What is the purpose of using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) with Azure SQL Database?

Using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) with Azure SQL Database primarily serves the purpose of managing and administering SQL databases through a user-friendly graphical interface. SSMS is a comprehensive tool that allows database administrators and developers to interact with SQL Server and Azure SQL Database. It provides features such as query writing, database design, performance monitoring, and user management, enabling users to perform complex database operations efficiently without requiring extensive command-line knowledge.

The graphical interface simplifies many tasks, such as configuring security, importing and exporting data, and managing backup and restore operations, making it accessible for users with varying levels of technical expertise. SSMS integrates seamlessly with Azure SQL Database, allowing for tasks such as querying data, building database schemas, and troubleshooting database performance issues.

In contrast, creating virtual machines is an infrastructure-level task that's handled through Azure's portal, ensuring hardware resources are provisioned correctly rather than through database management tools. High availability of data is a feature managed at the database level through built-in Azure capabilities and configurations rather than through SSMS, while developing web applications typically involves different tools and environments focused on application coding and deployment rather than database management.