Forum Discussion
Azure SQL DTU or vCore
Hello everyone,
I have a windows server with SQL Server 2016 standard edition which contains 11 databases of various sizes (some of a few gigabytes and others reaching 150Gbytes),
the windows server has 4vCore + 16Gbytes of ram and being a test environment we don't have big problems use it with those resources.
Taking into account that on that server:
1) few users are connected and only for some days of the week
2) we use SQL Agent service, DB Mail, linked server and integrated authentication in AD (synchronized with AAD)
I have looked at the Azure cost calculator but I have doubts (and above all a little confusion!) regarding the type of PaaS service that would be better to use,
I would certainly choose serverless but there are two types: SQL Database and SQL Managed instances
For Azure SQL Database there is the "Single Database" or "Elastic Pool" typology and for both the purchase model is for DTU or vCore.
I would therefore like to have your opinion to understand the best solution to adopt while keeping the costs as low as possible being a test environment.
Thank you!
1 Reply
For a test environment hosting multiple databases with relatively light usage, and requiring features such as SQL Agent and linked servers, Azure SQL Managed Instance represents the most suitable option. When selecting a purchasing model, the vCore-based approach would suggest, as it provides greater transparency, scalability, and cost management compared to the legacy DTU model. Where available, the serverless tier can further optimize costs by automatically scaling compute resources in line with workload demand.
Purchasing Models - Azure SQL Database | Microsoft Learn
Azure SQL DB Purchasing Model DTU vs vCore
Understanding DTU vs vCore Pricing Models in Azure SQL Database - CertLibrary Blog
