
Skill
azure-resource-manager-sql-dotnet
manage Azure SQL resources in .NET
Description
Azure Resource Manager SDK for Azure SQL in .NET. Use for MANAGEMENT PLANE operations: creating/managing SQL servers, databases, elastic pools, firewall rules, and failover groups via Azure Resource Manager. NOT for data plane operations (executing queries) - use Microsoft.Data.SqlClient for that. Triggers: "SQL server", "create SQL database", "manage SQL resources", "ARM SQL", "SqlServerResource", "provision Azure SQL", "elastic pool", "firewall rule".
SKILL.md
Azure.ResourceManager.Sql (.NET)
Management plane SDK for provisioning and managing Azure SQL resources via Azure Resource Manager.
⚠️ Management vs Data Plane
- This SDK (Azure.ResourceManager.Sql): Create servers, databases, elastic pools, configure firewall rules, manage failover groups
- Data Plane SDK (Microsoft.Data.SqlClient): Execute queries, stored procedures, manage connections
Installation
dotnet add package Azure.ResourceManager.Sql
dotnet add package Azure.Identity
Current Versions: Stable v1.3.0, Preview v1.4.0-beta.3
Environment Variables
AZURE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID=<your-subscription-id> # Required: Azure subscription ID
AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod # Required only if DefaultAzureCredential is used in production
AZURE_TENANT_ID=<tenant-id> # For service principal auth (optional)
AZURE_CLIENT_ID=<client-id> # For service principal auth (optional)
AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET=<client-secret> # For service principal auth (optional)
Authentication
using Azure.Identity;
using Azure.ResourceManager;
using Azure.ResourceManager.Sql;
// Local dev: DefaultAzureCredential. Production: set AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod or AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=<specific_credential>
var credential = new DefaultAzureCredential(
DefaultAzureCredential.DefaultEnvironmentVariableName
);
// Or use a specific credential directly in production:
// See https://learn.microsoft.com/dotnet/api/overview/azure/identity-readme?view=azure-dotnet#credential-classes
// var credential = new ManagedIdentityCredential();
var armClient = new ArmClient(credential);
// Get subscription
var subscriptionId = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("AZURE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID");
var subscription = armClient.GetSubscriptionResource(
new ResourceIdentifier($"/subscriptions/{subscriptionId}"));
Resource Hierarchy
ArmClient
└── SubscriptionResource
└── ResourceGroupResource
└── SqlServerResource
├── SqlDatabaseResource
├── ElasticPoolResource
│ └── ElasticPoolDatabaseResource
├── SqlFirewallRuleResource
├── FailoverGroupResource
├── ServerBlobAuditingPolicyResource
├── EncryptionProtectorResource
└── VirtualNetworkRuleResource
Core Workflow
1. Create SQL Server
using Azure.ResourceManager.Sql;
using Azure.ResourceManager.Sql.Models;
// Get resource group
var resourceGroup = await subscription
.GetResourceGroupAsync("my-resource-group");
// Define server
var serverData = new SqlServerData(AzureLocation.EastUS)
{
AdministratorLogin = "sqladmin",
AdministratorLoginPassword = "YourSecurePassword123!",
Version = "12.0",
MinimalTlsVersion = SqlMinimalTlsVersion.Tls1_2,
PublicNetworkAccess = ServerNetworkAccessFlag.Enabled
};
// Create server (long-running operation)
var serverCollection = resourceGroup.Value.GetSqlServers();
var operation = await serverCollection.CreateOrUpdateAsync(
WaitUntil.Completed,
"my-sql-server",
serverData);
SqlServerResource server = operation.Value;
2. Create SQL Database
var databaseData = new SqlDatabaseData(AzureLocation.EastUS)
{
Sku = new SqlSku("S0") { Tier = "Standard" },
MaxSizeBytes = 2L * 1024 * 1024 * 1024, // 2 GB
Collation = "SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS",
RequestedBackupStorageRedundancy = SqlBackupStorageRedundancy.Local
};
var databaseCollection = server.GetSqlDatabases();
var dbOperation = await databaseCollection.CreateOrUpdateAsync(
WaitUntil.Completed,
"my-database",
databaseData);
SqlDatabaseResource database = dbOperation.Value;
3. Create Elastic Pool
var poolData = new ElasticPoolData(AzureLocation.EastUS)
{
Sku = new SqlSku("StandardPool")
{
Tier = "Standard",
Capacity = 100 // 100 eDTUs
},
PerDatabaseSettings = new ElasticPoolPerDatabaseSettings
{
MinCapacity = 0,
MaxCapacity = 100
}
};
var poolCollection = server.GetElasticPools();
var poolOperation = await poolCollection.CreateOrUpdateAsync(
WaitUntil.Completed,
"my-elastic-pool",
poolData);
ElasticPoolResource pool = poolOperation.Value;
4. Add Database to Elastic Pool
var databaseData = new SqlDatabaseData(AzureLocation.EastUS)
{
ElasticPoolId = pool.Id
};
await databaseCollection.CreateOrUpdateAsync(
WaitUntil.Completed,
