How can I create the free 250GB SQL Server Database promised with Free Azure Subscription

Question

I created my Free Azure subscription and have been hosting a couple of Apps out there since around April of this year (2020). All of my resources; Subscription, Resource Group, AppService, and Apps are F1 service rather than S1 to ensure they are running free and my cost forecast for the month should always say $0.0. This was something confusing in the beginning that I had to reach out to Microsoft to help me with in setting up my hierocracy of resources. In my main web app I now need to deploy an SQL Database. I've been developing using LocalDB in my ASP.Net Core 3.1 app.

Now the Free Azure description here: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/free/

gives these specs for SQL Server with your free subscription for the first year:

250GBs. Now I'm thinking 250GB of storage, not memory. But when you start selecting your DB configuration they are talking memory. So now I'm confused with that. Do you get 250GB of Storage or memory with free SQL Server with free Azure subscription.

Also, the free service really just says free SQL Database. Not free SQL Server. So I am confused here as well. Do you just get one Database? I know you have to set up an SQL Server in order to set up the Database.

Next I found a quick tutorial on creating an SQL Server Database her: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/single-database-create-quickstart?tabs=azure-portal

I want to go through the three versions of this tutorial: Using:

1. Portal
2. Azure CLI
3. PowerShell

so I can get a feel for the environment and find the way that best suites me.

I am going through the Portal tutorial first. On step 9, the default is General Purpose, Serverless. This says "up to 40 vCores, up to 120 GB memory". But you are supposed to have 250GBs with the free subscription. So this is not it. I click provisioned and now it says "up to 80 vCores, up to 408 GB memory". Well 408GB is too much; over 250GB.

So I click, "Looking for Basic, Standard, or Premium?" And from there click Standard because it is the 250GB configuration I think I am looking for to get the free SQL Database with the free Azure Subscription. (Again do I just get one database?)

But now instead of talking vCores, the cost is per DTU. What the hec is a DTU? I tried to read up on it. Seems like a unit of performance rather than a transaction. So standard is estimated at 10 DTUs a month I believe. Hopefully that does not mean 10 transactions per month but rather again a measure of performance. Estimated Cost $15 dollars a month.

That "Standard S0" above scares me I think that would start charging me. It should say F1 shouldn't it.

I've come accross some similar questions to this online. A lot of people seem to have the same confusion and question I have. Main question is how do I get an F1 level database for my app. And is one database all I get. That would suck. Not really a free subscription then since most web apps in ASP.Net/Core which is Microsoft are dynamic and need a DB and Azure is Microsoft right?

Or should I just go ahead and review and create. And S0 is just how they do it for free Azure subscription? Like you wouldn't get charged for S0? But I don't think so. Trying to get a concrete answer somewhere so I know how to proceed.

UPDATE 10/20/20 I have just gone in a different way and am creating an SQL Server instead of Sql Database. This appears to be free and cost estimate per month says: "No extra charges"

Answer 1

Ok everybody.
Let's consider this a tentative answer until it all proves out to be true. I opened up a support ticket with Azure/Microsoft.

Here is part(s) of the response I got:

First, I would like to thank you very much for providing me with such a detailed service request. After my investigation, I was able to determine that the estimated price does not show the discount with the free services. Therefore, using the S0 database in Azure SQL Database at the Basic service tier will be included in the free services. The free service limitation states that you can use up to 250 GB. So, anything deployed below 250 GB is ok to use if it is correctly configuring all around. As long as you stay within the limits, you're will not be charged.

---

My reply here: So thank you for the information on S0 being considered free as part of the F1 subscription. (Although, I really wish they would include next to S0 on the pricing sheet to use as part of F1 in parenthesis or something) Does it matter if you use vCores or DTUs? And if you use DTUs does it matter if you go above the max? Or as you said I guess as long as I stay under 250GB I'm ok.

Her response continued:

---

Lastly, I would like to leave you with a link on how to avoid charges on your free service account: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cost-management-billing/manage/avoid-charges-free-account.

I hope this information was beneficial to you, Sam. Please let me know if you have any additional questions.

Everybody notice the link to track your free services which enables us to make sure we do not use a service outside of the free services or exceed the amount of what we get with a free service. I think this is a gold mine find of a URL.

And one more question I sent her: Can I create a 250GB application for each app I deploy out there. Or do I only get one and have to make all my apps share it?

At least we know that Basic S0 is free now. I will update this answer with better information as I work through the details.

Answer 2

I went through the Microsoft Documentation and now there is a tutorial they provided about how to set up a free 12 month SQL Database on Azure. I've summarized the main steps to get it working. Keep in mind that while using this database within the free account, you won't be charged as long as you stay within the monthly usage limits.

To create your database, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the Azure portal with your Azure free account.
2. Search for and select SQL databases. Select + Create.
3. On the Basics tab of the Create SQL Database form, under Project details, select the free trial Azure Subscription, for example, Azure subscription 1.
4. For Resource group, select Create new, enter a name and select OK.
5. Enter a Database name.
6. For Server, select Create new, and fill out the New server form to create a new Azure SQL Database logical server.

• For Authentication method, choose Use both SQL and Azure AD authentication to configure both SQL Authentication and Azure Active Directory authentication.
• Select yourself as the admin for Set Azure AD admin. You can also choose a group.
• Server admin login: Enter azureuser for the SQL authentication server admin login.
• Password: Enter a password that meets complexity requirements, and enter it again in the Confirm password field.

7. Leave Want to use SQL elastic pool? set to No.
8. Under Compute + storage, select Configure database. For the free trial, under Service Tier select Standard. Set DTUs to 10 and Data max size (GB) to 250, and then select Apply.
9. Leave Backup storage redundancy set to Geo-redundant backup storage
10. Select Next: Networking at the bottom of the page.
11. On the Networking tab, for Connectivity method, select Public endpoint.
12. For Firewall rules, set Allow Azure services and resources to access this server set to Yes and set Add current client IP address to Yes.
13. Leave Connection policy set to Default.
14. Leave the values unchanged on Security tab.
15. Select Review + create at the bottom of the page.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/free-sql-db-free-account-how-to-deploy?view=azuresql

Answer 3

Microsoft recently replaced this S0 (250 GB with 10 DTUs) free instance with a free serverless database with the first 100,000 vCore seconds, 32GB of data, and 32GB of backup storage free per month for the lifetime of the subscription.

Note: This is free to create one database at a time and limit one per subscription. (This is in preview now)

Kindly refer below links from Microsoft.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/free-offer?view=azuresql

https://learn.microsoft.com/video/media/4b88aa68-fc51-47b3-b0ea-e20c1ea8ebf8/Spinnaker%20Demo%20Learn%20Docs_169453_000001_thumbnailAuto_w1120.jpg

Answer 4

This is the best answer. I have worked out a procedure that works for me. And I understand a lot of things better now. It seems like the whole answer is not in one place since Azure is so vast and everyone's scenario is different. So I wrote up an article to document what worked for me. I hope this helps someone out there:

https://ctas.azurewebsites.net/TechCorner/AspNetCore3/HowTos/DeployWebAppWithLocalDbToAzure