What primary feature might a user miss when using Azure SQL Database compared to SQL Server on Azure VM?

When using Azure SQL Database, a user might miss having complete control over the database environment compared to SQL Server hosted on an Azure VM. Azure SQL Database operates as a managed service, which means that Microsoft takes care of many underlying infrastructure tasks, such as patching, backups, and failover. This offers a level of convenience and reduces administrative overhead, but it comes at the cost of certain configuration options and administrative privileges that would be available if the database were running on an Azure VM.

With SQL Server on Azure VM, users have full administrative access to the SQL Server instance, allowing them to configure settings, install custom software, and have deeper control over the operating system and network configuration. This level of control is often preferred by organizations that require specific configurations or have specialized requirements for their database environments.

The other options—automated scaling, built-in analytic tools, and improved performance tuning—represent features that Azure SQL Database provides or enhances, often making it easier and more efficient to manage databases at scale. In contrast, complete control is a feature that is inherent to the self-managed approach of using SQL Server on an Azure VM, making it the primary distinction that users may feel is lacking when using the PaaS offering of Azure SQL Database.