Simulate a SQL Azure environment locally

3
votes

I´m planning to migrate an existing application to Windows Azure. I know about a lot of changes in architecture I have to do in my code.

Today my application uses a SQL 2k5 database, and I wish to use the SQL Azure infrastructure as a replacement for the SQL Server. However, I haven´t found any kind of "SQL Azure Express", an application that can create locally an environment with the same (or almost the same) features those SQL Azure has. The question is: is there a server that a I can download it and run on my local server? Where I can find it?

5
azureazure-sql-database

5 Answers

7
votes

There is no locally-installable SQL Azure. However, you can easily develop locally and point to a SQL Azure database in the cloud. If you have an MSDN subscription, you get a 1GB or 5GB database included, depending on subscription.

You can also develop against SQL Express locally, but this won't give you complete feature parity. You'd need to reference the SQL Azure pages to explore the differences between SQL Server and SQL Azure. You'd also want to run your local SQL Server / SQL Express database through the SQL Azure Migration Wizard to spot differences.

0
votes

Sql Azure database is a cloud database you cant really install it on local and use all its features you can any time use its api and connect from your local as David suggested.

0
votes

There is no "SQL Azure Express". Basically your application uses sql azure exactly like a traditional sql server instance. According to microsoft you don't even need any modification to the database access part of your code.

However, your web application or NT service application may need some change to migrate to windows azure. Microsoft supplies a local develop environment.

0
votes

As of late 2019, it may be worth looking into using the Developer Edition of Sql Server instead of Express in certain situations - it's comparable to Enterprise in feaure-set, so you'll be able to run some of the other subsystems you might expect in a "live" (ie: Azure'd) setup.

Two main caveats:

  • The feature-set and behaviours won't be identical to Azure. Basic workflows will be comparable - just make sure you're not developing using features that don't exist in the Azure SQL Databases.
  • Make sure you're not trying to use it for Live systems - the free license is limited in scope.

See:

-2
votes

You can connect your sql azure database with SQL Server 2008 R2 only however there are many limitation on it. i was facing similar situation to maintain sql azure databse locally and i found some good client to manage that and it's RazorSQL , see my blog here , it's paid but really useful tools