All components of Windows Azure Pack and system center uses SQL Server database to store its configuration, run time data, historical usage data etc. Failure of the database is directly proportional to the failure of respective components.
In a bare minimum deployment, this SQL Server for management databases shall be used by the following components:
Windows Azure Pack components
SCVMM
SPF
SMA
While choosing the database version a deployment model, supportability and compatibility has to be aligned with respect to each of the components mentioned previously.
Windows Azure Pack supports the following MS SQL Server versions for managing databases:
MS SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 3
MS SQL Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 2
MS SQL Server 2012 Service Pack 1
MS SQL Server 2012 Service Pack 2
MS SQL Server 2014
System Center 2012 R2 has different SQL Server version support differentiating upon components...