Let’s face it: All the cool kids are playing in the cloud. And why wouldn’t they be? Microsoft Azure gets new features every week… sometimes every day! One shiny feature is Azure Data Factory Integration Runtime (ADFIR) which is new in Azure Data Factory version 2. In this post I will show you one way to create the Integration Runtime.

Connect to Azure and Create a SQL DB

First, connect to the Azure Portal. Click the “Create a resource” link and add a new SQL DB and server. I like to create a new resource group as well because a resource group allows me to group together a bunch of related resources. It’s also easier to tear down once I’m done. (Who wants to pay extra for leaving things running after you’re done tinkering? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?)

Create an Azure Data Factory

Next, click the “Add a resource” link, select Integration from the topics on the left, and then click Data Factory to create an Azure Data Factory:

Walk through the configuration steps, selecting unique names where required. I tend to choose “lesser” options when they are presented. Again, I do not wish to pay for resources unless and until I need them.

Once your Azure Data Factory is configured you can browse to the Author & Monitor site: