Recent additions to SQL Azure- we have updated Azure SQL DB to support page and row compression capabilities. This functionality is often used by SQL enterprise customers to improve performance by reducing data size and IO. The basic algorithm on compression doesn’t change from the on-premises model and logic, Information about how to use compression can be found at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc280449.aspx and best practices at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd894051(v=SQL.100).aspx.
A best practice specific to using compression in Azure SQL DB is to apply compression to empty tables / indices, or if applying to an existing table/index larger than 10GB to:
- Rebuild online or
- Rebuild using insert select into a new table.
Microsoft PG is also working to eliminate the per transaction log size limits. This is going to further bring more flexibility to the log size limits, which is beneficial.
This is now available to all databases in all regions. We will soon be announcing publicly and updating MSDN docs. Until then, feel free to tell customers external or internal that they can use this.
As this feature has been released today, will test and post the results and feature updates again a little later. For now, just a quick update on how to enable compression on the table.
How to enable the compression on a Azure DB table from Management portal?
There is no GUI based option to select from though (I couldn’t find one so far), but can be enabled using T-SQL.
1. Select the Windows Azure SQL DB for whose tables you wish to enable compression ON, and hit manage.
2. Once the management portal comes up, use new query and fire the following command to enable page or row compression on the table
