Microsoft’s Azure SQL Database service gets a three tier system, along with performance improvements

1 min. read

Published on September 11, 2014

published on September 11, 2014

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Microsoft has announced three new tiers for their SQL Database-as-a-service: Basic, Standard, and Premium. This new tier system allows you to significantly increase the databases managed from a single administrator.

These tiers provide predictable performance from light, to heavy weight transactional applications. They also ensure that performance isn’t hindered by the workload of other customers.

Further, they provide an upgrade of uptime SLA from 99.9% to 99.99%, point-in-time-restore, active geo-replication, standard geo-replication, increase of database sizes from 150 GB to 500 GB, and auditing. Microsoft also changed policies such as hourly billing for the new tiers. You can read the full details here.

These tiers, generally available now, are a mere part of a larger expanding portfolio that includes DocumentDB — a non-relational database service, Azure Search, Azure Machine Learning and more.

The database market, relational and non-relational, is a competitive place with rival offerings from companies like Amazon and Oracle. What are your experiences and preferences with SQL Databases, and what do you think of Microsoft’s service?

Radu Tyrsina

Radu Tyrsina has been a Windows fan ever since he got his first PC, a Pentium III (a monster at that time). For most of the kids of his age, the Internet was an amazing way to play and communicate with others, but he was deeply impressed by the flow of information and how easily you can find anything on the web. Prior to founding Windows Report, this particular curiosity about digital content enabled him to grow a number of sites that helped hundreds of millions reach faster the answer they're looking for.