Managing and deploying databases on Azure can be time-consuming, especially if done manually. The Azure Command-Line Interface (CLI) simplifies these tasks, helping you automate the deployment process to increase accuracy and efficiency in running Azure resources. In preparation for the DP-300 Administering Microsoft Azure SQL Solutions exam, it is essential to familiarize yourself with Azure CLI capabilities and usage.

Azure CLI is a cross-platform tool designed to manage Azure services with a set of easy-to-use commands. When combined with Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) processes, Azure CLI can automate database deployment and management tasks, saving you time and reducing errors.

Table of Contents

Prerequisites

You will need:

  • An Azure account
  • Azure CLI installed on your local system or Azure Cloud Shell

Deploying Azure SQL Database using Azure CLI

You can use Azure CLI to create and manage Azure SQL Database services. The following commands, written in Bash, demonstrate how to create an Azure SQL Server and a single database:

# Variables
serverName=YourServerName
password=YourPassword
location=YourLocation

# Create a server
az sql server create \
–name $serverName \
–resource-group $ResourceGroupName \
–location $location \
–admin-user $AdminUsername \
–admin-password $password

# Create a database
az sql db create \
–resource-group $ResourceGroupName \
–server $serverName \
–name $DatabaseName \
–service-objective S0

Automating Deployment with Azure CLI

As you learn to automate your deployments with Azure CLI, you should put your commands into scripts for reusability. This allows you to automate frequent tasks and minimize manual errors. Azure CLI can be used in scripts in any language that can work with standard input/output (stdin/stdout), such as Bash, Python, or PowerShell.

Here’s an example of how you can use Azure CLI within a Bash script to handle deployment:

#!/bin/bash

# Variables
serverName=YourServerName
password=YourPassword
location=YourLocation

# This function creates a server
create_server() {
az sql server create \
–name $serverName \
–resource-group $ResourceGroupName \
–location $location \
–admin-user $AdminUsername \
–admin-password $password
}

# This function creates a database
create_database() {
az sql db create \
–resource-group $ResourceGroupName \
–server $serverName \
–name $DatabaseName \
–service-objective S0
}

# Call the functions
create_server
create_database

In conclusion, mastering the use of Azure CLI can indeed expedite and streamline your work on Azure, especially in deploying and managing Azure SQL databases. As you prepare for the DP-300 exam, strive to utilize Azure CLI in a multitude of scenarios, thus demonstrating your comprehensive understanding and adapting to evolving requirements.

Practice Test

True/False: Azure CLI can be used to automate the deployment of Azure resources.

– True
– False

Answer: True

Explanation: Azure CLI is a command-line tool built to manage and administer Azure resources. It allows for scripting that can automate deployment and management tasks.

Multiple Select: Which of the following are components of Azure CLI?

– a) Azure Cloud Shell
– b) Python
– c) Node.js
– d) .NET Core

Answer: a, b, c

Explanation: Azure CLI relies on the Azure Cloud Shell, a browser-based shell experience hosted in the Cloud. Additionally, Azure CLI is written in Python, and also supports Node.js. .NET Core is not a component of Azure CLI.

Single Select: What programming language is the Azure CLI written in?

– a) Java
– b) Python
– c) C#
– d) PowerShell

Answer: b. Python

Explanation: The Azure Command-Line Interface (CLI) is written in Python.

True/False: Azure CLI cannot be used to create and manage Azure SQL Databases.

– True
– False

Answer: False

Explanation: Azure CLI can be used to manage most of Azure resources, including creating and managing Azure SQL databases.

Multiple Select: Azure CLI scripting can be used for:

– a) Automating manual tasks
– b) Automating deployment
– c) Building cloud-native applications
– d) Networking

Answer: a, b

Explanation: Azure CLI scripting is used to automate routine or complex deployment and management tasks, thus automating both manual tasks and the deployment of Azure resources.

Single Select: Which kind of syntax does Azure CLI use?

– a) Bash
– b) JSON
– c) Yaml
– d) XML

Answer: a. Bash

Explanation: Azure CLI is a cross-platform command line tool that uses a Bash-like syntax.

True/False: Azure CLI can only run on Linux operating systems.

– True
– False

Answer: False

Explanation: Azure CLI is cross-platform and thus can be run on Windows, Linux, and MacOS.

Multiple Select: Azure CLI can deploy which of the following types of Azure SQL resources?

– a) Azure SQL Databases
– b) Azure SQL Managed Instance
– c) Azure Cosmos DB
– d) All of the above

Answer: d. All of the above

Explanation: Azure CLI can be used to deploy and manage all types of Azure SQL resources, including Azure SQL Databases, Azure SQL Managed Instances, and Azure Cosmos DB.

Single Select: Which of the following is required to run Azure CLI?

– a) Visual Studio
– b) PowerShell
– c) Internet Connection
– d) Azure Portal

Answer: c. Internet Connection

Explanation: Azure CLI is a command line tool that interacts with Azure services over the internet, hence an internet connection is required in order to use it.

True/False: Azure CLI scripts can be used in a Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipeline to automate deployments.

– True
– False

Answer: True

Explanation: Azure CLI scripts can be integrated into CI/CD pipelines to automate deployments, ensuring a streamlined and reliable process.

Interview Questions

What is Azure CLI?

Azure CLI is a command-line tool designed to manage Azure resources. It’s designed for managing and administering Azure resources from the command line.

What is the primary purpose of automating deployment using Azure CLI?

The primary purpose of automating deployment using Azure CLI is to streamline and speed up the processes of creating, deploying, and managing Azure resources.

Which Azure CLI command is used to create a new SQL Database?

The command to create a new SQL Database would be

"az sql db create"

.

Can we use Azure CLI to scale an Azure SQL database vertically?

Yes, we can use Azure CLI to scale an Azure SQL database vertically. The command is

“az sql db update”

.

How can Azure CLI be installed?

Azure CLI can be installed by downloading the appropriate version for your operating system from the official Microsoft website and running the installation process.

What command can be used to log in to an Azure account using Azure CLI?

The command to log in to an Azure account using Azure CLI is

"az login"

.

What command in Azure CLI is used to automate the creation of a SQL Server on Azure?

The command

"az sql server create"

is used to automate the creation of a SQL Server on Azure.

How can you specify the edition of the Azure SQL database during creation by Azure CLI?

You can specify the edition of the Azure SQL database during creation by using the

"--edition”

argument in the

"az sql db create"

command.

How can we automate the firewall rule addition in Azure SQL using Azure CLI?

We can automate the firewall rule addition by using the command

"az sql server firewall-rule create"

.

Can we use Azure CLI to manage Azure SQL Data Warehouse?

Yes, Azure CLI supports managing Azure SQL Data Warehouse.

How can you start an Azure SQL Database using Azure CLI?

You can start an Azure SQL Database using the command

"az sql db start"

.

How can you stop an Azure SQL Database using Azure CLI?

You can stop an Azure SQL Database using the command

"az sql db stop"

.

Can you use Azure CLI to restore an Azure SQL Database?

Yes, you can restore an Azure SQL Database by using the

"az sql db restore"

command.

Can you delete an Azure SQL Database using Azure CLI?

Yes, you can delete an Azure SQL Database by using the

"az sql db delete"

command.

Is it possible to create an Azure SQL Server instance using Azure CLI?

Yes, it is possible. The command to create an Azure SQL Server instance would be

"az sql server create"

.

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