On some occasions, data must be shared with outside vendors. An example might include your web marketing company. They might need to measure the results of campaigns in near real-time. You can’t give them access to your ERP data. One possible solution is to create a data warehouse in Azure SQL.
Azure SQL is a platform as a service provided by Microsoft. Microsoft fully manages the platform, including patching and updates of SQL, backups, high availability and other common maintenance operations.
Advantages of Azure SQL
Comprehensive Data Transfer and Warehouse Automation
- Easy to move data: SSIS works well to move data, and it comes free with your on-premise SQL Server. There are many other options, including Azure Data Factory.
- Simple-to-run code to build your data warehouse: We created a control program that SSIS runs after moving the data from on-premise to Azure SQL. This control program can run a variety of programs, allowing us to add to it without changing the SSIS data move.
- Third parties can access data without exposure to your on-premise systems: No longer will your vendors have to wait for you to generate reports. They’ll be able to use any tool to access this data (PowerBI, Tableau, etc.).
integration and sQL Data
- Integrations: Azure support integration with Azure Machine Learning. This enables advanced analytics and predictive modeling. Azure also integrates with the entire Azure Ecosystem.
- IP address whitelisting restricts who can access: SQL security is available to further refine what data can be accessed and changed. This whitelisting restricts who has access to your Azure SQL data.
- Easy to access: Access can be done right from SQL Server Management Studio or a host of other products using many connectivity options (ODBC, OLEDB, ADO.Net etc.)
COST-EFFECTIVE and Scalable
- Pay-as-you-go pricing: Azure is a pay-as-you-go pricing model, allowing more effective cost management. You only pay for the resources you need.
- Microsoft management: Azure SQL is fully managed by Microsoft Cloud, so you have less to worry about.
- Optimize resources: You can vary the performance of multiple databases to optimize resource utilization and cost.
- Scalable: It can scale to very large (hyperscale).
By leveraging Azure SQL for your data warehousing needs, you can securely share necessary data with external vendors while maintaining control over your core ERP systems. This approach not only enhances collaboration with partners but also ensures that your data management practices are scalable, reliable, and aligned with modern cloud-based solutions. With Azure SQL's robust features and Microsoft's comprehensive management, you can focus on deriving actionable insights from your data without the burden of extensive infrastructure management.
If you would like to learn more about Azure SQL, reach out to your customer success manager.
