I am investigating Azure for a potential project, and one of its aspects is visualizing data captured and stored in Windows Azure Sql Databases.

"Visualization" is a quality that is mentioned in several articles that and I've read and searches that I have made, but I cannot find any good guidance on how to exactly do this.

Here is an article that mentions Hadoop and Storm via HDInsight:http://www.informationweek.com/big-data/big-data-analytics/microsoft-brings-storm-stream-analysis-to-hadoop/d/d-id/1316686

It features this image: http://www.informationweek.com/big-data/big-data-analytics/microsoft-brings-storm-stream-analysis-to-hadoop/d/d-id/1316686?image_number=1

As you can see, there is a "presentation and action" component (far right). It suggests Excel -- which makes the most sense at this point -- and custom dashboards, etc.

Before suggesting Excel (the "best" answer at this point based on my efforts), I wanted to pose the question here to see if there is something better/obvious that I am overlooking.

Hi Michael,

Based on my research, to visualize data in Windows SQL Azure database, the common way is using SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS). For more details, please review this blog: How to connect to SQL Azure using SQL Server Reporting Services 2008 R2.

Another method is to use SQL Azure Reporting. Like SSRS, SQL Azure Reporting delivers operational reports -- based on Microsofts report definition language (RDL) -- along with a variety of rich formatting and data visualization options.

With SQL Azure Reporting, users can view them through Web browsers, on-premises applications and applications in the Windows Azure cloud. For more details, please review this article: Take BI up a notch with SQL Azure Reporting.


Thanks,
Lydia Zhang

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Thank you Lydia for your answer.

FYI/FWIW, Sql Azure Reporting has been discontinued:

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/azure/dn528853.aspx

So it appears the answer is to use Excel or connect to the Azure Sql data source via SSRS.

Thank you!

• Marked as answer by Michael-DragonSpark Wednesday, February 11, 2015 9:56 AM

Thank you Lydia for your answer.

FYI/FWIW, Sql Azure Reporting has been discontinued:

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/azure/dn528853.aspx

So it appears the answer is to use Excel or connect to the Azure Sql data source via SSRS.

Thank you!

• Marked as answer by Michael-DragonSpark Wednesday, February 11, 2015 9:56 AM

Thank you Lydia for your answer.

FYI/FWIW, Sql Azure Reporting has been discontinued:

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/azure/dn528853.aspx

So it appears the answer is to use Excel or connect to the Azure Sql data source via SSRS.

Thank you!

• Marked as answer by Michael-DragonSpark Wednesday, February 11, 2015 9:56 AM

Thank you Lydia for your answer.

FYI/FWIW, Sql Azure Reporting has been discontinued:

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/azure/dn528853.aspx

So it appears the answer is to use Excel or connect to the Azure Sql data source via SSRS.

Thank you!

• Marked as answer by Michael-DragonSpark Wednesday, February 11, 2015 9:56 AM