Choosing the right Azure SQL Database tier requires matching your application's needs to the capabilities of each offering. You analyze key workload patterns like transaction volume, concurrency (how many users or processes access the database at once), and I/O throughput (how fast data can be read and written). These patterns directly influence whether you need more compute resources or a specific storage architecture to meet performance goals and SLAs. You also weigh these technical needs against cost constraints, which guide the choice between the vCore and DTU purchasing models. The vCore model lets you select the number of vCores, memory, and storage size independently, while the DTU model provides a bundled set of these resources.
The General Purpose service tier uses a remote storage model where the compute and storage layers are separated. This design makes it cost-effective for workloads that need balanced performance and high availability but do not have strict low-latency demands. It is ideal for general business applications with moderate transaction rates. Within this tier, you can choose between a provisioned compute tier, where you pay for a fixed amount of resources, or a serverless compute tier, which scales compute automatically based on usage and bills you for what you consume. This flexibility helps maintain cost efficiency for applications with variable or predictable loads.
A decision tree that guides users from workload requirements to the appropriate Azure SQL Database service tier and compute tier, branching on data volume, latency, and usage predictability.
The Business Critical tier is built for performance and high availability. It delivers consistently low I/O latency by using local SSD storage instead of remote storage. It maintains multiple high availability replicas to provide fast failover and includes a free readable secondary replica for read scale-out workloads, like reporting. This tier suits Online Transaction Processing (OLTP) systems with high transaction volumes and concurrency. When selecting this tier, you must choose appropriate vCore sizes to match your peak performance needs. While it has a higher cost, it offers a higher SLA and advanced features like automatic page repair and zone-redundant availability, making it the choice for mission-critical applications.
The Hyperscale tier provides a cloud-native architecture with independently scalable compute and storage. It supports massive databases (up to 128 TB) and allows you to dynamically adjust vCores without waiting for lengthy data copy operations. You can also scale out read workloads by adding multiple named replicas. This tier is designed for workloads that outgrow the limits of other tiers, including those with enormous data volumes or mixed OLTP and analytical processing (HTAP). Billing is based on the actual storage used and the provisioned compute, which allows for efficient cost management as the database grows. Hyperscale ensures rapid scaling, fast backup and restore, and high availability for the broadest range of demanding database scenarios.
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The vCore model lets you select the number of vCores, memory, and storage size independently, while the DTU model provides a bundled set of these resources. The choice between them is guided by technical needs and cost constraints.
Use the General Purpose tier for workloads that need balanced performance and high availability but do not have strict low-latency demands, such as general business applications with moderate transaction rates. The Business Critical tier is for performance and high availability with consistently low I/O latency using local SSD storage, suitable for Online Transaction Processing (OLTP) systems with high transaction volumes and concurrency.
The Hyperscale tier provides a cloud-native architecture with independently scalable compute and storage, supporting massive databases up to 128 TB. It is designed for workloads that outgrow the limits of other tiers, including enormous data volumes or mixed OLTP and analytical processing (HTAP). It allows dynamic adjustment of vCores without lengthy data copy operations and can scale out read workloads with named replicas.
Within the General Purpose tier, the provisioned compute tier charges a fixed amount for resources, while the serverless compute tier scales compute automatically based on usage and bills for what you consume. This flexibility helps maintain cost efficiency for applications with variable or predictable loads.
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