Azure Data Factory vs. Azure SQL Database

In a data pipeline, you will be able to add different kinds of activities for example connect from your on-premise SFTP and move CSV files to storage accounts. As well data factory has its own data flow if you are an ETL developer who experimented with maybe you have worked with SSIS, thus, you will start quickly with this new feature of the data factory.

Incentivized

Your upcoming app can be built faster on a fully managed SQL database and can be moved into Azure with a few to no application code changes. Flexible and responsive server less computing and Hyperscale storage can cope with your changing requirements and one of the main benefits is the reduction in costs, which is noticeable.

Incentivized

• Creating ETL and ELT workflows as well as orchestrating and monitoring pipelines without writing any code.
• Hybrid data integration is easily and agilely possible through this software.
• It has lot of various useful components

Incentivized

• Scalability is #1: if it used to be an almost no-win endeavour to try to modernize your server or migrate to other hardware, with Azure SQL Database it becomes a press of a button.
• All the tools simply work after you are on Azure SQL Database.
• The applications do not need changes in order to start using Azure SQL Database.
• Hybrid Cloud scenarios will work.
• Clustering and failover - already there.
• You can start monitoring the use and extract performance insights in a new way in Azure.

Incentivized

• Learning curve for pipeline creation interface.
• Alerting isn't necessarily built in. Had to work around this to meet team needs.
• With GIT enabled, some features can only be done via git, while some need to be done via the portal.

Incentivized

• A little slow on processing complex or large Views. We use a lot of Views to feed our BI system, and the processing time could see some improvement, IMHO.
• Additional monitoring components would be nice too, automating some built in performance measurement tools would be a nice feature.
• Price can always be improved as well. It’s not bad, but room for improvement.

Incentivized

This is best solution as a DBA one could expect from a service provider and as a cloud service, it removes all your hassles.

Incentivized

So far product has performed as expected. We were noticing some performance issues, but they were largely Synapse related. This has led to a shift from Synapse to Databricks. Overall this has delayed our analytic platform. Once databricks becomes fully operational, Azure Data Factory will be critical to our environment and future success.

Incentivized

It just works!

We have not had need to engage with Microsoft much on Azure Data Factory, but they have been responsive and helpful when needed. This being said, we have not had a major emergency or outage requiring their intervention. The score of seven is a representation that they have done well for now, but have not proved out their support for a significant issue

Incentivized

We give the support a high rating simply because every time we've had issues or questions, representatives were in contact with us quickly. Without fail, our issues/questions were handled in a timely matter. That kind of response is integral when client data integrity and availability is in question. There is also a wealth of documentation for resolving issues on your own.

Incentivized

Azure Data Factory fits well into our overall systems architecture where we already utilize largely Azure services and also Microsoft based products in the on-premises environment. I think cost structure is also very competitive with Azure Data Factory. Most services provide a visual interface for designing ETL workflows, but our team found Azure Data Factory's interface more intuitive.

Incentivized

Oracle Database is "the" serious database. There really is no competition in that field. SQL Database would be a serious competitor through the ease of implementation and the "no maintenance," but since it's too expensive for "normal" use (medium to small applications), it just priced itself out of the market, so to speak. Nevertheless, we do have 2 or 3 large applications that are highly integrated in azure, and for those it's just too easy to use SQL Database instead of the on premise Oracle Database with VPN gateways etcetera.

Incentivized

• Limiting the amount of data moving up and down from the cloud for cloud-native applications.
• Overall simple to use interface which is actually easier for a first time ETL developer than SSIS.

Incentivized

• We don't need a dedicated SQL dba because so many of the database maintenance operations are managed. A huge positive not only in budget but time constraints.
• The ability to scale quickly is the biggest positive as our data needs change constantly.
• Easy to migrate from legacy tools and systems, saving us on the need for redevelopment.

Incentivized