Dominik Bender

The first part of this two-part session will deliver an in-depth introduction to Azure SQL as it relates to broader real-world modernization scenarios. We will start with a concise overview of Azure SQL, underscoring various Azure SQL service features and the rationale behind customers' selection of specific Microsoft SQL services for their workloads. Attendees will also acquire valuable perspectives regarding the factors that drive organizations to transition to Azure, including considerations of cost and performance. The first part of our session will finish with an overview of migration tools, including practical demonstrations, emphasizing how to identify the optimal solution for database migrations. The second part of the session, after a brief break, will cover individual customer case studies, illustrating how various workloads were efficiently modernized and migrated to Azure SQL.

Performance tuning in the cloud isn’t just a matter of bigger cores and faster disks, it’s about choosing the right deployment model and knowing which levers you can (and can’t) pull. In part 1 of our 2 part session, we will start with a pragmatic tour of Azure SQL options, then contrasts performance tuning when you manage the infrastructure yourself on SQL on Azure Virtual Machines (IaaS) versus when you move to a managed platform with Azure SQL (PaaS). We’ll map familiar DBA responsibilities (IO, memory/CPU, tempdb, HA/DR, patching, and maintenance) to their cloud equivalents, and add the cost angle: right-sizing compute, understanding consumption vs reserved capacity, and recognizing when performance “fixes” simply shift spend to another meter. You’ll see what you still control, what changes, and what the platform takes off your plate to supercharge your environments.

Part 2 of our session is demo-heavy and focuses on making Azure SQL (as well as SQL Server 2025) databases faster and more performant. You’ll see how to use Query Store and DMVs to understand workloads, spot regressions, and validate improvements, then how Intelligent Query Processing (IQP) features can change plan quality and runtime behavior, especially as cardinality estimates, memory grants, and row goals shift across executions. We’ll also cover practical optimization patterns for PaaS: index strategy and tuning workflow, parameter sensitivity approaches, resource governance, and where automatic tuning helps (and where you still need to intervene). You’ll leave with a repeatable troubleshooting flow and a clear mental model for optimizing Azure SQL, without trying to recreate every on prem habit in a managed world.

Following on from the first part of this session and the initial overview of Azure SQL’s features and migration tools, this second part of our session dives into real customer modernization projects in greater detail. We’ll explore how various organizations successfully migrated critical workloads to Azure SQL, including the motivations that drove their decisions and the practical steps they took to ensure a smooth transition to Azure. By examining these concrete real-world examples, you’ll discover the tangible benefits these organizations are now experiencing, such as improved performance, scalability, and cost efficiency. Additionally, you’ll gain actionable insights and best practices that can help guide your own cloud modernization efforts, making your journey to Azure SQL both effective and rewarding.