Microsoft added the option of using the Azure Backup service to provide recovery support for SQL Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 R2 when those workloads are hosted on Azure virtual machines.

The only way to get extended support for 2008 versions of Windows and SQL Server is in the cloud. Here's why you should be thinking about 2012 migrations now as well.

Here's how to create both local and cloud-based backups with this 'surprisingly good' software, and why it’s a good idea, at least for Microsoft-heavy shops.

Joey on SQL Server Top Tips To Make SQL Server Run Faster on Azure VMs Storage and performance can be quite different in the cloud.

Learn More. Microsoft is changing the way customers are billed for Azure Backup, the company’s cloud-based data backup offering, in a move that can help lower the cost of protecting their data.