azure-sql-virtual-machines

name	azure-sql-virtual-machines
description	Expert knowledge for SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines development including troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, architecture & design patterns, limits & quotas, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. Use when choosing Azure SQL vs SQL VMs, configuring Always On/FCI, tuning storage/VM sizing, or securing with Key Vault/Entra, and other SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines related development tasks. Not for Azure SQL Database (use azure-sql-database), Azure SQL Managed Instance (use azure-sql-managed-instance), Azure Virtual Machines (use azure-virtual-machines), Azure Database Migration service (use azure-database-migration).
compatibility	Requires network access. Uses mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch or fetch_webpage to retrieve documentation.
metadata	{"generated_at":"2026-04-19","generator":"docs2skills/1.0.0"}

SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines Skill

This skill provides expert guidance for SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines. Covers troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, architecture & design patterns, limits & quotas, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. It combines local quick-reference content with remote documentation fetching capabilities.

How to Use This Skill

IMPORTANT for Agent: Use the Category Index below to locate relevant sections. For categories with line ranges (e.g., L35-L120), use read_file with the specified lines. For categories with file links (e.g., [security.md](security.md)), use read_file on the linked reference file

IMPORTANT for Agent: If metadata.generated_at is more than 3 months old, suggest the user pull the latest version from the repository. If mcp_microsoftdocs tools are not available, suggest the user install it: Installation Guide

This skill requires network access to fetch documentation content:

• Preferred: Use mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch with query string from=learn-agent-skill. Returns Markdown.
• Fallback: Use fetch_webpage with query string from=learn-agent-skill&accept=text/markdown. Returns Markdown.

Category Index

Category	Lines	Description
Troubleshooting	L37-L51	Diagnosing and fixing Azure SQL and SQL Server on VM issues: capacity, connectivity, performance, geo-replication, memory, log full, I/O throttling, and IaaS Agent extension errors
Best Practices	L52-L65	Best practices for SQL Server on Azure VMs: performance tuning, storage/VM sizing, tempdb/ephemeral disks, HADR/FCI/DNN configuration, backups, and planned maintenance readiness.
Decision Making	L66-L80	Guidance for choosing Azure SQL vs SQL VMs, comparing pricing/licensing, selecting HADR options, and planning migrations (Db2, Oracle, SQL 2014) and regional feature availability.
Architecture & Design Patterns	L81-L89	High-level designs and patterns for SQL Server on Azure VMs: connectivity, Always On availability groups, failover cluster instances, and Windows Server Failover Clustering setup.
Limits & Quotas	L90-L95	Info on Azure SQL capacity limits, DTU benchmark behavior, regional feature availability, and how to request quota increases for databases and managed instances
Security	L96-L106	Securing SQL Server on Azure VMs: TLS/cert rotation, Azure Policy, Key Vault/EKM, managed identities, Entra auth, hardening guidance, and confidential VM deployment.
Configuration	L107-L147	Configuring SQL Server on Azure VMs: HA/DR (AGs, FCIs, clustering, load balancers), storage/layout, editions/versions, IaaS Agent, monitoring, connectivity, and deployment automation.
Integrations & Coding Patterns	L148-L153	Backing up SQL Server on Azure VMs directly to Azure Blob Storage, including configurations that use managed identities instead of stored credentials.
Deployment	L154-L169	Deploying and configuring SQL Server Always On availability groups and FCI on Azure VMs, including single/multi-subnet, cross-region, prerequisites, and migration of VMs and disks.

Troubleshooting

Topic	URL
Resolve capacity errors when deploying Azure SQL resources	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/capacity-errors-troubleshoot?view=azuresql
Fix slow database import and export in Azure SQL	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/database-import-export-hang?view=azuresql
Troubleshoot and mitigate transient connectivity errors in Azure SQL	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/troubleshoot-common-connectivity-issues?view=azuresql
Troubleshoot common connection issues for Azure SQL	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/troubleshoot-common-errors-issues?view=azuresql
Troubleshoot geo-replication and redo lag in Azure SQL Database	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/troubleshoot-geo-replication-redo?view=azuresql
Investigate and fix memory issues in Azure SQL Database	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/troubleshoot-memory-errors-issues?view=azuresql
Diagnose and fix Azure SQL DB transaction log full errors	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/troubleshoot-transaction-log-errors-issues?view=azuresql-db
Resolve known issues in Azure SQL Managed Instance	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/managed-instance/doc-changes-updates-known-issues?view=azuresql
Resolve transaction log full errors in Azure SQL Managed Instance	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/managed-instance/troubleshoot-transaction-log-errors-issues?view=azuresql-mi

Best Practices

Topic	URL
Prepare for planned maintenance in Azure SQL	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/planned-maintenance?view=azuresql
Use SQL features with DNN listeners on Azure VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/availability-group-dnn-interoperability?view=azuresql
Apply backup and restore strategies for SQL Server on Azure VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/backup-restore?view=azuresql
Use SQL Server features with FCI DNN on Azure	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/failover-cluster-instance-dnn-interoperability?view=azuresql
Configure HADR clusters for SQL Server on Azure VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/hadr-cluster-best-practices?view=azuresql
Apply performance best-practice checklist for SQL Server on Azure VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/performance-guidelines-best-practices-checklist?view=azuresql
Collect performance baselines for SQL Server on Azure VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/performance-guidelines-best-practices-collect-baseline?view=azuresql
Optimize Azure VM storage for SQL Server performance	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/performance-guidelines-best-practices-storage?view=azuresql
Select and tune VM sizes for SQL Server on Azure VMs

