How to get a sandbox to create Azure SQL resources?

Question

Sorry if this is the wrong forum/sub-forum...

I'm a MS SQL DBA just learning Azure SQL. I want to have an unrestricted sandbox where I have permissions to create VM's, managed instances, virtual networks, NSG's, etc. My organization has a Azure subscription for dev where my DBA team has been given a resource group. I seem to have limited permissions on what I can create in our resource group. I don't think I can create an Azure SQL VM for example.

Should I simply create a free account to use as my sandbox? Are free accounts limited in terms of the types of compute and storage resources that I can provision? Are the resources I create in a free account persistent?

If I ask my organization's Azure Architect to carve out a sandbox, what should I ask for? Can permissions be constrained to a resource group? To a vnet? I don't know exactly what to request aside from what I mentioned here. Thanks.

Answer 1

If you are just starting out with Azure SQL I would recommend starting with the Microsoft Learn material as the content is really well written and you can learn a lot from reading the modules. Then the labs give you a good structure for things to practice. Once you feel comfortable navigating the portal and powershell/cli, then you can start playing around in your own subscription. That would be my advice.

Answer 2

You can use the free account, you may use all the Azure services with it. Free account sign up requires credit card details just for authentication. You get some free credit amount in Azure to use and if the Azure services that you have created have used up all credits, account gets disabled.

I have used Sandbox while studying on MS Learn. But it doesn't have access to all the services. It's too limited. You can try this first though.

Exercise - Create your Azure SQL database

Answer 3

Here are the options I have used:

"My own free trial " using personal credit cards - this allows you freedom to do certain things that your organizations subscription will not. Creating service principles or accounts for example.

using MS Learn + cloud shell snippets

using Visual studio license option that gives you 50 or 100$ per month and fredom to create and destroy resources in your VSS subscription. You still will not be able to do certain things like setup AAD but will be good for DBA training and testing.

Ask your org to create a dev/test VM stand box that shuts down on schedule and or grants you shutdown/startup rights to the VM/PASS Service so you don't spend money when not using.

Also, do not copy your org's data in any of your play areas. always use dummy or public data.

Answer 4

Thank you. That's what I thought. I will also try to get our Azure Architect to carve out some sandbox in our dev cloud.