This second chapter in our Azure SQL automation journey is all about how to deploy Azure SQL services via automated tools. I often joke that the Azure portal is the Fisher-Price version of Azure. It is a visual tool useful for learning, illustrating, and exploring Azure, but it is not the “real” interface. The grown-up version of Azure is accessed via the automation interfaces. When you deploy a resource using the Azure portal, you are simply filling in a form and submitting an automation task. This chapter shows you how to skip the portal “helper” form filler.