If 2020 has taught us anything in its many lessons, it is that nothing is ever constant and change is inevitable. Society around the entire world has seen a massive shift in behavior, let alone corporate and customer behaviors.

Companies that understand the importance of adapting to change strive to predict disruptions happening in the market. Top performers work to adjust in time to not only survive but thrive. One wave of change that we have witnessed is that most companies either have migrated or have plans to migrate their on-premises databases, including MySQL databases, to the cloud.

Azure Database for MySQL is one such platform. Launched in 2017, it has seen a growth of over 9.2% over the last year. If your company is considering migrating to the cloud, this article explores the top reasons why you should consider Azure Database for MySQL.

About Azure Database for MySQL

Based on SQL Server database technology and built on Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing platform, Azure Database for MySQL is easy to set up, manage, and scale. This relational database system offers high data protection with enterprise-grade security and support for virtually all regulatory compliance standards. It also provides common cloud benefits such as pay-as-you-go pricing and cost optimization controls. It can also automate the management and maintenance of your infrastructure and database server, including routine updates, backups, and security.

Top reasons to migrate to Azure Database for MySQL

1. Highly flexible and scalable

The database is designed to promote flexibility. Unlike legacy, onsite hardware, additional instances can be quickly spun up in order to accommodate a rapidly growing site, service, or even unexpected traffic spikes. The ability to support machine learning capabilities makes it highly advanced, giving it an edge for organizations seeking to leverage ML models.

Azure Database for MySQL can also be easily integrated with the Azure App Service to enable smooth deployment of various web applications such as Drupal and WordPress. Integration with Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) and Azure IP Advantage helps organizations effortlessly build and safeguard open-source innovations.

2. Exceptional performance

Azure SQL was specifically designed by Microsoft for cloud implementations, giving it an edge over other DBaaS solutions which may be designed for more generalized usage. Azure also supports the transition to the cloud by preserving pre-existing applications and seamlessly transferring them to the cloud.

3. Unmatched security

Azure’s design is based on the Security Development Lifecycle (SDL). It has security at its core and is designed to ensure that private data and services stay protected and secured while they are on the Azure Cloud. Azure is known for its enterprise-level security solutions with its own firewalls, access restrictions, security patches, and updates and both at-rest and in-transit encryptions. All these can serve as a reassurance of the safety safeguards for the majority of businesses.

4. Cost

Small- to mid-size corporations have long been using open source databases to reduce recurring software costs. The drawback of using these systems, however, is that they eventually require a lot of time and money to maintain and operate. This is in addition to the initial hardware costs which are completely eliminated with Azure’s pay-as-you-go billing method. The usage of the Azure database also completely eradicates the need for manual software updates and patches and makes it easier and cheaper to integrate Microsoft and other third-party solutions. Azure gives the option of optimizing costs with on-demand instances, autoscaling, and stop/start capabilities which ensures that you only pay for storage when your database is stopped.

5. Smooth transition

The new Azure Database Migration Services tool provided by Microsoft is capable of moving SQL Server Databases into Azure SQL Database at no extra cost and almost zero downtime.

Procedure

The entire Azure Database Migration is a simple, four-step process:

Find the full migration process details from the Microsoft tech community.

Why Azure?

Enhanced security offerings – Microsoft was the first cloud service provider to get to be approved by the EU’s data protection laws. This means that a properly configured cloud environment can achieve best in class cloud security

Hybrid solutions – Microsoft’s hybrid solutions enable users to seamlessly transition between on-premises and the cloud database. The hybrid apps developed by Microsoft can take advantage of the resources available at datacenters and Azure, improving usability and performance.

Integrated environment – Azure brings development, testing, and deploying cloud apps onto a single platform. The choice of framework is also up to the developer, providing additional flexibility.

Easy learning – Azure has utilized a similar platform over several years and in many of their different applications, making it easier for new or old users to gain familiarity with the platform.

Apart from just having a reliable and secure infrastructure, Azure can solve many problems just by abstracting complications away from the business. This allows decision-makers to focus on more business objectives and projects that add to the bottom line without worrying about maintaining and updating slow, costly hardware.

Having driven multiple end-to-end cloud migration and modernization projects for our clients, Neal Analytics is capable of jumping in at any stage, whether it be assessing targets for migration or performing the migration, or solving unique business challenges. Being a long-term Microsoft Gold Partner, Neal Analytics holds deep expertise migrating data and apps to Azure and other cloud platforms.

Ready to take the next step? Contact us to get started.