Microsoft and publisher of Ubuntu team up to deliver cost-effective data management on Azure

Microsoft Azure Hero 4
Microsoft Azure Hero 4 (Image credit: Microsoft)

What you need to know

  • Canonical and Microsoft jointly announced support for Microsoft SQL Server with Ubuntu Pro on Azure.
  • Running Ubuntu Pro and Azure on Microsoft SQL Server is more cost-effective than many alternatives.
  • SQL Server on Ubuntu Pro utilizes the XFS filesystem with Direct I/O and Forced Unit Access, which help ensure reliable syncing.

Microsoft and Canonical, the publisher of Ubuntu, announced support for Microsoft SQL Server with Ubuntu Pro on Microsoft Azure. This support facilitates a more cost-effective solution than many alternatives. Microsoft and Canonical have worked together in the past, and Canonical calls the move a "logical extension" of the companies' collaboration.

"Our customers need ways to run enterprise-grade, highly demanding and business critical data workloads on Ubuntu. This need is fully addressed with Microsoft SQL Server on Ubuntu Pro and Azure. This solution is a logical extension of our continued collaboration with Microsoft," said Alex Gallagher, VP Cloud Alliances at Canonical.

The solution is based on Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS and works with instances of SQL Server 2017 or SQL Server 2019. Web, standard, and enterprise editions are supported. It works with Ubuntu Pro 18.04 LTS and Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS.

SQL Server on Ubuntu Pro utilizes the XFS filesystem with Direct I/O and Forced Unit Access. These help deliver reliable syncing with NVMe SSD storage devices. SQL Server also works with persistent memory when available.

Ubuntu Pro comes with up to 10 years of maintenance updates and includes certified components for FIPS and Common Criteria EAL2 configurations. It also supports FedRAMP, HIPAA, PCI, and ISO. Ubuntu Pro also adds 10 years of extended security coverage to some open source applications.

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Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He's covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean's journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_. 

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