Get Started with FREE Azure SQL Managed Instance | Data Exposed
Strahinja Rodic explains the Azure SQL Managed Instance free offer and demonstrates how to create a free instance in the Azure portal, connect to it, restore a database, monitor the included credits, and upgrade to a paid tier when the offer expires.
Overview
The video walks through Microsoft’s free offer for Azure SQL Managed Instance, including what’s included, what’s not supported, and why it’s intended for testing rather than production.
What the free offer includes
- 720 vCore hours of compute
- 64 GB of storage
- Up to 500 databases
- Free for 12 months
How the offer works (runtime and lifecycle)
- How long the free instance can run
- How start/stop behavior affects usage
Limitations and production guidance
- Key limitations of the free offer
- Why it’s “free and generous” but not recommended for production
- What features/capabilities are not supported under the offer
Expiration and moving to paid
- What happens at expiration
- The upgrade process to switch to a paid tier
Demo: creating and using the free SQL Managed Instance
- Create a free SQL Managed Instance in the Azure portal
- Post-creation walkthrough (once the instance is created)
- Connect using a public endpoint
- Perform a native restore into Azure SQL Managed Instance
- How the restore process works
Prerequisites
- Prerequisites required to create a free Azure SQL Managed Instance
Monitoring and cost control
- How to monitor free credits
- How to switch to the paid tier
Tips and tricks
- Practical tips for getting started and testing workloads
Resources
- Create Free Azure SQL Managed Instance: https://aka.ms/create-free-sqlmi-de
- Learn more: https://aka.ms/freesqlmi