22-25 April 2026 
Windows Azure SQL Database Design: Concepts and Trade-offs
2014TL; DR
An overview of the architectural reasons to consider cloud-based SQL Server solutions and insights into the differences you need to know between Windows Azure SQL Database and on-premises SQL Server.
Session Details
Data architects and designers need to understand the logical, physical, and technical differences in designing for Windows Azure SQL Databases (WASDs) and traditional on-premise SQL Server databases.
In this session we will discuss the reasons why some business problems are better suited for cloud-based solutions and why others might still be best hosted at home.
We'll review the concepts that still work in both and the features that need to be tailored to each target environment. You’ll see demonstrations of the database creation and initial design processes and gain best practices for model-driven development for each environment, including tool support. We’ll finish up with 5 tips for designing databases for both WASD and SQL Server.
In this session we will discuss the reasons why some business problems are better suited for cloud-based solutions and why others might still be best hosted at home.
We'll review the concepts that still work in both and the features that need to be tailored to each target environment. You’ll see demonstrations of the database creation and initial design processes and gain best practices for model-driven development for each environment, including tool support. We’ll finish up with 5 tips for designing databases for both WASD and SQL Server.
3 things you'll get out of this session
Speakers
Karen Lopez's previous sessions
Graphs Are Everywhere - Graph DB Support in SQL vNext
Learn about graph databases and how they are implemented in SQL Server vNext
7 Databases in 70 Minutes
Learn about 7 SQL and NoSQL databases: how they work, when to use them, and how they form a modern data architecture
5+ Database Design Blunders and How to Avoid Them
Karen discusses five (plus a few more) database design blunders with tips on how to avoid them. Audience members will also be able to contribute their war stories of design fails, WTHs and D'ohs.