⚡ Serverless SQL Pools¶

Query data in your Azure Data Lake without provisioning or managing infrastructure. Pay only for the data processed by your queries.

🌟 Overview¶

Serverless SQL Pools provide an on-demand query execution service for data in Azure Data Lake Storage. No infrastructure to manage, automatic scaling, and T-SQL support for querying files directly.

🔥 Key Benefits¶

Zero Infrastructure Management: No servers to provision or manage
Pay-per-Query Pricing: Billed only for data processed (per TB)
T-SQL Compatibility: Familiar SQL syntax for data lake queries
Automatic Scaling: Scales automatically based on workload
Multi-Format Support: Query Parquet, CSV, JSON, and Delta Lake files
Instant Access: No cold start delays

🚀 Quick Start¶

Query CSV Files¶

-- Query CSV files with automatic schema inference
SELECT TOP 100 *
FROM OPENROWSET(
    BULK 'https://mystorageaccount.dfs.core.windows.net/data/sales/2024/*.csv',
    FORMAT = 'CSV',
    PARSER_VERSION = '2.0',
    HEADER_ROW = TRUE,
    FIRSTROW = 2
) AS sales_data
WHERE TotalAmount > 1000;

Query Parquet Files¶

-- Query Parquet files (most efficient format)
SELECT
    ProductCategory,
    COUNT(*) as OrderCount,
    SUM(OrderAmount) as TotalRevenue,
    AVG(OrderAmount) as AvgOrderValue
FROM OPENROWSET(
    BULK 'https://mystorageaccount.dfs.core.windows.net/data/orders/**/*.parquet',
    FORMAT = 'PARQUET'
) AS orders
GROUP BY ProductCategory
ORDER BY TotalRevenue DESC;

📊 Working with External Tables¶

Create External Data Source¶

CREATE DATABASE SalesAnalytics;
GO

USE SalesAnalytics;
GO

CREATE MASTER KEY ENCRYPTION BY PASSWORD = 'YourStrongPassword123!';
GO

CREATE DATABASE SCOPED CREDENTIAL DataLakeCredential
WITH IDENTITY = 'Managed Identity';
GO

CREATE EXTERNAL DATA SOURCE SalesDataLake
WITH (
    LOCATION = 'https://mystorageaccount.dfs.core.windows.net/sales',
    CREDENTIAL = DataLakeCredential
);
GO

Last Updated: 2025-01-28 Service Version: General Availability Documentation Status: Complete