Provisioning Databases on SQL Server (55369AC)

This course provides a comprehensive guide to installing, configuring, and administering SQL Server both on-premises and in cloud environments. Designed for database administrators and IT professionals, this course covers the essential skills needed to manage SQL Server installations, upgrades, maintenance, and cloud migrations, ensuring optimal performance and security of SQL Server databases.

The course begins with Understanding the Components of SQL Server, where you’ll learn about the SQL Server platform and its architecture. This section also covers configuring SQL Server services, accounts, and networking settings, providing the foundational knowledge required for managing SQL Server environments effectively.

In Install a SQL Server System, participants will learn how to plan and execute SQL Server installations both manually and automatically. You’ll explore the best practices for setting up a SQL Server environment, including configuring the temporary database and performing unattended installations, reinforced through a hands-on lab.

Upgrade Your SQL Server focuses on the upgrade process, ensuring your SQL Server installations meet the necessary requirements and are ready for side-by-side upgrades. This module also includes practical lab exercises to guide you through the upgrade steps, including setting up database users and restoring databases and transaction logs.

In Configure Your Databases and Data Files, you will learn how to manage SQL Server data storage, configure system and user databases, and move databases as needed. This module also covers setting up the buffer pool extension to optimize performance, complemented by a lab to practice configuring various database storage settings.

Maintain Your Databases covers essential database maintenance tasks such as ensuring data integrity, optimizing performance with indexes, and implementing Database Maintenance Plans. The hands-on lab provides opportunities to practice these maintenance activities, including checking data integrity and defragmenting databases.

The Configure Storage to Support SQL Server Databases module teaches you how to optimize SQL Server performance by configuring storage solutions, including using network fileshares, cloud storage, and SQL Server Stretch Database. You’ll apply these concepts in a lab setting, configuring Stretch Database for real-world scenarios.

Next, Design a Cloud-Based Installation of SQL Server explores IaaS and PaaS options in Microsoft Azure, focusing on how to use Azure Virtual Machines and Azure SQL Database. Security considerations and best practices for setting up cloud databases are also covered, with a lab to reinforce cloud deployment skills.

In Move Databases into the Cloud, you will learn how to test database compatibility with Azure SQL Database and perform migrations. This module ensures you understand the steps needed to move on-premises databases into cloud environments safely and efficiently, with practical lab exercises to solidify your knowledge.

The Use an Azure Virtual Machine to Host SQL Server module guides you through setting up SQL Server on an Azure Virtual Machine, including moving databases and connecting clients to the cloud-hosted SQL Server instance. A dedicated lab helps reinforce these skills through step-by-step exercises.

Administer Databases Hosted in Microsoft Azure focuses on managing and securing Azure SQL Database deployments. Key topics include setting up Azure Storage, automating administration tasks, and using data masks to protect sensitive information. This module provides a solid foundation for managing SQL Server in cloud environments, with labs designed to provide hands-on experience.

By the end of this course, participants will have the skills needed to effectively install, configure, manage, and maintain SQL Server both on-premises and in cloud-based environments, ensuring high performance, security, and scalability of their database systems.

This is an updated version of the retired MOC 20765 course.