2 mins to read Azure Cosmos DB is a globally distributed, multi-model database service offered by Microsoft Azure. It is designed to handle large-scale, high-performance NoSQL data storage and is suitable for a wide range of applications, from web and mobile apps to IoT and gaming. Here’s a step-by-step guide to get started with Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL databases:
Step 1: Sign Up for Azure
- Create an Azure Account: If you don’t have an Azure account, sign up for one at Azure Portal. You may need to provide credit card information, but Azure often offers free credits to new users.
Step 2: Create an Azure Cosmos DB Account
- Create a Cosmos DB Account: Once you’re logged in to the Azure Portal, follow these steps to create a new Cosmos DB account:
- Click on “Create a resource.”
- Search for “Azure Cosmos DB” in the marketplace.
- Click “Create.”
- Fill in the required information, such as the subscription, resource group, and unique account name.
- Choose the API (e.g., SQL, MongoDB, Cassandra, etc.) based on your application’s needs.
- Configure the desired consistency level, location, and other settings.
- Click “Review + Create” and then “Create” to create the Cosmos DB account.
Step 3: Create a Database and Collection
- Create a Database and Collection: Once your Cosmos DB account is created, follow these steps to create a database and collection:
- Go to your Cosmos DB account in the Azure Portal.
- Click on “Data Explorer” in the left menu.
- Click “New Database” and specify a unique database ID.
- Inside the database, click “New Collection” to create a collection (similar to a table in relational databases).
- Configure the collection’s settings, such as partition key, throughput, and indexing policies.
Step 4: Connect to Cosmos DB
- Connect to Cosmos DB: To interact with your Cosmos DB instance, you can use various SDKs and tools, depending on the API you chose (e.g., Azure Cosmos DB SQL API, MongoDB API, Cassandra API). Here’s a general outline of how to connect:
- Install the appropriate SDK for your programming language (e.g., .NET, Java, Python, Node.js).
- Retrieve the connection string or authentication keys from the Azure Portal.
- Use the SDK to establish a connection to your Cosmos DB account.
Step 5: Create and Query Data
- Create and Query Data: You can now start creating and querying data within your Cosmos DB collection