SQL MI, Supercharged: Expanding What's Possible in Azure

Borko Novakovic explores Azure SQL Managed Instance (SQL MI) as a path to “move to Azure first, then modernize at your own pace,” focusing on SQL Server compatibility plus managed operations and newer performance flexibility.

Overview

The session covers what’s new (and what trade-offs to consider) when running SQL Server-compatible workloads on Azure SQL Managed Instance.

Migration and continuity scenarios

• Demonstrations around replication scenarios.
• A walkthrough of minimal-downtime migration approaches.
• Discussion of support for existing multi-database availability groups.

Performance and resource flexibility

• Next-gen General Purpose capabilities.
• Configurable IOPS to better align storage performance with workload needs.
• Flexible memory options to tune resources to requirements.

Developer and AI-related capabilities

• A look at AI and developer capabilities in the Managed Instance context (at a session level, alongside the core SQL MI topics).

Update policy trade-offs

• How choosing an update policy affects the balance between:
  • Getting the latest SQL engine features sooner, and
  • Keeping version-aligned portability (staying aligned to a specific engine version for compatibility/portability reasons).