Service-Service Restore Support in Azure SQL Database

Q: What's the Service-Service Restore support feature in SQL Database, and why does it matter?

A: Service-Service Restore support automatically creates daily database backups and logs backups every five minutes. Additionally, the support is built into Azure SQL Database for all tiers, including the Basic tier.

Related: Microsoft Announces New Azure SQL Database Tiers

This support feature is especially useful for individuals who might have accidentally experienced data loss and have no backup on hand to restore it. Daily backups are also stored in geo-replicated Azure Storage, which stores a copy of your backups at least 500 miles away from your primary region.

With this functionality, users can restore their databases to a specific point in time in the past, as long as it's within the specified backup retention policies of your service tier:

Figure 1: Service-Service Restore Support in SQL Databases

Restores can be retrieved through Microsoft’s provided API or through the Azure Management Portal.