How to create an Azure VM with Sql Server installed

Make it right… the first time

I was recently involved in an extensive home renovation.  As we pulled away the 70’s panel-board and lifted basement sub-floor we were shocked to see the shoddy the workmanship.  I’m not a carpenter and don’t have much experience in construction, but even I could see that so many issues could have been avoid if construction was better planned.  For direction, I picked up a book by Mike Homes titled Make it Right!  Although my carpenter friends were not impressed that I would consider taking advice from such a book, I found a good theme throughout: you will save so much time, headaches, and money if you just do things right the first time!  I think the same principle can be applied to software development, and in this case, setting up a vm with sql server on Azure.

Let Azure do the heavy lifting

There might be a use case where you need to spin up a vanilla VM and install Sql Server manually; I haven’t come across it yet.  The firewall and remote connectivity configuration are enough motivation to make it work with a Sql Server VM.

From my preamble, the first recommendation shouldn’t be a surprise: when creating an Azure VM, select a configuration that comes with a SQL Server installed.  Concerned about Sql Server versions?  There are various versions of Sql Server that come with a VM – even the free express and developer editions.  Picking a version with Sql Server installed helps reduce the time it would take to get the install files on the VM and then do perform the install manually.  On top of that, there is firewall and sql login settings that need to be configured – one of the main reasons I’ve moved to the managed cloud is so that I don’t get stuck in a configuration time trap and I can focus on what I like to do; coding!

Additional Steps for Sql Server Express and Developer Editions

Azure does not enable the needed TCP/IP listening service; this is needed so remote connections can connect to a data source.  Luckily it is easily configured; watch my demo video or login to your virtual server and follow the enabling TCP/IP Network protocol for Sql Server instructions.