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Greetings, fellow data enthusiasts, and welcome back to SQLSupport.org. I am the Data Whisperer, and today I am excited to share my first impressions of Azure SQL Database. As many of you are already aware, Azure SQL Database is a cloud-based relational database service from Microsoft. It is built on SQL Server technology and provides high performance, scalable, and reliable database solutions.

Azure SQL Database introduces a new approach to database management, combining the best of SQL Server with the flexibility and cost-effectiveness of cloud computing. Unlike traditional on-premises databases such as SQL Server 2012 and SQL Server 2014, or even other database management systems like MySQL 5.6 and DB2 10.5, Azure SQL Database allows you to scale your database on demand, eliminating the need for upfront hardware investments and reducing maintenance overhead.

Getting started with Azure SQL Database is straightforward. You can quickly create a new database and start writing and executing T-SQL queries in the Azure portal. Here's a simple example of creating a new table in Azure SQL Database:

CREATE TABLE Employees
 ( 
 EmployeeID int NOT NULL, 
 LastName varchar(255) NOT NULL, 
 FirstName varchar(255), 
 Address varchar(255), 
 City varchar(255)
 );

One of the key features of Azure SQL Database that differentiates it from SQL Server is its built-in intelligence. It uses machine learning and AI to automatically tune and improve performance, which is not something you get with traditional databases like MySQL 5.6 or DB2 10.5. This feature is a game changer as it can save hours of manual tuning and troubleshooting.

Another noteworthy feature of Azure SQL Database is its high availability capabilities. Azure SQL Database has a built-in automatic backup system and point-in-time restore for up to 35 days. This means you can restore your database to any point within the last 35 days, which is a feature not natively supported in SQL Server 2012 or SQL Server 2014.

In terms of security, Azure SQL Database doesn't disappoint. It comes with built-in security measures such as firewall rules, always-on encryption, and advanced threat detection. This is a far cry from traditional database systems like MySQL 5.6 or DB2 10.5 where implementing such security measures requires significant manual effort.

In conclusion, my first impressions of Azure SQL Database are overwhelmingly positive. It offers an impressive blend of performance, scalability, and security features that make it stand out from traditional on-premises databases like SQL Server 2012 and 2014, as well as other DBMS like MySQL 5.6 and DB2 10.5. I am excited to explore more of Azure SQL Database's capabilities in the future and share my findings with you.

Until then, keep crunching those numbers, and remember that the data never lies, it only reveals the truth. This is the Data Whisperer, signing off.