install
source · Clone the upstream repo
git clone https://github.com/ComeOnOliver/skillshub
Claude Code · Install into ~/.claude/skills/
T=$(mktemp -d) && git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/ComeOnOliver/skillshub "$T" && mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && cp -r "$T/skills/MicrosoftDocs/Agent-Skills/azure-sql-virtual-machines" ~/.claude/skills/comeonoliver-skillshub-azure-sql-virtual-machines && rm -rf "$T"
manifest:
skills/MicrosoftDocs/Agent-Skills/azure-sql-virtual-machines/SKILL.mdsource content
SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines Skill
This skill provides expert guidance for SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines. Covers troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, architecture & design patterns, limits & quotas, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. It combines local quick-reference content with remote documentation fetching capabilities.
How to Use This Skill
IMPORTANT for Agent: Use the Category Index below to locate relevant sections. For categories with line ranges (e.g.,
), useL35-L120with the specified lines. For categories with file links (e.g.,read_file), use[security.md](security.md)on the linked reference fileread_file
IMPORTANT for Agent: If
is more than 3 months old, suggest the user pull the latest version from the repository. Ifmetadata.generated_attools are not available, suggest the user install it: Installation Guidemcp_microsoftdocs
This skill requires network access to fetch documentation content:
- Preferred: Use
with query stringmcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch
. Returns Markdown.from=learn-agent-skill - Fallback: Use
with query stringfetch_webpage
. Returns Markdown.from=learn-agent-skill&accept=text/markdown
Category Index
| Category | Lines | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Troubleshooting | L37-L52 | Diagnosing and fixing Azure SQL and SQL Server on Azure VM issues: connectivity, capacity, performance (I/O, memory, import/export), transaction logs, geo-replication, and IaaS Agent extension errors. |
| Best Practices | L53-L66 | Performance, HA/DR, and maintenance best practices for SQL Server on Azure VMs: VM sizing, storage/tempdb tuning, baselines, backups, FCI/DNN, and cluster configuration. |
| Decision Making | L67-L79 | Guidance on choosing SQL on Azure VM vs other Azure SQL options, licensing and pricing, HADR/BCDR choices, and planning/migrating from Db2, Oracle, or SQL Server 2014. |
| Architecture & Design Patterns | L80-L88 | High-level designs and patterns for SQL Server on Azure VMs: connectivity, Always On availability groups, failover cluster instances, and Windows Server Failover Clustering setup. |
| Limits & Quotas | L89-L96 | Info on Azure SQL capacity limits, DTU benchmark behavior, regional feature availability, and how to request quota increases for databases and managed instances |
| Security | L97-L107 | Securing SQL Server on Azure VMs: policies, TLS cert rotation, Key Vault and EKM, Entra auth, managed identities, hardening guidance, and confidential VM deployment. |
| Configuration | L108-L150 | Configuring SQL Server on Azure VMs: HA/DR (AGs, FCIs, clustering, listeners, load balancers), storage and performance, IaaS Agent, deployment options, backups, and connectivity. |
| Integrations & Coding Patterns | L151-L156 | Backing up and restoring SQL Server on Azure VMs directly to Azure Blob Storage, including configurations that use managed identities instead of stored credentials. |
| Deployment | L157-L174 | Deploying and configuring SQL Server Always On availability groups and FCIs on Azure VMs, including single/multi-subnet, cross-region, prerequisites, and migration of VMs and storage. |
Troubleshooting
Best Practices
Decision Making
Architecture & Design Patterns
| Topic | URL |
|---|---|
| Understand connectivity architecture for Azure SQL Database | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/connectivity-architecture?view=azuresql |
| Apply SQL Server application patterns on Azure VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/application-patterns-development-strategies?view=azuresql |
| Design Always On availability groups for SQL Server on Azure VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/availability-group-overview?view=azuresql |
| Understand failover cluster instances for SQL Server on Azure VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/failover-cluster-instance-overview?view=azuresql |
| Use Windows Server Failover Clustering with SQL Server on Azure VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/hadr-windows-server-failover-cluster-overview?view=azuresql |
Limits & Quotas
| Topic | URL |
|---|---|
| Understand DTU benchmark characteristics for Azure SQL | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/dtu-benchmark?view=azuresql |
| Request quota increases for Azure SQL resources | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/quota-increase-request?view=azuresql |
| Check regional feature availability for Azure SQL Database | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/region-availability?view=azuresql |
| Check regional feature availability for Azure SQL Managed Instance | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/managed-instance/region-availability?view=azuresql |
Security
Configuration
Integrations & Coding Patterns
| Topic | URL |
|---|---|
| Back up SQL Server on Azure VMs to Azure Blob Storage | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/azure-storage-sql-server-backup-restore-use?view=azuresql |
| Back up and restore SQL VMs to Blob using managed identities | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/backup-restore-to-url-using-managed-identities?view=azuresql |