Microsoft released new Azure SQL database configurations with more compute power cores and higher processing rates. The cores are based on the latest Intel and AMD processor generations.
The tech giant recently released a preview of its new Azure SQL database configurations and elastic pools. Dubbed the Standard Series, the configurations go up to 128 virtual processor cores (vCores) and 625GB memory.
The previous limit was 80 vCores and 415GB memory. The expansion should bring customers more scalability, the tech giant indicates. More cores yield higher throughput and capacity.
Hardware configurations
The Standard Series Azure SQL configurations run on the latest Intel and AMD processors, including Intel Ice Lake Xeon Platinum 8370C and AMD Milan Epyc 7763v.
Using these processors, Azure SQL databases and elastic pools now offer up to 327,680 IOPS for databases and 409,600 IOPS for elastic pools — the highest of any managed Azure SQL configuration on offer, according to Microsoft. The new configurations allow databases and elastic pools to be used simultaneously by 12,800 and 13,440 employees respectively.
The Standard Series of Azure SQL databases and elastic pools are now available in ten Azure regions, including four in the US, two in Europe and three across Australia, Canada and Japan. Zone redundancy for 128 vCore configurations will be added next year.
Azure SQL Hyperscale
In addition to new configurations for Azure SQL databases and elastic pools, the tech giant announced two new configurations of its Azure SQL Hyperscale databases for compute- and data-intensive workloads. The previews are now available.
The configurations are based on the same Intel Ice Lake and AMD Milan processors as the new Azure SQL configurations. The configurations feature new hyperscale and memory optimizations. This should provide more performance and scalability than previous configurations.
Optimized Azure SQL Hyperscale databases include 10.2GB of memory per core — twice as much as standard configurations — and 830GB per instance. The upgrade comes at a 40 percent higher price.
The new Azure SQL Hyperscale configurations are available in five Azure regions: three in the US and two across Canada and the UK.
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