Azure SQL Managed Instance
Azure SQL Managed Instance creates a database with near 100% compatibility with the latest SQL Server (Enterprise Edition) database engine, providing a native virtual network (VNet) implementation that addresses common security concerns, and a business model favorable for existing SQL Server customers.
Configure environment
Firstly, you will need to create your first SQL Managed Instance with the network environment where it will be placed, and enable connection from the computer or virtual machine where you are executing queries to SQL Managed Instance. You can use the following guides:
Create a SQL Managed Instance using the Azure portal. In the Azure portal, you configure the necessary parameters (username/password, number of cores, and max storage amount), and automatically create the Azure network environment without the need to know about networking details and infrastructure requirements.
For client application access, you can either create a VM in the same VNet (different subnet) or create a point-to-site VPN connection to the VNet from your client computer using one of these quickstarts:
- Firstly, Enable public endpoint on your SQL Managed Instance in order to access your data directly from your environment.
- Secondly, Create Azure Virtual Machine in the SQL Managed Instance VNet for client application connectivity, including SQL Server Management Studio.
- Lastly, Set up point-to-site VPN connection to your SQL Managed Instance from your client computer on which you have SQL Server Management Studio and other client connectivity applications. This is other of two options for connectivity to your SQL Managed Instance and to its VNet.
Migrate your databases
After you create a SQL Managed Instance and configure access, you can start migrating your SQL Server databases. Migration can fail if you have some unsupported features in the source database that you want to migrate. To avoid failures and check compatibility, you can use Data Migration Assistant (DMA) to analyze your databases on SQL Server and find any issue that could block migration to a SQL Managed Instance, such as existence of FileStream or multiple log files.
Customize network environment
Although the VNet/subnet can be automatically configured when the instance is created using the Azure portal, it might be good to create it before you start creating instances in SQL Managed Instance. This is because you can configure the parameters of VNet and subnet. The easiest way to create and configure the network environment is to use the Azure Resource deployment template that creates and configures your network and subnet where it will be placed. You just need to press the Azure Resource Manager deploy button and populate the form with parameters.
Migrate to a SQL Managed Instance
in order to migrate your production database or even dev/test databases that you want to use for some performance test. you would need to consider using some additional techniques, such as:
- Firstly, Performance testing
- Also, Online migration
Reference documentation – Getting started with Azure SQL Managed Instance