Azure Arc-Enabled SQL Server: Centralized Management for Hybrid Environments
Azure Arc-enabled SQL Server is worth considering for organizations looking to unify their database management and capitalize on cloud-native features while still keeping their data on-premises.
Azure Arc is a set of technologies from Microsoft that extends Azure management and services to any infrastructure, including other clouds, on-premises, and edge. This enables you to manage all your SQL Server instances across environments from a single, unified interface.
Why use Azure Arc-enabled SQL Server?
Organizations operating in hybrid environments often face challenges in maintaining consistency across their SQL Server instances. This is especially acute with complex compliance requirements and security policies. Azure Arc addresses these issues by:
- Streamlining operations: Having a unified platform for managing all SQL Servers simplifies the DBA’s tasks.
- Enhancing security: Leveraging Azure’s robust security framework helps protect data across all environments.
- Improving compliance: Automated compliance tools reduce the risk of violations.
Let’s take a look at a few key features.
Key features of Azure Arc-enabled SQL Server
- Unified Management: Azure Arc provides a centralized portal for managing all your SQL Server instances. Whether your databases are on-premises, in the cloud, or at the edge, you can see them from the Azure Portal.
- Automated Updates: One challenge with managing SQL Servers across different locations is ensuring they are all updated and patched consistently. Azure Arc can automate this process, ensuring instances are always up to date with the latest security patches and performance improvements.
- Advanced Security: You can apply Azure’s security management and threat protection capabilities to your SQL Server instances, no matter where they reside. This includes advanced threat detection using Microsoft Defender, vulnerability assessments, certificate rotation, and access controls.
- Compliance and Governance: Azure Policy can be applied to SQL Servers managed through Azure Arc, helping ensure compliance with external regulations and internal policies through automated checks.
- Business Continuity: Azure Arc enables you to configure automated backups to local storage, perform point-in-time restores, view Always On failover cluster instances, and view Always On availability groups.
- Migration Readiness: The Azure SQL readiness assessment evaluates the readiness of SQL Server migrations to Azure SQL (Azure SQL Managed Instance, SQL Server on Azure VM, Azure SQL Database).
- SQL Server Assessment: The best practices assessment provides a method to evaluate the configuration of SQL Server. Once enabled, an assessment scans the SQL Server instance and databases to provide recommendations.
How it works
Setting up Azure Arc for SQL Server involves installing the Azure Connected Machine Agent on your physical or virtual server first. This agent communicates with Azure and brings the SQL Server under Azure management. From here, you can perform operations like monitoring, setting up alerts, implementing backup solutions, and more from within the Azure Portal.
In conclusion
Azure Arc-enabled SQL Server simplifies management, enhances security, and ensures compliance across all your SQL Server instances, regardless of their location. By extending Azure’s management capabilities to your on-premises and multi-cloud environments, Azure Arc helps you harness the power of the cloud wherever your servers may be.
Additional Resources:
- Azure Policy
- SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc
- Azure Connected Machine Agent Prerequisites
- YouTube – Azure Arc-enabled SQL Server Experience
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