Tables of rows and columns hold structured data here, one table per entity type, with keys linking the tables together and SQL used to query them.
Read more: Microsoft Learn
In the Ultra Transcenders books
Each book explains Relational database in context, with comparison tables and the common traps.
Terms in this definition
- Structured data
Every record has the same fields, because the data must fit a schema fixed before storage; relational tables are its usual home.
- Event
Table in Log Analytics where entries from Windows event logs are kept.
- Entity
Something like a product or customer that an organisation stores data about. Its characteristics are its attributes, and every individual record is one instance.
- Serverless
Compute tier for single Azure SQL databases that scales automatically, pauses when idle and charges by the second. It is offered in General Purpose and Hyperscale, not Business Critical, and reserved capacity does not apply.
Related terms
- DB2
Relational database from IBM; its schemas and data can be moved to Azure SQL using SQL Server Migration Assistant (SSMA).
- MySQL
The top open-source relational database for LAMP applications; Microsoft offers its Community Edition fully managed as Azure Database for MySQL.
- SQL Server
The relational database from Microsoft that organisations host and run themselves, in their own data centres or on VMs. Its engine also sits underneath the Azure SQL services and SQL database in Fabric.