The Microsoft.Build.Sql project SDK is now generally available
Your database should be part of a wholistic development process, where iterative development tools are coupled with automation for validation and deployment. As previously announced, the Microsoft.Build.Sql project SDK provides a cross-platform framework for your database-as-code such that the database obejcts are ready to be checked into source control and deployed via pipelines like any other modern application component. Today Microsoft.Build.Sql enters general availability as another step in the evolution of SQL database development. Standardized SQL database as code SQL projects are a .NET-based project type for SQL objects, compiling a folder of SQL scripts into a database artifact (.dacpac) for manual or continuous deployments. As a developer working with SQL projects, you’re creating the T-SQL scripts that define the objects in the database. While the development framework around SQL projects presents a clear build and deploy process for development, there’s no wrong way to incorporate SQL projects into your development cycle. The SQL objects in the project can be manually written or generated via automation, including through the graphical schema compare interfaces or the SqlPackage extract command. Whether you’re developing with SQL Server, Azure SQL, or SQL in Fabric, database development standardizes on a shared project format and the ecosystem of tooling around SQL projects. The same SQL projects tools, like the SqlPackage CLI, can be used to either deploy objects to a database or update those object scripts from a database. Free development tools for SQL projects, like the SQL database projects extension for VS Code and SQL Server Data Tools in Visual Studio, bring the whole development team together. The database model validation of a SQL project build provides early verification of the SQL syntax used in the project, before code is checked in or deployed. Code analysis for antipatterns that impact database design and performance can be enabled as part of the project build and extended. This code analysis capability adds in-depth feedback to your team’s continuous integration or pre-commit checks as part of SQL projects. Objects in a SQL project are database objects you can have confidence in before they’re deployed across your environments. Evolving from original SQL projects SQL projects converted to the Microsoft.Build.Sql SDK benefit from support for .NET 8, enabling cross-platform development and automation environments. While the original SQL project file format explicitly lists each SQL file, SDK-style projects are significantly simplified by including any .sql file in the SQL projects folder structure. Database references enable SQL projects to be constructed for applications where a single project isn’t an effective representation, whether the database includes cross-database references or multiple development cycles contribute to the same database. Incorporate additional objects into a SQL project with database references through project reference, .dacpac artifact reference, and new to Microsoft.Build.Sql, package references. Package references for database objects improve the agility and manageability of the release cycle of your database through improved visibility to versioning and simplified management of the referenced artifacts. Converting existing projects The Microsoft.Build.Sql project SDK is a superset of the functionality of the original SQL projects, enabling you to convert your current projects on a timeline that works best for you. The original SQL projects in SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) continue to be supported through the Visual Studio lifecycle, providing years of support for your existing original projects. Converting an existing SQL project to a Microsoft.Build.Sql project is currently a manual process to add a single line to the project file and remove several groups of lines. The resulting Microsoft.Build.Sql project file is generally easier to understand and iteratively develop, with significantly fewer merge conflicts than the original SQL projects. A command line tool, DacpacVerify, is now available to validate that your project conversion has completed without degrading the output .dacpac file. By creating a .dacpac before and after you upgrade the project file, you can use DacpacVerify to confirm the database model, database options, pre/post-deployment scripts, and SQLCMD variables match. The road ahead With SQL Server 2025 on the horizon, support for the SQL Server 2025 target platform will be introduced in a future Microsoft.Build.Sql release along with additional improvements to the SDK references. Many Microsoft.Build.Sql releases will coincide with releases to the DacFx .NET library and the SqlPackage CLI with preview releases ahead of general availability releases several times a year. Feature requests and bug reports for the DacFx ecosystem, including Microsoft.Build.Sql, is managed through the GitHub repository. With the v1 GA of Microsoft.Build.Sql, we’re also looking ahead to continued iteration in the development tooling. In Visual Studio, the preview of SDK-style SSDT continues with new features introduced in each Visual Studio release. Plans for Visual Studio include project upgrade assistance in addition to the overall replacement of the existing SQL Server Data Tools. In the SQL projects extension for VS Code, we’re both ensuring SQL projects capabilities from Azure Data Studio are introduced as well as increasing the robustness of the VS Code project build experience. The Microsoft.Build.Sql project SDK empowers database development to integrate with the development cycle, whether you're focused on reporting, web development, AI, or anything else. Use Microsoft.Build.Sql projects to branch, build, commit, and ship your database – get started today from an existing database or with a new project. Get to know SQL projects from the documentation and DevOps samples.Announcing Azure Data Tech Groups v2.0: Big News for User Groups and Members
Two years ago, Microsoft publicly launched the new Azure Data Community webpage, and created Azure Data Tech Groups utilizing Meetup. Prior to this, many user groups used PASS resources to host their websites, virtual meetings, manage members and more. Over the following months, we onboarded qualified user groups to the new Azure Data Meetup network and began providing Microsoft Teams access to help groups meet virtually through the pandemic. All of our community efforts were to empower the community, provide you with resources to help you continue to connect with one another, learn and develop your skills, and grow in your careers. V 1.0 of Azure Data Tech Groups had one great big limitation: groups that didn't use Meetup had to start or we weren't able to include them. This had the greatest impact on the community in LATAM, the Middle East and APAC, as they're less likely to utilize Meetup. This latest initiative will expand access to our network to more groups globally, groups that use their own website, LinkedIn, HDX or various ways to connect with members.Microsoft.Build.Sql: the next frontier of SQL projects
