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Databases
premium
Serverless compute tier
Serverless compute tier in Azure SQL Database automatically scales compute for single databases, bills compute per second while active, can pause during inactivity, and resumes when activity returns. It is available in General Purpose and Hyperscale, with auto-pause support limited to General Purpose.
Azure SQL Database
fundamentals
5 commands
Aliases: No aliases yet
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Databases
premium
Azure SQL serverless compute
Run development, test, training, or demo databases that need full SQL behavior but sit idle outside work hours.; Support tenant databases with sporadic activity where provisioned compute would waste budget for long idle
Azure SQL Database
fundamentals
5 commands
Aliases: Azure SQL serverless compute
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Databases
premium
PostgreSQL burstable compute
PostgreSQL burstable compute is the Burstable pricing tier for Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server. It uses B-series virtual machine sizes for workloads with modest average CPU demand that may need occasional bursts instead of continuously provisioned high performance. safely.
PostgreSQL flexible server
fundamentals
5 commands
Aliases: Azure PostgreSQL B-series, Flexible Server burstable compute, PostgreSQL Burstable tier
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Databases
premium
Serverless SQL database
A serverless SQL database is an Azure SQL Database single database configured with the serverless compute model. It automatically scales compute within configured limits, can auto-pause in supported tiers, resumes on activity, and keeps the managed SQL Database platform features such as backups, patching, monitoring, and security.
Azure SQL Database
fundamentals
5 commands
Aliases: No aliases yet
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Databases
complete
SQL serverless auto-pause
Microsoft Learn describes Azure SQL Database serverless auto-pause as a serverless compute behavior that pauses an inactive database after a configured delay. While paused, compute billing stops and only storage is billed; the database automatically resumes when logins or other activity return, where supported.
Azure SQL cost and compute
intermediate
5 commands
Aliases: Azure SQL auto-pause, serverless database auto-pause, auto-pause delay, SQL Database serverless pause
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Compute
premium
Azure Functions
Azure Functions is Azure serverless compute for running code from triggers such as HTTP requests, queues, timers, events, and service integrations without managing servers.
Serverless compute
intermediate
6 commands
Aliases: Functions, Function App, serverless functions
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Containers
premium
Consumption workload profile
the Azure Container Apps workload profile for serverless container workloads that should scale based on demand and incur cost only while running
Azure Container Apps
intermediate
3 commands
Aliases: No aliases yet
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Databases
field-manual-complete
vCore model
The vCore model is the Azure SQL purchasing model that separates compute and storage decisions for clearer sizing and cost planning.
Azure SQL
intermediate
4 commands
Aliases: vCore purchasing model, Azure SQL vCore model, vCore-based purchasing model, SQL vCore model
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Databases
premium field-manual
Manual throughput
Manual throughput is a Cosmos DB throughput mode where teams set a fixed RU/s value instead of using autoscale. Teams use it when a database or container has predictable traffic and operators want explicit request-unit capacity. In plain English, it gives operators a named control for controlled RU/s spending, predictable capacity, and simpler throughput evidence for steady workloads instead of leaving the decision hidden in a portal setting, script, or deployment file. Treat it as production-ready only when the owner, dependencies, permission boundary, monitoring signal, and rollback evidence are clear.
Azure Cosmos DB
intermediate
4 commands
Aliases: Manual throughput, Azure Cosmos DB, autoscale throughput, serverless capacity mode, provisioned throughput, standard throughput, fixed RU/s, Azure Cosmos DB provisioned throughput
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Analytics
premium
Serverless SQL pool
Serverless SQL pool in Azure Synapse Analytics lets users query data in the lake with T-SQL without provisioning dedicated SQL compute. It stores only metadata objects in databases, supports SELECT, CETAS, views, credentials, users, and object permissions, and charges based on data processed by queries.
Azure Synapse Analytics
fundamentals
5 commands
Aliases: No aliases yet
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AI and Machine Learning
premium
Computer Vision
the Azure AI capability that helps applications understand images, read text, detect visual features, and return structured insights from pictures or screenshots
Azure AI services
fundamentals
12 commands
Aliases: No aliases yet
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Databases
premium
Cosmos DB serverless
Cosmos DB serverless is the Cosmos DB capacity mode that bills for request units consumed and storage used instead of pre-provisioned RU/s. It lets intermittent or unpredictable workloads use Cosmos DB without reserving throughput all day. You see it when a new account is created, a workload has bursty usage, or a team compares serverless with provisioned throughput. The production check is whether consumption billing, throughput limits, regional design, and workload shape fit the production objective. Document the decision in code, templates, metrics, and runbooks.
Azure Cosmos DB
intermediate
6 commands
Aliases: No aliases yet
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Databases
premium
Cosmos DB serverless account
Cosmos DB serverless account is a Cosmos DB account created with the serverless capacity mode so databases and containers are billed by consumed request units and storage. It turns serverless billing into an account-level design choice rather than a per-container toggle. You see it when teams create accounts for prototypes, seasonal apps, low-duty-cycle workloads, or services with uncertain early demand. The production check is whether the account capacity mode supports the API, scale target, compliance need, and migration plan. Document the decision in code, templates, metrics, and runbooks.
Azure Cosmos DB
intermediate
6 commands
Aliases: No aliases yet
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Databases
premium
PostgreSQL general purpose compute
PostgreSQL General Purpose compute is the middle production tier for Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server. It is meant for workloads that need steadier CPU and memory than Burstable, but do not need the higher memory profile of Memory Optimized. Teams use it when a database serves real users, background jobs, APIs, or reporting workloads with predictable demand. The choice affects cost, concurrency, high availability eligibility, and scaling options. It is not a magic performance setting; it is a capacity tier that still needs good indexes, query design, connection pooling, and monitoring.
PostgreSQL flexible server
fundamentals
5 commands
Aliases: PostgreSQL general purpose compute, postgresql general purpose compute, Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server
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Web
premium
Serverless API deployment
Serverless API deployment in Azure commonly means publishing HTTP-triggered Azure Functions, often with zip deployment, run-from-package, Static Web Apps APIs, or API Management integration. The deployment packages code, configuration, identity, routing, and monitoring so an API endpoint can scale without dedicated server management.
Azure Functions
intermediate
5 commands
Aliases: serverless API release, Azure Functions API deployment, HTTP trigger deployment, function API deployment
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Analytics
premium
Serverless SQL external table
A serverless SQL external table in Azure Synapse SQL is a metadata object that references files in Azure Storage or Azure Data Lake Storage. Serverless SQL pools use native external tables to read external data, map columns, apply supported file formats, and support CETAS export patterns.
Azure Synapse Analytics
intermediate
5 commands
Aliases: No aliases yet
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Compute
premium
Azure Compute Gallery
A service for organizing, versioning, replicating, and sharing VM images and application packages across Azure subscriptions, tenants, and regions.
Disks and images
intermediate
4 commands
Aliases: Shared Image Gallery
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AI and Machine Learning
premium
Machine Learning compute instance
A Machine Learning compute instance is a managed cloud workstation inside Azure Machine Learning for notebooks, development, testing, and lightweight training. It gives one owner an integrated environment connected to the workspace, while administrators manage access, networking, schedules, and cost controls.
Machine learning
intermediate
4 commands
Aliases: Azure ML compute instance, ML compute instance
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AI and Machine Learning
premium
ML compute cluster
ML compute cluster is a managed Azure Machine Learning compute target that scales virtual machine nodes for jobs, pipelines, and batch inference workloads. Teams should manage it with clear ownership, monitoring, rollback evidence, and production change discipline.
Azure Machine Learning
intermediate
4 commands
Aliases: AML compute cluster, AmlCompute, Azure ML compute cluster, managed ML cluster
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AI and Machine Learning
premium
ML compute instance
ML compute instance is a managed Azure Machine Learning development workstation used for notebooks, experimentation, debugging, and interactive data science work. Teams should manage it with clear ownership, monitoring, rollback evidence, and production change discipline.
Azure Machine Learning
intermediate
4 commands
Aliases: AML compute instance, Azure ML compute instance, ML development VM, cloud workstation
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Databases
premium
MySQL burstable compute
MySQL burstable compute means a low-cost MySQL Flexible Server compute tier for workloads with intermittent CPU demand and available burst credits. You see it when teams run development, test, demo, pilot, or seasonal databases that are idle often but occasionally spike. Think of it as cheap compute for uneven demand, not a production safety net for sustained load. It matters because the setting changes how teams design, secure, operate, and troubleshoot the workload. Before changing it in production, know the owner, dependency, evidence, expected result, and rollback path.
MySQL flexible server
fundamentals
4 commands
Aliases: No aliases yet
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Databases
premium
MySQL business critical compute
MySQL business critical compute means a higher-performance MySQL Flexible Server compute choice for sustained production workloads that need stronger capacity and headroom. You see it when teams support payment, commerce, SaaS, analytics, or other databases with predictable high concurrency and business deadlines. Think of it as premium database capacity selected from measured demand, not from fear or guesswork. It matters because the setting changes how teams design, secure, operate, and troubleshoot the workload. Before changing it in production, know the owner, dependency, evidence, expected result, and rollback path.
MySQL flexible server
fundamentals
4 commands
Aliases: No aliases yet
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Databases
premium
MySQL general purpose compute
MySQL general purpose compute means the balanced MySQL Flexible Server compute tier for steady production workloads that need predictable capacity without premium cost. You see it when teams run customer applications, internal services, reporting databases, and line-of-business systems with regular demand. Think of it as balanced production capacity that should be sized from metrics. It matters because the setting changes how teams design, secure, operate, and troubleshoot the workload. Before changing it in production, know the owner, dependency, evidence, expected result, and rollback path.
Azure Database for MySQL
fundamentals
4 commands
Aliases: No aliases yet
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Databases
premium
MySQL server compute tier
MySQL server compute tier means the capacity family that determines the compute and memory shape for an Azure Database for MySQL server. You see it when teams size production databases, development systems, migrations, reporting workloads, and seasonal applications. Think of it as a capacity and cost decision that should match measured workload demand. It matters because the setting changes how teams design, secure, operate, and troubleshoot the workload. Before changing it in production, know the owner, dependency, evidence, expected result, and rollback path.
Azure Database for MySQL
fundamentals
4 commands
Aliases: No aliases yet
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AI and Machine Learning
premium
Compute cluster
a managed Azure Machine Learning pool of CPU or GPU nodes that runs training, batch inference, and other jobs for a workspace
Machine learning
Intermediate
3 commands
Aliases: No aliases yet
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AI and Machine Learning
premium
Compute instance
a managed Azure Machine Learning cloud workstation used by one data scientist or engineer for notebooks, experimentation, development, and lightweight testing
Azure Machine Learning
Beginner
3 commands
Aliases: No aliases yet
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Databases
field-manual-complete
PostgreSQL memory optimized compute
PostgreSQL Memory Optimized compute is the tier you choose when the database needs more memory per CPU than a normal balanced server provides. It is often used for busy transactional systems, analytical queries, large working sets, connection-heavy applications, and workloads where caching more data in memory reduces disk pressure. It is not a magic performance switch. Teams still need good indexing, query design, storage sizing, and monitoring. The tier costs more than smaller options, so it should be chosen because evidence shows memory is the limiting factor.
PostgreSQL flexible server
fundamentals
5 commands
Aliases: Memory Optimized PostgreSQL, PostgreSQL memory optimized tier, E-series PostgreSQL compute
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Databases
field-manual-complete
PostgreSQL server compute tier
A PostgreSQL server compute tier is the performance-and-cost lane you choose for an Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server. Burstable is for small or variable workloads, General Purpose is the common production middle ground, and Memory Optimized is for workloads that need more memory per vCore. The tier is not just a label. It affects how much CPU and memory the database can use, whether high availability is available, how...
