Applies to: 
Azure SQL Database
If I have a single-tenant per shard and no sharding key, how do I populate the sharding key for the schema info
The schema info object is only used to split merge scenarios. If an application is inherently single-tenant, then it does not require the Split Merge tool and thus there is no need to populate the schema info object.
I've provisioned a database and I already have a Shard Map Manager, how do I register this new database as a shard
How much do elastic database tools cost
Using the elastic database client library does not incur any costs. Costs accrue only for the databases in Azure SQL Database that you use for shards and the Shard Map Manager, as well as the web/worker roles you provision for the Split Merge tool.
Why are my credentials not working when I add a shard from a different server
Do not use credentials in the form of "User ID=username@servername", instead simply use "User ID = username". Also, be sure that the "username" login has permissions on the shard.
Do I need to create a Shard Map Manager and populate shards every time I start my applications
No—the creation of the Shard Map Manager (for example, ShardMapManagerFactory.CreateSqlShardMapManager) is a one-time operation. Your application should use the call ShardMapManagerFactory.TryGetSqlShardMapManager() at application start-up time. There should be only one such call per application domain.
I have questions about using elastic database tools, how do I get them answered
Please reach out to us on the Microsoft Q&A question page for SQL Database.
When I get a database connection using a sharding key, I can still query data for other sharding keys on the same shard. Is this by design
The Elastic Scale APIs give you a connection to the correct database for your sharding key, but do not provide sharding key filtering. Add WHERE clauses to your query to restrict the scope to the provided sharding key, if necessary.
Can I use a different SQL Database edition for each shard in my shard set
Yes, a shard is an individual database, and thus one shard could be a Premium edition while another be a Standard edition. Further, the edition of a shard can scale up or down multiple times during the lifetime of the shard.
Does the Split Merge tool provision (or delete) a database during a split or merge operation
No. For split operations, the target database must exist with the appropriate schema and be registered with the Shard Map Manager. For merge operations, you must delete the shard from the shard map manager and then delete the database.
Related content
Not using elastic database tools yet? Check out our Getting Started Guide. For questions, contact us on the Microsoft Q&A question page for SQL Database and for feature requests, add new ideas or vote for existing ideas in the SQL Database feedback forum.