Before we begin to introduce the SQL Server on Azure

platform, let us begin with - on premises environment. When we

speak of on premises environment, we are taking about a physical
server room in you company that has physical servers, racks,
routers, cables, monitors etc. All this hardware will require the IT
department to have assigned staff to manage and configure these
servers. Even with a virtual environment, the IT staff still needs to
manage VMs.

Over time, as the requirements for the company grows, the

demand for the IT director increasingly grows in deciding how to
manage the budget cost. With increasing demand and strain on
the business, the need to expand the IT infrastructure becomes a
decision-making time. (see PowerPoint)

Should we spend more money on staff, training, hardware for

more servers, software business licenses, managing patches and
updates, and much more. This is where the IT director come in
contact with the DBA and the communication begins. This is
where the dba’s input in providing alternate, economically feasible
options comes in play. The whole process is about decision
making! Should we opt to migrate to Azure platform? Should we
completely relinquish control to Azure? Or should we have a
hybrid environment? What is the cost? Is it complex? And many
more questions emerge.

So, having that behind us, let us start this course by emulating
an ‘on premises’ environment with downloading and installing
SQL Server 2019 developer edition (current edition at this time)
on your desktop which will emulate a server - and begin the
process and understanding of the decisions you will need to make
to migrate to Azure or not.