Microsoft Azure SQL Database and Azure Database for PostgreSQL are both popular cloud database solutions offering distinct advantages. Azure SQL Database holds the upper hand in terms of strong security features and seamless integration with other Microsoft products, while PostgreSQL is preferred for its flexible pricing model and networking capabilities.
Features: Azure SQL Database offers robust scalability, high availability, strong security, and seamless integration with Microsoft products. Its flexible scaling options and cost-saving features are highly appreciated by enterprises. In contrast, Azure Database for PostgreSQL excels in networking capabilities and integration with Azure services. It is valued for easy configuration, observability features, and efficient operation within the Azure ecosystem.
Room for Improvement: Azure SQL Database could improve its security features, cost management, and user rights management. Users also pointed out a need for enhancements in distributed transaction support, automation, and support responsiveness. Azure Database for PostgreSQL could benefit from performance updates, better user addition processes, and cost reduction. Monitoring tools and integration features also require attention.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Azure SQL Database is known for easy deployment across public and hybrid clouds, benefiting from extensive training resources. However, technical support varies with the support tier. Azure Database for PostgreSQL smoothly accommodates public and hybrid cloud deployments. Users value proactive Microsoft support, though experiences can vary depending on the issue and support level.
Pricing and ROI: Azure SQL Database is considered more expensive than PostgreSQL, particularly for large setups. However, its pay-as-you-go model offers flexibility with careful cost management. PostgreSQL offers more favorable pricing with its pay-as-you-go model, lowering hardware investment needs. Azure SQL provides notable ROI through reduced on-premises costs, while PostgreSQL offers a compelling value with lower overall costs.
It offers at least 25 percent cost savings compared to maintaining on-premises databases.
Now, we use embedded PostgreSQL vectors, which will undoubtedly reduce the TCO by using a much more cost-effective solution.
We've reduced our total ownership cost because we are not spending on expensive SQL server licenses.
It is ensuring we receive what we pay for through the blend of price, performance, and features.
If you're managing your own data center, you always have to overprovision your systems and pay for storage space you're not using.
We've reduced costs by about 20 percent after two or three years.
Once we open a support case, we have people engaged within about 20 minutes, especially for a Sev 1 issue.
The documentation and training we've received through Microsoft Learn on how to migrate, deploy, and manage the solution is exceptional.
We handle most implementations in-house, without extensive reliance on Microsoft's technical support.
Microsoft played a significant role, even from a training perspective, and provided resources that directed us toward the right deployment path.
Once I reach the right people, the support is incredibly knowledgeable and thorough.
Microsoft provides excellent service and is always available to support us.
However, we can see how well it scales after we deploy it for some large enterprise customers or big government organizations.
The scaling options with FlexServer provide us with the flexibility we need based on application complexity.
We can scale up compute and scale it down, but once storage is allocated, there is no way to scale it back down.
Scaling the solution is incredibly simple and involves just clicking a button or dragging a slider.
Azure's scalability features like Elasticity are essential.
Microsoft Azure SQL Database is cloud-based, so it's great for scaling workloads.
There is a stability issue where, if the database usage peaks quickly, it may crash and require intervention to restore functionality.
We have generative AI applications, and we have not noticed any latency.
Overall, I have not encountered any real latency issues or stability concerns.
We can't tell the difference between running on-prem or Azure because we no longer have those latency issues.
SQL never crashes or suddenly becomes unavailable.
Therefore, it is preferable to provision an instance local to the connection point to optimize performance and minimize latency.
It does not presently support knowledge graph functionalities as Neo4j does.
Azure Database for PostgreSQL can be improved by allowing quicker scaling without blips.
I believe there could be improvements in the mirroring part and Change Data Capture (CDC).
It would be helpful if CPU performance were not pinned to the amount of storage you're using, and we could scale different properties of the Azure SQL database independently.
I could not get an accurate quote on what my monthly costs would be based on my needs.
To overcome this, we collaborated with the network team to develop alternative solutions.
We've reduced costs by 60 percent compared to maintaining on-premises solutions.
The pay-as-you-go pricing model positively affects database-related costs by allowing us to start small and scale as needed.
The pay-as-you-go model works well for us.
Azure Hybrid Benefit reduced costs by facilitating an easy transition of on-premises databases to the cloud.
Microsoft Azure SQL Database is not cheap.
It greatly reduces the total cost of ownership through efficient licensing depending on the client, the cost savings, and hybrid benefits.
My takeaway as a CTO is that they're comfortable with the security posture, the features, the observability, alerts, and now it integrates into the rest of the Azure landscape.
The query analyzers help me find out what's happening in each of the queries.
The most valuable features of Azure Database for PostgreSQL are its networking capabilities, which allow for integration with other Azure services.
The simplicity in usability, along with improved organizational productivity where we no longer need to maintain on-premises SQL servers, is invaluable.
The Software as a Service model is more effective and easier to access in terms of security, as Azure provides security at the security layer, reducing the risk of breach.
Some of the best features of Microsoft Azure SQL Database are its scalability, pricing, and ease of setup.
Azure Database for PostgreSQL is a robust cloud solution designed to host scalable applications, manage large datasets, enable advanced analytics, and ensure data integrity through strong security features and automated backups.
Many utilize Azure Database for PostgreSQL due to its seamless integration with other Azure services and ease of setup. It supports advanced analytics and data warehousing with powerful querying capabilities. Users appreciate its high availability, automated backups, and strong security measures like advanced threat protection and encryption. Azure Database for PostgreSQL's compatibility with standard PostgreSQL ensures a smooth migration process and minimal disruption to existing applications. However, some areas needing improvement include scalability, performance under heavy loads, monitoring tools, integration with other services, documentation, support response times, and stability during peak times. Pricing is also considered high by smaller businesses.
What are the most important features of Azure Database for PostgreSQL?
What benefits and ROI should users look for?
In healthcare, Azure Database for PostgreSQL is often implemented to manage and analyze large patient datasets while ensuring data security and compliance with regulations. E-commerce companies utilize it to handle scalable transactions and customer data management, leveraging its integration with data analytics tools. Financial institutions employ it to securely store and process large volumes of financial data, relying on its robust security and automated backups.
Microsoft Azure SQL Database is a relational database-as-a-service that delivers predictable performance, scalability, business continuity, data protection, and near-zero administration to cloud developers and solution architects. This is the deep technical library for Azure SQL Database.
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