Azure SQL Server Stretch Database was a feature introduced in SQL Server 2016 that allowed organizations to dynamically extend their on-premises databases to Azure, enabling seamless access to both hot and cold data without significant changes to existing applications. This capability provided virtually unlimited storage and compute capacity, facilitating efficient management of large datasets. Key Features and Functionality: - Dynamic Data Stretching: Automatically migrate cold or infrequently accessed data from on-premises SQL Server databases to Azure, while keeping hot data on-premises for optimal performance. - Transparent Query Processing: Execute queries across both on-premises and Azure-stored data without modifying existing applications, as the process is transparent to users. - Integrated Security: Utilize Always Encrypted technology to ensure that sensitive data is encrypted before being transferred to Azure, with encryption keys remaining on-premises. - Scalability: Leverage Azure's scalable storage and compute resources to manage growing data volumes without the need for significant infrastructure investments. Primary Value and User Solutions: Azure SQL Server Stretch Database addressed the challenges of managing large and growing datasets by providing a cost-effective solution for archiving cold data without compromising accessibility. It enabled organizations to maintain compliance with data retention policies and regulatory requirements by keeping data online and readily available. By offloading cold data to Azure, businesses could optimize on-premises storage and compute resources, leading to improved performance and reduced maintenance costs. However, it's important to note that Microsoft announced the deprecation of the SQL Server Stretch Database feature in SQL Server 2022, with the supporting Azure service retired as of July 9, 2024. Organizations are advised to explore alternative solutions for managing cold data, such as utilizing the CREATE EXTERNAL TABLE AS SELECT (CETaS) feature in SQL Server 2022, which allows archiving data to Azure Storage in Parquet format for cost-effective storage and analytics.