DP-300: Administering Relational Databases on Microsoft Azure

Posted on 22 April, 2024 by Micheal Alexander

This course provides students with the knowledge and skills to manage a SQL Server database infrastructure for cloud, on-premises, and hybrid relational databases and those working with Microsoft's PaaS relational database offerings. Additionally, it will be useful for people who develop applications that deliver content from SQL-based relational databases. DP-300: Administering Relational Databases on Microsoft Azure

The audience for this course is data professionals who manage data and databases who want to learn about managing the data platform technologies that are available in Microsoft Azure. This course is also valuable for data architects and application developers who need to understand what technologies are available for the data platform with Azure and how to work with those technologies across applications. Azure Database Administrator Associate

Module 1: The Role of the Azure Database Administrator

This module explores the role of a database administrator in the world of Azure. It also provides some foundational information relevant to the overall content. This includes a review of the various SQL Server-based options (SQL Server in a VM, Managed Instances, and Azure SQL Database.) Students will learn why compatibility level is a crucial concept when working with SQL databases in Azure. Students are also introduced to other database platforms available on Azure in addition to those based on SQL Server, in particular PostgreSQL and MySQL.

Lessons

Azure Data Platform Roles

Azure Database Platforms and Options

SQL Server Compatibility Levels

Azure Preview Features

Lab: Using the Azure Portal and SQL Server Management Studio

Provision a SQL Server on an Azure Virtual Machine

Connect to SQL Server and Restore a Backup

After completing this module, students will:

Understand the role of Azure Database Administrator as it fits in with other data platform roles

Be able to describe the key differences between the SQL Server-based database op

Be able to describe the difference between versions and compatibility levels

Know how to enable and disable preview features

Module 2: Plan and Implement Data Platform Resources

This module introduces methods for deploying data platform resources in Azure. You will learn about options for both upgrading and migrating existing SQL databases to Azure. You will learn how to set up Azure resources to host SQL Server on a Virtual Machine, a Managed Instance, Azure SQL Database and either PostgreSQL or MySQL. You will learn how to determine which options are best based on specific requirements including the High Availability and Disaster Recovery (HADR) needs. They will learn to calculate resource requirements and create templates for their deployments.

Lessons

Deploying SQL Server using IaaS

Deploying SQL Server using PaaS

Deploying Open Source Database Solutions on Azure

Lab: Deploying Azure SQL Database

Deploy a VM using an ARM template

Configure resources needed prior to creating a database

Deploy an Azure SQL Database

Register the Azure SQL Database instance in Azure Data Studio and validate connectivity

Deploy PostgreSQL or MySQL using a client tool to validate connectivity

After completing this module, students will:

Deploy resources using manual methods

Recommend an appropriate databvase offering based on requirements

Configure database resources

Evaluate and implement a strategy for moving a database to Azure

Module 3: Implement a Secure Environment

This module explores the practices of securing your SQL Server Database as well as an Azure SQL database. This includes a review of the various SQL Server-based options as well as the various Azure options for securing Azure SQL Database as well as the databases with resides within Azure SQL Database. . Students will read why security is crucial when working with databases. . Students are also introduced to other database platforms available on Azure in addition to those based on SQL Server, in particular, Azure Database for MariaDB/MySQL/PostgreSQL.

Lessons

Configure Database Authentication

Configure Database Authorization

Implement Security for Data at Rest

Implement Security for Data in Transit

Implement Compliance Controls for Sensitive Data

Lab: Implement a Secure Environment

Configure a server-based firewall rule using the Azure portal

Authorize Access to Azure SQL Database with Azure Active Directory

Enable Advanced Data Security and Data Classification

Manage access to database objects

After completing this module, students will:

Understand the differences between Windows, SQL Server and Azure Active Directory Authentication

Describe and configure both data-at-rest encryption solutions as well as data-in-transit encryption

Implement a data sensitivity solution

Module 4: Monitor and Optimize Operational Resources

This module will teach you about resource optimization for your databases created using either IaaS or PaaS services. The module also covers monitoring server and hardware resources. It will familiarize you with the various tools available for monitoring performance and establishing a baseline. You will learn how to interpret performance metrics for the most critical resources. You will also learn how to troubleshoot database performance using Azure SQL Database Intelligent Insights.

Lessons

Baselines and Performance Monitoring

Major Causes of Performance Issues

Configuring Resources for Optimal Performance

User Database Configuration

Performance-related Maintenance Tasks

Lab: Monitor and Optimize Resources

Isolate CPU Problems

Use Query Store observe blocking problems

Detect and correct fragmentation issues

After completing this module, students will:

Monitor activity and compare to a baseline

Defines maintenance tasks related to performance

Identify major causes of performance problems

Configure resources for optimal performance

Configure a user database for optimal performance

Module 5: Optimize Query Performance

Query execution plans are potentially the most important aspect of database performance. Improving bad plans is certainly an area where a small amount of effort can bring huge improvements. While hardware issues can limit query performance, improving hardware usually yields performance improvements in the 10-20% range, at most. More commonly database administrators encounter queries that are not optimized, have stale or missing statistics, have missing indexes, or poor database design choices that lead to the database engine doing more work than is necessary to return results for a given query. Improving the plans can sometimes yield performance improvements in the 100-200% range or even more, meaning that after improving a plan with better indexes or statistics, a query could run twice or three times as fast! This module provides details on how to analyze individual query performance and determine where improvements can be made.

Lessons

Understanding SQL Server Query Plans

Explore Performance-based Database Design

Evaluate Performance Improvements

Lab: Query Performance Troubleshooting

Identify issues with database design AdventureWorks2017

Isolate problem areas in poorly performing queries in AdventureWorks2017

Use Query Store to detect and handle regression in AdventureWorks2017

Use query hints to impact performance in AdventureWorks2017

After completing this module, students will:

Analyze query plans and identify problem areas

Evaluate potential query improvements

Review table and index design

Determine whether query or design changes have had a positive effect

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