply" to save the changes.

// Azure CLI:
az sql elastic-pool update -g YourResourceGroup -s YourServerName -n YourElasticPoolName --dtu YourDtu --database-dtu-max YourDatabaseDtuMax --database-dtu-min YourDatabaseDtuMin --storage-size YourStorageSize

2. Scaling Storage Resources:

Azure SQL Database provides flexible storage options that allow you to scale your storage resources based on your needs. Storage scaling can be performed separately from compute scaling. You have the following options to scale storage resources:

• a. Azure Managed Disks: Azure SQL Database uses managed disks to store data and logs. To scale storage resources, you can adjust the size of the managed disk associated with your SQL Database or SQL Elastic Pool. You can do this using the Azure portal, PowerShell, or Azure CLI.

// Azure portal:
1. Go to the Azure portal (https://portal.azure.com) and navigate to your Azure SQL Database/Elastic Pool.
2. Under Settings, select "Compute + storage".
3. Adjust the "Storage" settings, such as the storage size and IO limits.
4. Click "Apply" to save the changes.

• b. Storage Auto-growth: By default, Azure SQL Database automatically grows the storage when required. Ensure that the “Automatic growth” property is enabled to allow the system to expand storage automatically.

// Azure portal:
1. Go to the Azure portal (https://portal.azure.com) and navigate to your Azure SQL Database/Elastic Pool.
2. Under Settings, select "Automatic tuning".
3. Enable the "Automatic growth" setting to allow the system to expand storage automatically.

// Azure CLI:
az sql server update -g YourResourceGroup -n YourServerName --storage-auto-grow Enabled

• c. Blob storage: Azure SQL Database also allows you to use Azure Blob storage for high-performance backup and restore operations. By moving older data to Blob storage, you can reduce the size of your database and improve performance.

// Azure portal:
1. Go to the Azure portal (https://portal.azure.com) and navigate to your Azure SQL Database/Elastic Pool.
2. Under Settings, select "Long-term backup retention".
3. Enable the "Azure Blob storage backup" option and configure the storage account details.

// Azure CLI:
az sql db ltr-policy set -g YourResourceGroup -s YourServerName -n YourDatabaseName --weekly-retention YourWeeklyRetentionPeriod --yearly-retention YourYearlyRetentionPeriod --storage-account-url YourStorageAccountUrl --storage-access-key YourStorageAccessKey

By appropriately configuring compute and storage resources, you can ensure that your Azure SQL Solutions are scalable and optimized for performance. Whether you need to handle sudden spikes in workload or streamline your resources for improved efficiency, Azure provides a range of options to meet your requirements.