Backup from SQL Server to Azure

Question

Hi there,

I want to know what is the best practice for backing up from SQL Server 2019 to Azure.

what service is the best?

also, I want to know if there's a virus/ransomware attack on my servers, can this virus/ransomware reach or infect my backups on the Azure?

thanks in advance

Answer 1

Thanks for your question.

When you say, backing up from SQL Server 2019 to Azure.

I am considering you would like to backup/migrate your SQL server/database from SQL Server 2019 on premise to Azure SQL

In Azure, we have couple of databases offering as below, you may need to consider based on your requirement.

1. Azure SQL Database: A fully managed relational database-as-a-service (DBaaS) offering that provides a SQL Server database experience in the cloud.

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/products/azure-sql/database/

2. Azure SQL Managed Instance: A fully managed instance of SQL Server that provides the ability to run existing SQL Server applications in the cloud with minimal modification

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/products/azure-sql/managed-instance

3. Azure SQL Server on Virtual Machines (VM) is an Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) offering that provides a SQL Server database experience in the cloud by deploying a virtual machine (VM) with SQL Server installed on it.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/azure-sql-iaas-vs-paas-what-is-overview?view=azuresql#sql-server-on-azure-vm

There are several methods to migrate data from an on-premise SQL Server database to Azure SQL. Here are some of the most common methods:

1.      Export/Import: Use SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) to export the data from the on-premise database to a BACPAC file, and then import the BACPAC file into Azure SQL using the Azure portal.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/database-export?view=azuresql

 

2.      Backup/Restore You can back up a database to URL through the Back Up task in SQL Server Management Studio using a SQL Server Credential and restore from storage

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/backup-restore/sql-server-backup-to-url?view=sql-server-ver16#BackupTaskSSMS

 

3.      Data Migration Assistant (DMA): Use the Data Migration Assistant (DMA) tool to assess the on-premise database for compatibility with Azure SQL, and then perform the data migration.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/dma/dma-overview?view=sql-server-ver16

 

4.      Azure Database Migration Service (DMS): Use the Azure Database Migration Service (DMS) to perform the migration with minimal downtime. This method is recommended for large-scale migrations.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/dms/tutorial-sql-server-to-managed-instance

 

Please have a look at below articles as well which are related to migration to Azure.

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/azure-sql-blog/migrating-sql-server-workloads-faq/ba-p/3627177

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/migration-guides/database/sql-server-to-sql-database-guide?view=azuresql

Regardless of the method you choose, it's important to test the migration thoroughly before making the switch to ensure that the data has been migrated correctly and that the performance of the Azure SQL database meets your requirements.

Also, sharing document on Backup and restore plan to protect against ransomware.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/backup-plan-to-protect-against-ransomware

Hope this helps!