SQL Azure
SQL Azure offers a relational data store as part of the Windows Azure platform. It is highly available and requires less maintenance than a traditional on-premises SQL Server installation. SQL Azure is built on top of SQL Server technologies, which keeps the compatibility high with the existing technology stacks. This allows developers to jump quickly into a familiar environment and get started.
SQL Azure is a managed service. Microsoft handles all the basic maintenance and administration issues for you. You no longer need to physically administer faulty power supplies, broken hard disks, worry about disk space, and so on. Microsoft also handles the installation of security patches and updates of the operating system, the updation to the machines, unburdening you again.
At a superficial level, SQL Azure can be thought of as "SQL Server in the cloud", and you can use it as a local SQL Server instance. Most of the technologies used to access the SQL Server will continue to work with...
