Azure SQL Database reservations

What is Azure SQL Database?

Azure SQL Database is a fully managed platform as a service (PaaS) database engine provided by Microsoft Azure.

It handles most of the database management functions such as upgrading, patching, backups, and monitoring without user involvement.

Azure SQL Database is always running on the latest stable version of the SQL Server and enables users to process both relational data and non-relational data structures such as JSON, XML, and spatial data.

Azure SQL Database has three deployment options: Single Database, Elastic Pool, and Managed Instances.

Single Database is used for hosting a single database.

Elastic Pool allows users to manage multiple databases with a shared set of resources.

Managed Instances provide full compatibility with SQL Server features and enable users to migrate their on-premises SQL Server workloads to the cloud.

Users can define and scale performance within two different purchasing models: vCore-based purchasing model and DTU-based purchasing model.

The DTU-based purchasing model is not recommended as that model does not support reservations.

The vCore-based model scales in 2 vCore increments; as an example, a 4 vCore instance can scale to 6 vCores, 8 vCores and so forth.

Let’s have a look at the available discounts!

Note that the Gen4’s are not available for reservation as Gen4 is getting retired.

Here are the available discount (discount compared to Retail Pay-As-You-Go):

• SQL Database Single/Elastic Pool Business Critical – Gen5 – 1 Year term – 35%
• SQL Database Single/Elastic Pool Business Critical – Gen5 – 3 Year term – 55%

• SQL Database Single/Elastic Pool General Purpose – Gen5 – 1 Year term – 35%
• SQL Database Single/Elastic Pool General Purpose – Gen5 – 3 Year term – 55%

• SQL Database SingleDB/Elastic Pool Hyperscale – Gen5 – 1 Year term – 35%
• SQL Database SingleDB/Elastic Pool Hyperscale – Gen5 – 3 Year term – 55%

• SQL Managed Instance Business Critical – Gen5 – 1 Year term – 35%
• SQL Managed Instance Business Critical – Gen5 – 3 Year term – 55%

• SQL Managed Instance General Purpose – Gen5 – 1 Year term – 35%
• SQL Managed Instance General Purpose – Gen5 – 3 Year term – 55%

It is definitely worth looking at reservations for Azure SQL Database; just make sure you remember to pick the vCore model for the Azure SQL Database instances.

Note that there are some savings to be had from AHUB (Bring Your Own License); more on that in a future blog article.