7 Azure SQL Database Books That Separate Experts from Amateurs

Bob Ward's extensive experience as a principal architect on Microsoft's Azure Data Server team informs every page of this guide. You gain a clear understanding of how to translate your on-premises SQL Server skills into the cloud environment, particularly with Azure SQL Database. The book walks you through deployment choices, configuration, securing data, and performance tuning, all framed by insights into Azure SQL's unique architecture and history. If you work with SQL Server and want to confidently navigate cloud transitions, this book equips you with the technical know-how and strategic perspective essential for enterprise-level cloud solutions.

Drawing from over two decades of hands-on experience, Grant Fritchey delivers a detailed guide on diagnosing and resolving performance issues in SQL Server 2017, with a focus on Azure SQL Database environments. You’ll explore how to use tools like Query Store and Extended Events to identify bottlenecks and implement both immediate and long-term solutions to query inefficiencies. The book goes beyond quick fixes, emphasizing proactive performance baseline establishment and strategic query and index design. If you’re responsible for tuning T-SQL queries or maintaining application performance, this book equips you with concrete techniques to prevent slowdowns before they impact users.

This personalized book explores the complexities of Azure SQL Database through a tailored lens that matches your background and learning goals. It covers core concepts such as database architecture, security, and deployment while diving into advanced topics like performance tuning and scalability. By focusing on areas most relevant to your experience level and interests, it provides a pathway designed to deepen your understanding efficiently. The book examines real-world scenarios and best practices, guiding you through cloud migration, query optimization, and database management. This tailored approach ensures you engage deeply with the material that matters most to your journey of mastering Azure SQL Database.

Drawing from decades as a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and co-founder of SolidQ, Itzik Ben-Gan shares a deep dive into T-SQL that goes beyond syntax. You’ll gain a clear grasp of how T-SQL operates as both a language and a mindset, mastering topics like logical query processing, joins, subqueries, window functions, and even SQL Graph. The book’s strength lies in its balance between theory and practice, with reusable code examples that work across cloud and on-premises environments. If you write or maintain T-SQL code for SQL Server or Azure SQL Database, this book sharpens your fundamentals and expands your capabilities without overcomplicating things.

What happens when deep expertise in SQL Server meets the challenge of diagnosing performance bottlenecks? Thomas LaRock, a seasoned SQL Server MVP, brings his extensive experience in database administration to this guide focused on wait statistics in SQL Server 2022 and Azure SQL Database. You’ll learn exactly how to interpret wait times, distinguish between common and complex wait types, and use this knowledge to prioritize tuning efforts that yield the biggest impact. The book goes beyond basics, covering per-query and session-based waits with clear examples, making it a solid resource if you’re managing SQL Server performance and want to understand where to focus your attention.

Ahmad Osama leverages his expertise as a Technical Architect and Microsoft Data Platform MVP to guide you through the nuances of managing Azure SQL Databases. This book walks you through critical tasks like migrating on-premise SQL servers to Azure, setting up backups, and optimizing performance with real-world scenarios and over 40 hands-on exercises. You'll gain a solid grasp of scaling strategies using elastic pools and implementing high availability and disaster recovery, all essential for maintaining robust cloud databases. If you're familiar with SQL Server and want to master its cloud counterpart, this book offers focused insights without unnecessary fluff.

This tailored book explores a focused, step-by-step pathway to mastering Azure SQL Database within 30 days. It covers core concepts such as database provisioning, query optimization, security configurations, and performance tuning, all aligned with your background and specific learning goals. By concentrating on your interests and current skill level, the content reveals practical techniques and real-world applications relevant to your development or administration objectives. This personalized approach ensures efficient learning, eliminating unnecessary material while deepening your understanding of Azure's cloud data platform. Whether improving deployment practices or enhancing query performance, the book guides you through a coherent, progressive journey to rapid proficiency.

Drawing from decades of hands-on experience in consulting and Microsoft technology, Joseph D'Antoni and Scott Klein target seasoned IT professionals looking to sharpen their command of provisioning SQL Server databases both on premise and in the Azure cloud. This book guides you through the complexities of managing databases, instances, and storage with a focus on the strategic decision-making required for Microsoft Exam 70-765. You’ll explore scenarios that push your critical thinking, such as implementing SQL in Azure and migrating databases, grounded in practical challenges rather than abstract theory. If you're already comfortable with SQL Server administration, this book translates that knowledge into cloud-enabled expertise, though it’s less suited for beginners new to database management.

What if everything you knew about cloud database development was challenged by insights from someone inside Microsoft? Davide Mauri, a veteran program manager with over two decades of IT experience and a dozen years as a Data Platform MVP, brings a developer-centric perspective to mastering Azure SQL Database. You’ll explore how to integrate relational and post-relational data, leverage advanced features like columnstore indexes, lock-free tables, and graph database support, and optimize performance by pushing compute tasks closer to the data. The book is particularly useful if you want to build scalable, high-performance applications across multiple languages and platforms, although if you’re looking for introductory database theory, this may be more technical than necessary.