In the April release of the SQL database projects extension for Azure Data Studio and VS Code (v0.16.1) we are introducing preview support for an SDK-style SQL project based on the package Microsoft.Build.Sql. The SDK-style SQL project introduces several advantages, especially for developers shipping their applications through CI/CD pipelines or working in cross-platform environments.Introducing the Enhanced Azure SQL Database Free Offer: Now Generally Available
We are thrilled to announce the general availability of our new Azure SQL Database free offer. Now, each Azure subscription includes not just one, but 10 serverless databases. Each database comes with a complimentary allocation of 100,000 vCore seconds of compute, 32 GB of data storage, and 32 GB of backup storage every month, for the lifetime of your subscription. This enhanced free offer is ideal for new Azure customers looking to develop for free, learn SQL, or create a proof of concept, as well as existing Azure customers that are considering adding another database. Get started today To learn more about the offer, see Azure SQL Database documentation. If you already have an Azure account, you can head straight to the Azure SQL Database provisioning page and select the Apply offer button in the banner at the top of the page. This offer is now live in all regions! Offer details The Azure SQL Database free offer provides access to the full capabilities of the General Purpose tier, renowned for its versatility and ability to support a wide range of workloads. Whether you're handling routine operations or running high-performance tasks, the free offer empowers you to configure your database from .5 vCore to 4 vCores, scaling up or down based on your needs. You can also benefit from the serverless option, which automatically pauses the database when idle and resumes it as soon as activity starts, reducing compute costs while maximizing your free allocation. With this free offer, every Azure subscription—whether it's pay-as-you-go, under an enterprise agreement, or part of the Microsoft Partner Network—can now include up to 10 serverless databases. The offer is designed to last for the lifetime of your subscription and refreshes monthly, giving each database a generous allocation of 100,000 vCore seconds, 32 GB of data storage, and 32 GB of backup storage, that’s a total of 1 million vCore-seconds of free compute every month per subscription. Once a region is selected for the free database under a subscription, the same region applies to all 10 free databases in that subscription and cannot be changed If you consume your monthly free resources before the end of the cycle, you have two flexible options: Auto-pause: Allow the database to pause itself and resume usage automatically when the next month's free allocation begins. Continue usage mode: Keep the database running and pay for additional usage. In this mode, you’ll continue to receive the free monthly allocation while unlocking premium capabilities, such as scaling up to 80 vCores of compute and 4 terabytes of storage. This makes it easy to start small and scale seamlessly as your business grows. A standout benefit of this free offer is its seamless transition. You can move from free usage to paid usage without any disruption—your data, schema, settings, and connections remain intact. There’s no need to migrate or reconfigure, making it effortless to grow your database as your needs evolve. Additionally, the Azure portal includes 'Free amount remaining' metrics, enabling you to monitor your consumption and manage your costs with ease. This makes the Azure SQL Database free offer an exceptional choice for developers, learners, and enterprises alike—whether you’re just starting out or preparing to scale. Develop for free The Azure SQL Database Free Offer is tailored for a wide range of users—from students and individual developers to small businesses and large enterprises—looking to develop and scale their SQL workloads at no initial cost. This offer enables you to launch up to 10 fully featured Azure SQL database, optimizing both your financial resources and developmental ambitions. Potential Use Cases: Application Development: Initiate the development of applications or websites with SQL as the core backend database. Skill Enhancement: Engage in hands-on SQL learning or refine your existing skills through practical experience and targeted tutorials. Prototyping: Craft proofs of concept or prototypes for innovative projects and ideas. Expansion and Testing: Integrate additional databases into your Azure subscription to facilitate testing or experimentation. Migration Projects: Migrate applications from on-premises setups or other cloud environments to Azure, leveraging its robust capabilities. Leveraging AI with Azure SQL Database Free Offer: Predictive Analytics: Use AI to forecast user behaviors and business outcomes, enhancing decision-making processes across various applications. Personalization Engines: Develop sophisticated personalization algorithms to enhance user experience by tailoring content and recommendations in real-time. Anomaly Detection: Implement AI to detect unusual patterns or potential threats, ensuring the security and integrity of your data. Automated Data Management: Utilize AI to automate data cleaning, transformation, and integration tasks, reducing manual overhead and increasing efficiency. Key Benefits of the Azure SQL Database Free Offer With the Azure SQL Database Free Offer, you gain the advantages of a cloud-native relational database service known for its high availability, stellar performance, security, scalability, and compatibility with SQL Server. Furthermore, you can harness the comprehensive suite of tools and services integrated with Azure SQL Database, such as Azure Data Studio, Visual Studio Code, Azure Data Factory, Azure Synapse Analytics, and Power BI. This rich ecosystem enhances your database's functionality and seamlessly connects with your existing workflows. Learn more The Azure SQL Database Free offer is available now and you can start using it today. Don’t miss this opportunity to get up to 10 free Azure SQL databases that can help you achieve your goals and grow your business. To learn more about this offer, visit the Azure SQL Database documentation. To get started, create your free database from the Azure portal by creating an Azure SQL Database resource. We hope you enjoy this new offer, and we look forward to hearing your feedback and seeing what you build with Azure SQL Database.
