Setting Up Azure SQL Database

Azure SQL Database is a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) offering that provides fully managed SQL databases in the Azure ecosystem. It eliminates the need to manage hardware, perform manual updates, or handle complex backups.

You will also need to use another important resource for your data engineering tasks - SQL Server.

In Azure, an SQL Server is a logical container for managing your Azure SQL Databases. It doesn't represent a physical server but instead acts as a management layer to handle connections, configurations, and security for databases within it.

Think of it as a gatekeeper: you create a server in Azure, and all your Azure SQL Databases under that server share common settings, like administrative credentials, firewalls, and connection strings.

Why Use Azure SQL Database in Data Engineering?

In data engineering, structured data plays a critical role, particularly in transactional systems, reporting, and analytics pipelines. Azure SQL Database is perfect for:

• Storing transactional data from applications;
• Supporting ETL/ELT workflows with tools like Azure Data Factory;
• Enabling data transformation and reporting with SQL queries and views.

For example, if you're tracking customer purchases, Azure SQL Database can store customer profiles, transaction details, and inventory records in relational tables.