To take a copy of an Azure cloud-hosted SQL Database, you can use the built-in database copy functionality provided by Azure. Follow these steps:
Sign in to the Azure portal at https://portal.azure.com.
Navigate to the Azure SQL Database resource you want to copy.
In the left-hand menu, under the "Settings" section, click on "Databases".
Select the database you want to copy from the list of databases.
In the top menu, click on "Export".
In the "Export database" blade, configure the following settings:
- Storage account: Select an existing Azure Storage account or create a new one.
- Container: Select or create a new container within the storage account to store the exported database.
- Authentication type: Choose the authentication method for accessing the storage account.
- Export settings: Choose the appropriate export settings, such as the export method, export format (BACPAC or DACPAC), and export name.
Click on the "OK" button to start the export process. This will create a copy of the SQL Database and store it in the specified storage account.
Once the export process is complete, you can use the exported copy to create a new SQL Database or restore it to an existing database server if needed.
Note that exporting a SQL Database can take some time, depending on the size of the database. You can monitor the progress of the export job by navigating to the storage account and container where the export was saved.
Additionally, you can also use Azure PowerShell or Azure CLI to create a copy of the database programmatically if you prefer automation and scripting.