PostgreSQL flexible server
fundamentals
5 commands
Aliases: No aliases yet
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Analytics
learning-path-anchor
Synapse Spark pool
A Synapse Spark pool is the workspace compute definition Azure Synapse uses to start Apache Spark sessions. It records node size, node count, autoscale behavior, runtime version, packages, and idle timeout so notebooks, Spark jobs, and pipelines get repeatable distributed processing.
Synapse Analytics
fundamentals
8 commands
Aliases: Apache Spark pool, Spark pool, Synapse Apache Spark pool, serverless Spark pool
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Analytics
learning-path-anchor
Synapse SQL on-demand
Synapse SQL on-demand is the serverless SQL pool model in Azure Synapse Analytics. It lets teams run T-SQL queries over data in the lake without provisioning dedicated warehouse capacity, storing only metadata objects while using external data sources, views, functions, and security objects.
Synapse Analytics
fundamentals
6 commands
Aliases: SQL on-demand, Synapse serverless SQL, serverless SQL in Synapse, built-in serverless SQL pool
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Analytics
learning-path-anchor
Databricks SQL warehouse
A Databricks SQL compute resource for interactive queries, dashboards, BI tools, and governed analytics workloads.
Databricks
intermediate
4 commands
Aliases: SQL warehouse, Databricks SQL compute, serverless SQL warehouse
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Analytics
premium
Synapse SQL
Synapse SQL is the T-SQL analytics capability in Azure Synapse Analytics. It includes dedicated SQL pools for provisioned warehousing and serverless SQL pools for on-demand lake queries, letting teams analyze structured and semi-structured data through familiar SQL endpoints inside a Synapse workspace.
Synapse Analytics
intermediate
7 commands
Aliases: Synapse SQL engine, Azure Synapse SQL, Synapse serverless and dedicated SQL, SQL analytics in Synapse
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Databases
premium
DTU model
The DTU model is an Azure SQL Database purchasing model that bundles compute, memory, and I/O into service tiers and service objectives such as Basic, Standard, and Premium.
Azure SQL
fundamentals
6 commands
Aliases: DTU purchasing model, Azure SQL DTU model
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Web
premium
Functions Premium plan
Functions Premium plan is a hosting plan for Azure Functions that keeps capacity ready while still supporting event-driven scaling for serverless workloads. Teams use it to reduce cold starts, run longer or heavier functions, use VNet integration, and control minimum and maximum capacity more deliberately than Consumption hosting. In daily Azure work, it appears when engineers stabilize latency-sensitive APIs, connect functions to private dependencies, prepare for event spikes, or replace overprovisioned dedicated App Service capacity. It is not a free tier, a guarantee that code is efficient, unlimited scale, or a substitute for trigger tuning and dependency performance testing.
Azure Functions hosting
advanced
6 commands
Aliases: Elastic Premium plan, Azure Functions Premium, EP plan
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Databases
premium
Azure SQL Database
Azure SQL Database is a fully managed relational database service in Azure that provides SQL Server-compatible engines as single databases, elastic pools, and serverless or provisioned compute choices. Microsoft Learn presents it as platform as a service with built-in availability, backups, patching, scaling, and security integration.
Database
intermediate
5 commands
Aliases: Azure SQL DB, Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL pooled database, Azure SQL single database, SQL Database
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Compute
premium
Durable Functions
Microsoft Learn describes Durable Functions as an Azure Functions extension for building stateful workflows in a serverless environment. Developers write orchestrator, activity, and entity functions while the runtime manages checkpoints, state, retries, timers, recovery, and long-running operations across restarts and long delays.
Serverless workflows
intermediate
5 commands
Aliases: Azure Durable Functions, Durable orchestration, Durable workflow
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Compute
premium
Input binding
Input binding controls how serverless code receives external data without hand-writing every service connection, query, or blob read inside the function body. Teams see it in function.json files, code attributes. It is not a trigger, output binding, SDK call, API route, or dependency injected service; confusing them can create missing input data, secret exposure in settings. Use the term when reviewing access, monitoring, cost, recovery, or performance. It keeps architects, operators, security reviewers, and support teams focused on the same setting, resource, or behavior.
