What is Azure Data Warehouse? (Need and How)

Meaning of Azure Data Warehouse

An Azure SQL Data Warehouse is a cloud-based data warehouse that helps users create and deliver data warehouses. Azure Data Warehouse is capable of processing both relational and non-relational data volumes. The platform supports SQL data warehouse capabilities on top of cloud computing. As well as supporting SQL server, it can be easily migrated from on-premises SQL databases to SQL Data Warehouse using similar queries and constructs. The data warehouse resources of subscribers can be scaled, paused, and shrunk instantly.

What is Azure Data Warehouse used for?

It is used to deliver enterprise-class SQL-based data warehouse solutions. Among its uses are;

Building a cloud-based data warehouse.

Migration of existing data warehouses to the cloud.

Data warehouse solutions are delivered for applications and services requiring data storage and retrieval at runtime - such as web applications.

Build a hybrid data warehouse that integrates and connects on-premises SQL Server/data warehouse with Azure-hosted data warehouse.

How does Azure Data Warehouse benefit you?

Benefits of Azure Data Warehouse:

Elasticity: Azure data warehouse's separation of computing and storage components makes it extremely flexible. The computing power can be scaled independently. Even when a query is running, it allows the addition and elimination of resources.

Security-focused: Azure SQL provides various security features (row-level security, data masking, encryption, auditing, etc.). Because of the cyber threats to cloud data security, Azure data warehouse components keep your data secure.

V12 portability: You can now upgrade from Azure SQL to SQL Server and vice versa with the tools provided by Microsoft.

High scalability: Azure is highly scalable. You can scale up or down the Azure data warehouse quickly according to your needs.

Polybase: Users can query across non-relational data sources through Polybase.

What is the structure and functionality of Azure Data Warehouse?

As a distributed database system, it is capable of shared-nothing architecture.

There are multiple storages, processing, and sharing units where the data is located.

Cloud storage is a locally redundant layer of storage that is built into the Azure data warehouse.

Query execution is done by computing nodes atop this layer.

Since the control node can receive multiple requests, they are optimized for parallel distribution across various compute nodes.

READ MORE: Best 4 Cloud Data Warehouse Solutions In 2022