Azure VM Image Builder vs. PowerShell vs. SQL vs. SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines Comparison Chart

PowerShell is a cross-platform task automation and configuration management framework, consisting of a command-line shell and scripting language. Unlike most shells, which accept and return text, PowerShell is built on top of the .NET Common Language Runtime (CLR), and accepts and returns .NET objects. This fundamental change brings entirely new tools and methods for automation. Unlike traditional command-line interfaces, PowerShell cmdlets are designed to deal with objects. An object is structured information that is more than just the string of characters appearing on the screen. Command output always carries extra information that you can use if you need it. If you've used text-processing tools to process data in the past, you'll find that they behave differently when used in PowerShell. In most cases, you don't need text-processing tools to extract specific information. You directly access portions of the data using standard PowerShell object syntax.

Migrate your SQL Server workloads to the cloud to get the performance and security of SQL Server combined with the flexibility and hybrid connectivity of Azure. Lower your total cost of ownership (TCO)1 and get free, built-in security and automated management when you register your virtual machines (VMs) with the SQL Server IaaS Agent extension at no extra cost. Save time with seamless post-deployment conversions—there's no need for production redeployment. Lower your ongoing operational costs with automatic image maintenance, updates, and patches. Simple, familiar SQL Server for versatile virtual machines.