Azure ADO.NET Provider
 
ADO.NET
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Azure ADO.NET Provider

SQL-based Access to Azure Table through ADO.NET for your custom .NET applications and SSAS.

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The Azure Table ADO.NET Data Provider enables user to easily connect to Azure Table data from .NET applications. Rapidly create and deploy powerful .NET applications that integrate with live Azure Table Storage data!

ADO architecture

Azure Table .NET Connectivity Features

  • Connect to live Azure Table Storage data, for real-time data access with the Azure Table Storage ODBC Driver
  • Full support for data aggregation and complex JOINs in SQL queries
  • Secure connectivity through modern cryptography, including TLS 1.2, SHA-256, ECC, etc.
  • Seamless integration with leading BI, reporting, and ETL tools and with custom applications via the Azure Table Connector.

Target Service, API

The driver connects to Azure Table Storage service. Provides SQL interface to NoSQL table data.

Schema, Data Model

Models Azure tables with dynamic schema. Handles Azure Table's key-value structure.

Key Objects

Tables, Entities, and Partitions. Access to all Azure Table Storage data.

Operations

CRUD operations on entities. Efficient queries using partition and row keys. Batch operations.

Authentication

Azure Storage account key or SAS token authentication. Connection string format.

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SSAS Cube
SSAS Cube

Use Azure Table from SQL Server Analysis Service (SSAS) multi-dimensional cubes. Keep your analytical data modeling and access to any source including cloud and on-premises.

Custom .NET Application
Custom .NET Application

The Azure Table ADO.NET Provider allows developers to build applications that connect to Azure Table using familiar SQL and Entity Framework. Integrate Azure Table to your mission -critical applications or create easy side-by-side applications.

Reporting & BI
Low-Code Dev Platforms

You can connect from ADO.NET compliant low-code development tools:

Reporting & BI
Reporting Tools

You can connect Azure Table from .NET-based reporting and analytics tools:

Standard ADO.NET Access to AzureTable

The Azure ADO.NET Provider offers the most natural way to access Azure Table data from any .NET application. Simply use Azure Data Provider objects to connect and access data just as you would access any traditional database. You will be able to use the Azure Data Provider through Visual Studio Server Explorer, in code through familiar classes, and in data controls like DataGridView, GridView, DataSet, etc.

The CData ADO.NET Provider for Azure hides the complexity of accessing data and provides additional powerful security features, smart caching, batching, socket management, and more.

Working with DataAdapters, DataSets, DataTables, etc.

The Azure Data Provider has the same ADO.NET architecture as the native .NET data providers for SQL Server and OLEDB, including: AzureTableConnection, AzureTableCommand, AzureTableDataAdapter, AzureTableDataReader, AzureTableDataSource, AzureTableParameter, etc. Because of this you can now access Azure Table data in an easy, familiar way.

For example:

using (AzureTableConnection conn = new AzureTableConnection("...")) {
	string select = "SELECT * FROM Table";
	AzureTableCommand cmd = new AzureTableCommand(select, conn);
	AzureTableDataAdapter adapter = new AzureTableDataAdapter(cmd);
	using (adapter) {
		DataTable table = new DataTable();
		adapter.Fill(table);		
		...
	}
}

More Than Read-Only: Full Update/CRUD Support

Azure Data Provider goes beyond read-only functionality to deliver full support for Create, Read, Update, and Delete operations (CRUD). Your end-users can interact with the data presented by the Azure Data Provider as easily as interacting with a database table. 

using (AzureTableConnection connection = new AzureTableConnection(connectionString)) {
	AzureTableDataAdapter dataAdapter = new AzureTableDataAdapter(
	"SELECT Id, Where FROM Table", connection);
  
	dataAdapter.UpdateCommand = new AzureTableCommand(
		"UPDATE Table SET Where = @Where " +
		"WHERE Id = @ID", connection);

	dataAdapter.UpdateCommand.Parameters.AddWithValue("@Where", "Where");
	dataAdapter.UpdateCommand.Parameters.AddWithValue("@Id", "80000173-1387137645");

