Publishing a SQL database

One of the requirements for the AZ-303 exam is knowing how to migrate a database from an existing on-premises database into Azure.

There are actually a number of different ways we can achieve this, the most obvious being to perform a backup and restore operation.

However, SQL Server Management Studio contains a built-in wizard that makes the process of moving databases easy.

In this example, we are going to publish a database that resides on an on-premises database server to Azure:

Important note

For the following example, I have set up a Windows server running SQL Server Express and SQL Server Management Studio. I have also opened my Azure SQL Server firewall to allow my Windows server to connect. A T-SQL script to create and populate a simple database can be found at the GitHub link in the Technical requirements section.

1. On a computer, run SQL Server Management Studio.
2. Connect to the local server.
3. Right-click Databases and...