Ever since the era of Cloud Computing featuring SaaS(Software as a Service) pioneered by Salesforce, Databases have not been left behind.
Databases in the Cloud or Cloud Databases are being used synonymously.
Cloud Database as defined by Wikipedia is
"A cloud database is a database that typically runs on a cloud computing platform, such as Amazon EC2, GoGrid, Salesforce, Rackspace, and Microsoft Azure. There are two common deployment models: users can run databases on the cloud independently, using a virtual machine image, or they can purchase access to a database service, maintained by a cloud database provider. Of the databases available on the cloud, some are SQL-based and some use a NoSQL data model."
Enterprises today are looking at cost effective and lower management costs to manage their database environments.
Cloud Databases can help leverage the same.
You may setup Databases within your corporate environment in a private cloud using Virtual Machines
[Source:Midsizeinsider.com]
and if you plan to use a public access,you may use DaaS – Database as a Service.
[Source: Microsoft]
One of the most cloud database environments I have personally had a positive experience is with Microsoft Azure.
Setting up SQL Server Databases have never been easier.
In upcoming posts, we shall explore how to setup a SQL Server VM in the Microsoft Azure Cloud.
Explore some of the tools you can use to benefit connecting to SQL Server Databases in the Cloud.