Decision Making

Topic	URL
Use Azure SQL decision tree to choose service	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/azure-sql-decision-tree?view=azuresql
Check Azure SQL Database feature availability by region	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/region-availability?view=azuresql
Check Azure SQL Managed Instance feature availability by region	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/managed-instance/region-availability?view=azuresql
Answer migration and modernization questions for Azure SQL	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/migration-guides/modernization?view=azuresql
Plan and execute Db2 to SQL on Azure VM migration	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/migration-guides/virtual-machines/db2-to-sql-on-azure-vm-guide?view=azuresql
Plan and execute Oracle to SQL on Azure VM migration	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/migration-guides/virtual-machines/oracle-to-sql-on-azure-vm-guide?view=azuresql
Use Modernization Advisor to compare SQL VM vs Managed Instance	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/modernization-advisor?view=azuresql
Choose HADR and business continuity options for SQL VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/business-continuity-high-availability-disaster-recovery-hadr-overview?view=azuresql
Switch SQL Server VM licensing to Azure Hybrid Benefit	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/licensing-model-azure-hybrid-benefit-ahb-change?view=azuresql

Architecture & Design Patterns

Topic	URL
Understand connectivity architecture for Azure SQL Database	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/connectivity-architecture?view=azuresql
Apply SQL Server application patterns on Azure VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/application-patterns-development-strategies?view=azuresql
Design Always On availability groups for SQL Server on Azure VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/availability-group-overview?view=azuresql
Understand failover cluster instances for SQL Server on Azure VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/failover-cluster-instance-overview?view=azuresql
Use Windows Server Failover Clustering with SQL Server on Azure VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/hadr-windows-server-failover-cluster-overview?view=azuresql

Limits & Quotas

Topic	URL
Understand DTU benchmark characteristics for Azure SQL	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/dtu-benchmark?view=azuresql
Request quota increases for Azure SQL resources	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/quota-increase-request?view=azuresql

Security

Topic	URL
Use built-in Azure Policy definitions for Azure SQL	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/policy-reference?view=azuresql
Prepare for Azure SQL TLS root certificate rotation	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/updates/ssl-root-certificate-expiring?view=azuresql
Configure Azure Key Vault integration for SQL Server VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/azure-key-vault-integration-configure?view=azuresql
Enable Microsoft Entra authentication for SQL Server VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/configure-azure-ad-authentication-for-sql-vm?view=azuresql
Use managed identities with SQL EKM and Key Vault	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/managed-identity-extensible-key-management?view=azuresql
Harden SQL Server on Azure VMs with security best practices	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/security-considerations-best-practices?view=azuresql
Deploy SQL Server to Azure confidential VMs securely	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/sql-vm-create-confidential-vm-how-to?view=azuresql

Configuration

Topic	URL
Reference for Azure SQL Database monitoring metrics and logs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/monitoring-sql-database-azure-monitor-reference?view=azuresql
Reference for Azure SQL Managed Instance monitoring data	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/managed-instance/monitoring-sql-managed-instance-azure-monitor-reference?view=azuresql
Set up Always On AG with DH2i DxEnterprise on Azure	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/linux/dh2i-high-availability-tutorial?view=azuresql
Configure availability group listener for Linux SQL VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/linux/high-availability-listener-tutorial?view=azuresql
Configure RHEL cluster and fencing for SQL AG on Azure	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/linux/rhel-high-availability-fencing-tutorial?view=azuresql
Configure SLES cluster and STONITH for SQL AG on Azure	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/linux/sles-high-availability-fencing-tutorial?view=azuresql
Register Linux SQL Server VM with IaaS Agent extension	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/linux/sql-iaas-agent-extension-register-vm-linux?view=azuresql
Configure SQL IaaS Agent extension on Linux VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/linux/sql-server-iaas-agent-extension-linux?view=azuresql

Integrations & Coding Patterns

Topic	URL
Back up SQL Server on Azure VMs to Azure Blob Storage	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/azure-storage-sql-server-backup-restore-use?view=azuresql
Back up SQL Server VM databases to Blob using managed identity	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/backup-restore-to-url-using-managed-identities?view=azuresql

Deployment

Topic	URL
Deploy multi-subnet availability group using PowerShell/CLI	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/availability-group-az-commandline-configure-multi-subnet?view=azuresql
Deploy single-subnet availability group via PowerShell/CLI	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/availability-group-az-commandline-configure?view=azuresql
Configure domain-independent workgroup availability group	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/availability-group-clusterless-workgroup-configure?view=azuresql
Configure cross-region multi-subnet availability group	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/availability-group-manually-configure-multi-subnet-multiple-regions?view=azuresql
Configure cross-region availability group for SQL VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/availability-group-manually-configure-multiple-regions?view=azuresql
Prepare prerequisites for single-subnet availability groups	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/availability-group-manually-configure-prerequisites-tutorial-single-subnet?view=azuresql
Configure multi-subnet availability group on SQL VMs	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/availability-group-manually-configure-tutorial-multi-subnet?view=azuresql
Configure single-subnet Always On availability group