Overview of Azure SQL Managed Instance, a PaaS database management offering.

Azure SQL Managed Instance is a Platform as a Service (PaaS) database management offering, based on SQL Server’s database engine, that closely resembles a traditional on-premises SQL Server instance. Managed Instance is part of the Azure SQL brand of services that includes other Azure cloud services based on SQL Server roles and components, such as Azure SQL Database, Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure SQL Edge, and Azure SQL VMs.

Managed Instance is designed for organizations seeking a hosted database management platform that closely mimics an on-premises SQL Server instance. Managed Instance was originally included in the SQL Database offering but was separated out in 2020 as Managed Instance continues to receive unique features that are not available in SQL Database, which remains focused on providing a service for single database deployments.

Both services maintain compatibility in the underlying database engine; provide quick deployment, scalability, and global reach; and offer many of the most common database management features and APIs available from its on-premises parent. The services include high-availability and replication features that provide globally distributed data sharing and disaster recovery and integrate with Azure Active Directory for access control. Microsoft manages and updates the underlying infrastructure, including servers, OSs, and SQL Server software, which removes most of the overhead associated with installation and maintenance of the host OSs and server applications. The services can be deployed and managed using the same tools as on-premises deployments of SQL Server, and they support the T-SQL query language and popular development tools, so organizations can leverage existing developer expertise.