This week, the Azure Infrastructure team announced the General Availability (GA) of Copilot in Azure. We’re excited to share that Copilot in Azure includes capabilities for Azure SQL Database that help to streamline database operations, troubleshoot issues, and optimize performance—all designed to enhance productivity and simplify complex tasks.
Capabilities available in this GA release include:
Intelligent Troubleshooting
Copilot can provide guidance for common SQL errors, ensuring faster resolution and less frustration. For example:
- Diagnose SQL errors (e.g., 10928, 18456, and 40613) with clear explanations and actionable steps to address them.
- Identify and resolve issues related to database scaling and replication to geo secondaries.
- Assist with login problems, helping users regain access swiftly.
Performance Optimization
Copilot helps users better understand and manage their database performance:
- Help you determine whether your database is nearing its storage capacity or hitting its IO limit.
- Analyze database connection timeouts and provide recommendations to optimize connection settings.
Configuration
Copilot in Azure simplifies configuration-related tasks by offering:
- Guidance on selecting the appropriate service tier for your database.
- Clear directions for creating and using the correct connection string to ensure seamless connectivity.
Security and Data Management
Data security is paramount, and Copilot assists with tasks such as:
- Troubleshooting issues with Transparent Data Encryption (TDE), ensuring your data remains protected.
- Providing insights into replication issues and offering solutions to secure and synchronize data across geo secondaries.
Using Copilot in Azure
Copilot in Azure is available in the Azure portal and Azure mobile app by pressing the Copilot icon in the navigation bar.
To start a conversation with Copilot in Azure, just type or speak your query or command in natural language. For example, “Help me set up geo redundancy for my database” or "Is my database hitting its IO limit?"
**Tip**: Where you are in the Azure portal influences how Copilot interprets your prompts. For example, when you are on an Azure SQL database page in the portal and ask a question, Copilot provides information relevant to that database.
Additionally, if you're asking Copilot a question about a different database from the database service or page you are on, the result isn't clear and is more likely to give you a bad output.
Changes to Preview Capabilities
While many exciting features are part of this GA release, we also want to be transparent about changes made from the Public Preview to two specific capabilities:
- Natural Language to SQL (NL2SQL): This experience within the Azure portal query editor for Azure SQL Database translated natural language into T-SQL queries.
- DMV / Catalog View Queries: In some cases, Copilot would execute queries against your database and include the results as part of the response to a prompt.
Recently, my colleague Erin Stellato announced that Copilot is coming to SQL Server Management Studio. Because SSMS can connect to all versions of SQL Server wherever it’s running, Copilot in SSMS is the best experience for NL2SQL and prompts/answers based on connected database context.
To see demos and learn more about the roadmap, watch Erin’s recent SQL Conf() session A Developer’s Guide to Using Copilot in SSMS.
And, of course, pay attention to this space for updates about when Copilot in SSMS will be available for Public Preview.
Looking Ahead
The release of SQL Database capabilities for Copilot in Azure represents a step forward in harnessing AI for database management. Our goal is to help you to be more productive and solve problems faster with Copilot's help within an intelligent and intuitive interface.
We're excited to see how you leverage these capabilities to be more efficient, and we welcome your feedback as we continue refining and expanding Copilot's potential.
Related Links
Microsoft Copilot in Azure: Microsoft Copilot in Azure Overview | Microsoft Learn
Microsoft Copilot in Azure with Azure SQL Database: https://aka.ms/sqlcopilot
Updated Apr 11, 2025
Version 1.0
kendalvandyke
Microsoft
Microsoft