"pooled-database",
databaseData);
5. Configure Firewall Rules
// Allow Azure services
var azureServicesRule = new SqlFirewallRuleData
{
StartIPAddress = "0.0.0.0",
EndIPAddress = "0.0.0.0"
};
var firewallCollection = server.GetSqlFirewallRules();
await firewallCollection.CreateOrUpdateAsync(
WaitUntil.Completed,
"AllowAzureServices",
azureServicesRule);
// Allow specific IP range
var clientRule = new SqlFirewallRuleData
{
StartIPAddress = "203.0.113.0",
EndIPAddress = "203.0.113.255"
};
await firewallCollection.CreateOrUpdateAsync(
WaitUntil.Completed,
"AllowClientIPs",
clientRule);
6. List Resources
// List all servers in subscription
await foreach (var srv in subscription.GetSqlServersAsync())
{
Console.WriteLine($"Server: {srv.Data.Name} in {srv.Data.Location}");
}
// List databases in a server
await foreach (var db in server.GetSqlDatabases())
{
Console.WriteLine($"Database: {db.Data.Name}, SKU: {db.Data.Sku?.Name}");
}
// List elastic pools
await foreach (var ep in server.GetElasticPools())
{
Console.WriteLine($"Pool: {ep.Data.Name}, DTU: {ep.Data.Sku?.Capacity}");
}
7. Get Connection String
// Build connection string (server FQDN is predictable)
var serverFqdn = $"{server.Data.Name}.database.windows.net";
var connectionString = $"Server=tcp:{serverFqdn},1433;" +
$"Initial Catalog={database.Data.Name};" +
"Persist Security Info=False;" +
$"User ID={server.Data.AdministratorLogin};" +
"Password=<your-password>;" +
"MultipleActiveResultSets=False;" +
"Encrypt=True;" +
"TrustServerCertificate=False;" +
"Connection Timeout=30;";
Key Types Reference
| Type | Purpose |
|---|---|
ArmClient | Entry point for all ARM operations |
SqlServerResource | Represents an Azure SQL server |
SqlServerCollection | Collection for server CRUD |
SqlDatabaseResource | Represents a SQL database |
SqlDatabaseCollection | Collection for database CRUD |
ElasticPoolResource | Represents an elastic pool |
ElasticPoolCollection | Collection for elastic pool CRUD |
SqlFirewallRuleResource | Represents a firewall rule |
SqlFirewallRuleCollection | Collection for firewall rule CRUD |
SqlServerData | Server creation/update payload |
SqlDatabaseData | Database creation/update payload |
ElasticPoolData | Elastic pool creation/update payload |
SqlFirewallRuleData | Firewall rule creation/update payload |
SqlSku | SKU configuration (tier, capacity) |
Common SKUs
Database SKUs
| SKU Name | Tier | Description |
|---|---|---|
Basic | Basic | 5 DTUs, 2 GB max |
S0-S12 | Standard | 10-3000 DTUs |
P1-P15 | Premium | 125-4000 DTUs |
GP_Gen5_2 | GeneralPurpose | vCore-based, 2 vCores |
BC_Gen5_2 | BusinessCritical | vCore-based, 2 vCores |
HS_Gen5_2 | Hyperscale | vCore-based, 2 vCores |
Elastic Pool SKUs
| SKU Name | Tier | Description |
|---|---|---|
BasicPool | Basic | 50-1600 eDTUs |
StandardPool | Standard | 50-3000 eDTUs |
PremiumPool | Premium | 125-4000 eDTUs |
GP_Gen5_2 | GeneralPurpose | vCore-based |
BC_Gen5_2 | BusinessCritical | vCore-based |
Best Practices
- Use
WaitUntil.Completedfor operations that must finish before proceeding - Use
WaitUntil.Startedwhen you want to poll manually or run operations in parallel - Always use
DefaultAzureCredential— never hardcode passwords in production - Handle
RequestFailedExceptionfor ARM API errors - Use
CreateOrUpdateAsyncfor idempotent operations - Navigate hierarchy via
Get*methods (e.g.,server.GetSqlDatabases()) - Use elastic pools for cost optimization when managing multiple databases
- Configure firewall rules before attempting connections
Error Handling
using Azure;
try
{
var operation = await serverCollection.CreateOrUpdateAsync(
WaitUntil.Completed, serverName, serverData);
}
catch (RequestFailedException ex) when (ex.Status == 409)
{
Console.WriteLine("Server already exists");
}
catch (RequestFailedException ex) when (ex.Status == 400)
{
Console.WriteLine($"Invalid request: {ex.Message}");
}
catch (RequestFailedException ex)
{
Console.WriteLine($"ARM Error: {ex.Status} - {ex.ErrorCode}: {ex.Message}");
}
Reference Files
| File | When to Read |
|---|---|
| references/server-management.md | Server CRUD, admin credentials, Azure AD auth, networking |
| references/database-operations.md | Database CRUD, scaling, backup, restore, copy |
| references/elastic-pools.md | Pool management, adding/removing databases, scaling |
Related SDKs
| SDK | Purpose | Install |
|---|---|---|
Microsoft.Data.SqlClient | Data plane (execute queries, stored procedures) | dotnet add package Microsoft.Data.SqlClient |
Azure.ResourceManager.Sql | Management plane (this SDK) | dotnet add package Azure.ResourceManager.Sql |
Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.SqlServer | ORM for SQL Server | dotnet add package Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.SqlServer |
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