Provision an Ubuntu virtual machine running SQL Server in Azure

This guide will provide instructions for creating an Ubuntu-based VM on Azure with SQL Server installed.

Prerequisites

• A Microsoft Azure account

• A Resource Group

Pick an SQL Server version

SQL Server support varies per Ubuntu version. Consult the SQL Server on Ubuntu quickstart to determine which versions of Ubuntu are supported for the SQL Server version you need.

Pick an Ubuntu image

Once you know what Ubuntu version you need you can consult How to Find Ubuntu Images on Azure to find all Ubuntu offerings on Azure. If you are unsure about which Ubuntu product to use (Pro vs non-Pro, FIPS etc.) see Canonical’s offerings on Azure for an explanation.

Launching an Ubuntu VM

Once you have chosen your image you have two options for creating your VM.

With Azure Portal

Click the the “Quick start” link for your image in How to Find Ubuntu Images on Azure. This will take you to the Azure Portal where you will be guided through the VM creation process.

With Azure CLI

Take the URN for your image in How to Find Ubuntu Images on Azure and then follow How to Launch Ubuntu images on Azure to create the VM with the Azure CLI.

Install and configure SQL Server

Follow the SQL Server on Ubuntu quickstart to install SQL Server for your version of Ubuntu.

Open the firewall

If you want to connect remotely to VMs, you also have to open up port 1433 on the Linux firewall.

• Connect to your VM.

• In a terminal, run the following command:

sudo ufw allow 1433/tcp

Connect

You can now connect to your server from your favorite client.