Azure Tables, SQL Azure, or something else?

Question

I am creating a game that will use Azure to store the back-end data.  The game will be playable from Windows PCs, Windows Phone 8, and eventually iOS and Android devices.  

I want to be able to use a similar code base for storing and retrieving data from all devices regardless of platform.

Since I am very familiar with Microsoft SQL, I am tempted to use SQL Azure.  However, it is unclear if the non-Windows platforms will have SDKs that will allow me to use SQL Azure. 

So, can I use SQL Azure for my data or should I be using another Azure storage technology?

Thanks!

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Robert Madsen Studio Director, SynapticSwitch, LLC http://SynapticSwitch.com

Answer 1

I think decision between using SQL Azure and Windows Azure Table Storage would depend on the kind of data you will be storing and your requirements for data retrieval. If you need to maintain relational capabilities in your data, indexing on multiple columns etc., then SQL Azure would be a much better bet as Windows Azure Table Storage does not support it out of the box (It is a NoSQL Key-Value pair database). However if you need to store massive amounts of data (TBs of data), Azure Table Storage would be a better choice.

You may find this link useful: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/gg309178.aspx

Answer 2

The game will be playable from Windows PCs, Windows Phone 8, and eventually iOS and Android devices.  

I want to be able to use a similar code base for storing and retrieving data from all devices regardless of platform.

Hello Robert,

Windows PC is the only OS with which you can connect directly to SQL Azure/Windows Azure, for all other OS (incl Windows Phone) you have to create web services to access the data; but then the code to access the web services will we very similar on the OS.

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Answer 3

What I feel is, if you are working on a device independent products you should design them as service based components.

You code WCF services to save, retieve data and that will ensure the communication on cross paltform. WCF any ways knows how to connect to sql server and you service is built on open standards and compatible with standard and portable devices.

Your devices would just have UI and the required data would be coming from services and the service must be built in interoperable way. WCF supports it.

Hope it helps

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Answer 4

First, model how you need to access the information. Let that and your scale targets determine which data storage model fits your needs best.

As for which clients can connect to the store.... Keep in mind that all data storage requests should flow through an abstraction layer that authenticates the individual client. I you have a mobile device connect directly to any data store, this requires putting the credentials into the client. Which means someone can get them back out and then directly access the data store. You can't let this happen. So all requests from the mobile device need to go to a service that autenticates the request, then performs the database opeation.

Answer 5

Thanks everyone for your replies.  They have been very helpful. R

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Robert Madsen Studio Director, SynapticSwitch, LLC http://SynapticSwitch.com