How to Connect DbGate to Azure SQL Database

Published: 2025-11-10

Managing cloud databases doesn’t have to be complicated. This guide walks you through creating a Microsoft SQL Server database on Azure and connecting it to DbGate – giving you a powerful, user-friendly admin interface for your Azure SQL databases.

Why DbGate for Azure SQL?

While Azure Portal provides basic database management, DbGate offers:

Intuitive data browsing with powerful filtering and search
Visual query designer – build queries without writing SQL
Database chat with AI – ask questions in natural language
Export/import tools supporting multiple formats (CSV, Excel, JSON)
SQL editor with autocomplete and syntax highlighting
Schema comparison and migration tools
Cross-platform support – works on Windows, Mac, and Linux

Part 1: Creating an Azure SQL Database

Navigate to portal.azure.com
Sign in with your Microsoft account
If you don’t have an Azure subscription, you can start with a free account

Step 2 - Create a New SQL Database

Find Azure SQL | SQL databases
Click “Create”

Step 3 - Configure Basic Settings

Fill in the following details:

Project Details:

Subscription: Select your Azure subscription
Resource Group: Create a new one or use an existing group (e.g., “dbgate-demo-rg”)

Database Details:

Database name: Choose a meaningful name (e.g., “myapp-db”)
Server: Click “Create new” if you don’t have an existing server

Step 4 - Configure SQL Server

When creating a new server, provide:

Server name: Must be globally unique (e.g., “myapp-sql-server-2025”)
Location: Choose the region closest to your users
Authentication method: Select “Use SQL authentication”
Server admin login: Create an admin username (e.g., “sqladmin”)
Password: Create a strong password and save it securely

Click “OK” to create the server.

Wait for the deployment to complete (typically 2-5 minutes). Press “Go to resource” once done, you will see the database overview page.

Step 5 - Configure Networking

If you need to connect your database from DbGate desktop app on your local machine, configure the following networking settings. If you plan to connect only from Azure services (and use DbGate for Azure), you can skip this step.

Click the “Configure access” button, the Networking settings will be shown, stay on “Public access” tab
Under Public network access, Choose “Selected networks”
Under “Firewall rules”:
- Set “Allow Azure services and resources to access this server” to “Yes”
- Set “Add current client IP address” to “Yes” (this allows your computer to connect)
If you’ll connect from multiple locations, you can add additional IP ranges later
Click “Save” to apply the firewall settings

Part 2 - connect from local machine

Step 1 - Install DbGate

If you haven’t already:

Visit dbgate.io/download
Download the appropriate version for your operating system
Install and launch DbGate

Step 2 - Create a New Connection

In DbGate: Click File/“New Connection” button
Select “Microsoft SQL Server” as the database engine

Now you should be able to connect from your local machine, eg. with DbGate. Server and user are displayed on the database overview page (“Server admin” and “Server name”). Password is the one you created earlier.

Part 3 - connect from DbGate on Azure

Step 1 - Create a new Virtual Machine

Navigate to Compute infrastructure | Virtual machines
Click “Create”
Choose Subscription and Resource Group
Choose appropriate Virtual machine image (e.g. dbgate-ubuntu-2204)
Choose Image - click “See all images” and search for “dbgate”, the choose DbGate (database manager). If you choose “Gen 1”, you need to use “Standard” security type.
Choose VM size - for testing, “Standard B1s” is sufficient, for production, choose appropriate size
You need to create or reuse SSH pair for connecting to DbGate server from SSH, create SSH key pair - you will use generated private key to connect from your local machine
Check your data and create the VM
If you have chosen creating new SSH key pair, download the private key and save it securely

Step 2 - Use DbGate and create connection to Azure SQL

Click “To to resource” once VM is created
On VM overview page, copy the public IP address
Open IP address in your browser, you should see DbGate web interface
Set admin password for DbGate web interface
Click “Connections”, then “New Connection”. Create new connection to Azure SQL database using same steps as in “Part 2 - connect from local machine”, use server name, admin user and password created in “Part 1 - Creating an Azure SQL Database”

Step 3 - configure access to your connection

By default, nobody could access the connection created in DbGate on Azure VM
Choose “Roles”, choose “superadmin” role and click “Permissions” tab. Check “All connections” and click “Save”
Refresh a page (permissions are reloaded on page refresh), now you should see the connection in DbGate and be able to use it
Create additional users/roles as needed to manage access to your database connection (use Roles tab)