What is the most suitable option for replacing Azure SQL Edge on Linux OS?

Question

As we know, Azure SQL Edge will be retired on September 30th, 2025 so which is the most suitable option for replacing Azure SQL Edge on Linux OS?

• SQL Server Express edition
• SQL Server Standard edition
• SQL Managed Instance enabled by Azure Arc

Answer 1

@Pal, Abhijeet (Contractor)
Thank you for the question and for using Microsoft Q&A platform.
As per my understanding, you are trying to understand the best option for replacing Azure SQL Server on Linux OS.

To replace Azure SQL Edge on Linux OS, SQL Managed Instance enabled by Azure Arc is the most suitable option. SQL Managed Instance enabled by Azure Arc provides a fully managed SQL Server instance that you can run on any infrastructure, including on-premises, multi-cloud, and edge environments. It provides a consistent management experience across all your environments, and you can use familiar tools like SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and Azure Data Studio to manage your instances. Additionally, SQL Managed Instance enabled by Azure Arc provides built-in high availability and disaster recovery capabilities, automatic patching and updates, and advanced security features.
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/azure-sql-edge-retirement

Here's a comparison of the three options:

1. SQL Server Express Edition:
   • Suitability: Free, lightweight, ideal for small-scale applications, development, or testing.
   • Limitations: Limited to 10 GB per database, 1 CPU core, and 1410 MB memory. Not suitable for large-scale production.
   • Recommendation: Good for small workloads with minimal needs, but not for high-demand production environments.
     https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/database-engine/configure-windows/sql-server-express-localdb?view=sql-server-ver16
2. SQL Server Standard Edition:
   • Suitability: Robust, general-purpose, supports production workloads with features like backup, security, and reporting.
   • Limitations: Lacks some enterprise-grade features available in the Enterprise edition.
   • Recommendation: Suitable for moderate to heavy workloads needing more features than Express but not full enterprise capabilities.
     https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/sql-server/editions-and-components-of-sql-server-2022?view=sql-server-ver16&preserve-view=true
3. SQL Managed Instance Enabled by Azure Arc:
   • Suitability: Fully managed, cloud-based SQL Server instance that can run on any infrastructure, including on-premises.
   • Benefits: Offers cloud management benefits like auto-patching, backups, and scaling, with full SQL Server capabilities.
   • Recommendation: Ideal for enterprise-grade features, scalability, and hybrid environments. Best for modernizing infrastructure while maintaining control.
     https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/managed-instance-overview
     https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-arc/data/managed-instance-features

In most cases, especially for medium to large production workloads, SQL Managed Instance enabled by Azure Arc would be the best fit, as it offers the flexibility of cloud management while allowing you to maintain control over your infrastructure.

Hope this helps. Please let us know if you have any further questions.