Why Choose This Project?

In modern applications, database scalability and high availability are crucial to handle increasing data volume and user traffic. Azure SQL Database provides built-in features like elastic pools, geo-replication, and automatic failover that make it easy to deploy scalable and resilient database clusters in the cloud.

This project is perfect for students and professionals interested in cloud-native relational databases, DevOps automation, and enterprise-grade scalability with Microsoft Azure.

Core Features

• Scalable SQL database cluster with read replicas

• Elastic pool for resource optimization

• Geo-redundant backups and failover support

• Azure Active Directory (AAD) integration for secure access

• Automated database scaling rules based on usage

• Central monitoring using Azure Monitor and Log Analytics

Technology Stack

Architecture Workflow

1. Create Azure SQL Logical Server:

   • Host all Azure SQL databases under one server.

   • Set up AAD authentication and firewall rules.

2. Create Elastic Pool:

   • Add multiple databases to share resources cost-efficiently.

3. Create Primary & Read-Only Replicas:

   • Enable read-scale-out or geo-replication to create a high-availability cluster.

4. Configure Automatic Scaling:

   • Use Azure Automation or Azure Monitor autoscale rules to adjust DTUs/vCores based on demand.

5. Secure Access:

   • Integrate with Azure Active Directory.

   • Use role-based access and SQL authentication.

6. Monitoring & Alerts:

   • Enable Azure Monitor and Log Analytics to track query performance, deadlocks, CPU/memory usage.

   • Set alerts for performance bottlenecks or outage.

7. (Optional): Automate provisioning with Terraform, ARM templates, or Azure CLI scripts.

Example Use Cases

• SaaS Applications with large user bases

• E-commerce platform with variable traffic

• Real-time analytics dashboard requiring read replicas

• Multi-region apps requiring geo-redundant DB clusters

Security Best Practices

• Enable transparent data encryption (TDE)

• Configure virtual network service endpoints

• Enforce TLS connections

• Use Azure Defender for SQL for advanced threat protection

• Audit logs with Azure Audit Logs