SQL Server IaaS agent extension
Unlike the "Full" or "No Agent" options, the SQL Server IaaS agent extension offers you the ability to have a service agent to manage jobs on the VM, but without a requirement for SQL Server and must be granted sa privileges to enable.
Although more SQL Server database administrators are building out PowerShell/ shell scripts to address management tasks, the robust and capable agent was clearly an important feature to have. With the lightweight extension version, which requires no reboot or privilege requirements for the risk-averse, the agent can perform the following:
- Automatic SQL backups
- Automatic SQL patching
- Azure Key Vault integration
Installing the extension for lightweight mode in SQL Server 2019 on an Azure VM can be performed via PowerShell. The first step is to set the variable for the VM host name:
$vm = Get-AzVM -Name <vm_name> -ResourceGroupName <resource_group_name>
Once...