PHP Driver for Azure SQL Server

Question

Hello dear colleagues,

I am new in using Microsoft Azure. I tried recently to implement a web app in php with a connection to an Azure SQL Server DB. While my queries perform perfectly via the SSMS, the same does not happen when running through the web app (the delay exceeds two minutes!).  I have tried both sqlsrv driver and azure sql server driver with no difference. 

Thanks for the help

Answer 1

Hello,

The recommended driver is the following:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=20098

Documentation about how to start using the driver:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/connect/php/microsoft-php-driver-for-sql-server

In terms of performance, please read the following resource:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/connect/php/direct-statement-execution-prepared-statement-execution-pdo-sqlsrv-driver

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Alberto Morillo
SQLCoffee.com

Answer 2

Hi Alberto and thanks for your reply,

Firstly: do I assume correctly the recommended driver is pre-installed in Azure?

Second: Bare in mind my web app is Joomla as installed from within Azure Marketplace. Joomla is using its wrapper on PDO for connecting to SQL Server DB.

What I can configure is this :

public static function getDBXXX() {
$option = array(); 
$option['driver']   = 'sqlsrv'; 
$option['host']     =  'xxxxxx.database.windows.net,1433';    
$option['user']     = 'yyyyyyy';       
$option['password'] =  'PASSWORD';   
$option['database'] = 'database';      
$option['prefix']   = 's_';      
return JDatabase::getInstance( $option );
  }

Answer 3

Hello,

Could you please verify that all is hosted in the same region? Putting all in the same region should provide better performance.

The following articles may help you troubleshoot performance issues with Joomla.

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/waws/2014/04/04/troubleshooting-php-performance-in-microsoft-azure-web-sites-with-xdebug/

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/silverlining/2012/05/14/real-world-windows-azure-optimizing-php-applications-for-the-cloud/

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Alberto Morillo
SQLCoffee.com

Answer 4

During the deployment process of Joomla I have chosen a datacenter in the U.S. to interconnect with an Azure SQL Server DB in West Europe. This was causing a serious latency.

Thanks a lot Alberto