	DataTable TableTable = new DataTable();
	dataAdapter.Fill(TableTable);

	DataRow firstrow = TableTable.Rows[0];
	firstrow["Where"] = "New Location";

	dataAdapter.Update(TableTable);
}

ADO.NET Provider Performance

With traditional approaches to remote access, performance bottlenecks can spell disaster for applications. Regardless if an application is created for internal use, a commercial project, web, or mobile application, slow performance can rapidly lead to project failure. Accessing data from any remote source has the potential to create these problems. Common issues include:

  1. Network Connections - Slow network connections and latency issues are common in mobile applications.
  2. Service Delays - Delays due to service interruptions, resulting in server hardware or software updates.
  3. Large Data - Intentional or unintentional requests for large amounts of data.
  4. Disconnects - Complete loss of network connectivity.

The CData ADO.NET Provider for Azure solves these issues by supporting powerful smart caching technology that can greatly improve the performance and dramatically reduce application bottlenecks.

Smart Caching

Smart caching is a configurable option that works by storing queried data into a local database. Enabling smart caching creates a persistent local cache database that contains a replica of data retrieved from the remote source. The cache database is small, lightweight, blazing-fast, and it can be shared by multiple connections as persistent storage.

Caching with our ADO.NET Providers is highly configurable, including options for:

  • Auto Cache - Maintain an automatic local cache of data on all requests. The provider will automatically load data into the cache database each time you execute a SELECT query. Each row returned by the query will be inserted or updated as necessary into the corresponding table in the cache database.
  • Explicit Cache - Cache only on demand. Developers decide exactly what data gets stored in the cache and when it is updated. Explicit caching provides full control over the cache contents by using explicit execution of CACHE statements.
  • No Cache - All requests access only live data and no local cache file is created.

This powerful caching functionality increases application performance and allows applications to disconnect and continue limited functioning without writing code for additional local storage and/or data serialization/deserialization.

More information about ADO.NET Provider caching and best caching practices is available in the included help files.

Visual Studio Integration & Server Explorer

Working with the new Azure ADO.NET Provider is easy. As a fully-managed .NET Data Provider, the Azure Data Provider integrates seamlessly with the Visual Studio development environment as well as any .NET application.

As an ADO.NET Data Provider, Azure ADO.NET Provider can be used to access and explore Azure Table Storage data directly from the Visual Studio Server Explorer.

It's easy. As a standard ADO.NET adapter, developers can connect the Server Explorer to Azure ADO.NET Provider just like connecting to any standard database.

  • Add a new Data Connection from the Server Explorer and select the Azure Table Storage Data Source
  • Configure the basic connection properties to access your Azure Table Storage account data.

Explore all of the data available! Azure ADO.NET Provider makes it easy to access live Azure Table Storage data from Visual Studio.

  • After configuring the connection, explore the feeds, views, and services provided by the Azure Table Storage Data Source.
  • These constructs return live Azure Table Storage data that developers can work with directly from within Visual Studio!

Developer Integration: Databind to Azure Table

Connecting Web, Desktop, and Mobile .NET applications with Azure Table Storage is just like working with SQL Server. It is even possible to integrate Azure ADO.NET Provider into applications without writing code.

Developers are free to access the Azure ADO.NET Provider in whatever way they like best. Either visually through the Visual Studio Winforms or Webforms designers, or directly through code.

  • Developers can connect the Azure Table Storage Data Source directly to form components by configuring the object's smart tags.
  • Add a new Data Connection from the Server Explorer and select the Azure Table Storage Data Source. Then, select the feed, view, or services you would like to connect the object to.

Done! It's just like connecting to SQL Server.

  • Once the object is bound to the data source, applications can easily interact with Azure Table Storage data with full read/write (CRUD) support.

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