Azure Functions
Fundamentals
5 commands
Aliases: Azure Functions input binding, function input binding, binding input, declarative input binding
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Analytics
learning-path-anchor
Synapse SQL CETAS
Synapse SQL CETAS means CREATE EXTERNAL TABLE AS SELECT. It creates external table metadata and exports the result of a T-SQL SELECT statement in parallel to files in Azure Storage or Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 for later SQL or lake consumption.
Synapse Analytics
fundamentals
6 commands
Aliases: CREATE EXTERNAL TABLE AS SELECT, CETAS, Synapse CETAS, serverless SQL CETAS
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Analytics
learning-path-anchor
Synapse SQL external table
A Synapse SQL external table is database metadata that lets Synapse SQL query files stored outside the database, usually in Azure Storage or ADLS Gen2. It references an external data source, file format, and file location for governed SQL analytics.
Synapse Analytics
fundamentals
6 commands
Aliases: external table in Synapse, Synapse external table, SQL external table, external table over lake files
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Analytics
learning-path-anchor
Synapse Studio
Synapse Studio is the browser-based workspace experience for Azure Synapse Analytics. It exposes hubs for data, development, integration, monitoring, and management, letting users author notebooks and SQL scripts, build pipelines, configure connections, review access, and work with Git-backed or live artifacts.
Synapse Analytics
fundamentals
6 commands
Aliases: Azure Synapse Studio, Synapse web workspace, Synapse workspace UI, Synapse authoring experience
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Analytics
premium
Dedicated SQL pool pause
Dedicated SQL pool pause stops compute resources for an Azure Synapse dedicated SQL pool so compute charges stop while the database storage remains available and billable.
Analytics platform
intermediate
4 commands
Aliases: pause dedicated SQL pool, Synapse SQL pool pause, pause SQL DW compute
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Analytics
premium
Dedicated SQL pool resume
Dedicated SQL pool resume restarts compute for a paused Azure Synapse dedicated SQL pool so users and workloads can query the warehouse again and compute billing resumes.
Analytics platform
intermediate
4 commands
Aliases: resume dedicated SQL pool, Synapse SQL pool resume, start SQL DW compute
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Compute
premium
Durable orchestration
A durable orchestration coordinates a reliable long-running workflow by using an orchestrator function that schedules activities, checkpoints progress, and resumes after interruptions.
Serverless workflows
intermediate
4 commands
Aliases: durable orchestrator, orchestration instance
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Databases
premium
Elastic pool
An elastic pool in Azure SQL Database lets multiple databases on the same logical server share a set amount of compute and storage resources at a predictable price.
Azure SQL
fundamentals
4 commands
Aliases: Azure SQL elastic pool, SQL elastic pool
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Compute
premium
Entity function
An entity function is a Durable Functions function that defines operations for reading and updating small pieces of durable state called durable entities.
Azure Functions / Durable Functions
intermediate
4 commands
Aliases: entity function
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Analytics
learning-path-anchor
Synapse SQL script
A Synapse SQL script is a saved T-SQL authoring artifact in Synapse Studio. Users create or import scripts in the Develop hub, connect them to a dedicated or serverless SQL pool, run queries, review tabular results, export output, and organize scripts into folders.
Synapse Analytics
fundamentals
5 commands
Aliases: SQL script in Synapse, Synapse Studio SQL script, T-SQL script artifact, Synapse query script
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Management and Governance
learning-path-anchor
Template expression
A template expression computes values during ARM template deployment.
ARM deployments
fundamentals
5 commands
Aliases: Template expression, template expression, Azure Template expression, ARM Template expression, ARM expressions, deployment expressions
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Web
premium
Cold start
A slower first request after an app starts, restarts, scales, or wakes from idle.
App Service
intermediate
3 commands
Aliases: No aliases yet
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Web
premium
Consumption plan
the serverless Azure Functions hosting option that scales instances automatically and charges based on executions and resources used while functions run
Azure Functions
intermediate
3 commands
Aliases: No aliases yet
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Containers
premium
Container Instances
Azure serverless container compute for running container groups without managing virtual machines or a full orchestrator
Serverless containers
fundamentals
3 commands
Aliases: ACI
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