For readers who want to experiment with the examples provided throughout this chapter, the following tools are needed:
- SQL Server 2016/2017 in at least Express edition (downloadable for free from microsoft.com)
- SQL Server Management Studio (downloadable for free from microsoft.com)
- SQL Server Data Tools for Visual Studio 2015 (downloadable for free from microsoft.com)
- The R environment (downloadable for free at https://cran.r-project.org/bin/windows/base/)
- Optionally RStudio (downloadable for free at https://www.rstudio.com/products/rstudio/download/)
- An Azure subscription (this subscription can be created for free)
- The Azure SQL Server database: AdventureWorksLT
- An Azure storage account