> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://atlas.anywhere.now/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://atlas.anywhere.now/set-up-dialogue-cloud-neo/prerequisites/azure-sql-databases.md).
# Azure SQL database requirements
Overview of Azure SQL database requirements, data ownership, and compliance responsibilities for Dialogue Cloud.
This page explains when Azure SQL databases are required, where data is stored, and who owns it.
{% hint style="info" %}
**CDR database availability**
* **Existing customers upgrading to Dialogue Cloud Neo with Connect** can continue using their existing CDR database and **Dialogue Insights**.
* **Existing Connect Service/UCCs** cannot currently move to Unify. A new Unify deployment does not establish a migration or historical-data transfer procedure.
* **New customers onboarding to Dialogue Cloud Neo** — Connect or Unify — do not receive a customer CDR database and use **Dialogue Insights** only.
Dialogue Insights uses CDR data hosted in Microsoft Fabric. It does not use the customer's legacy CDR database; reports for that database remain Power BI-template based.
{% endhint %}
{% hint style="success" %}
**Before you begin:** Confirm your deployment model, customer type, and which Dialogue Cloud features are in scope. You need Azure SQL database provisioning rights in the customer Azure tenant, or databases provisioned in advance by your Azure administrator. Allow 30–60 minutes to provision and configure any required databases.
{% endhint %}
***
## Data storage and ownership
{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Connect Model" %}
| Data type | Storage location | Owner |
| ------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------- |
| Call Detail Records (CDR) | Existing customer Azure SQL database for legacy Power BI-template reporting, or Dialogue Insights Microsoft Fabric data for new Dialogue Cloud Neo customers | Customer / AnywhereNow |
| Dialogue Manager content (WebChats, emails, text) | Azure SQL database in customer's Azure tenant | Customer |
| SharePoint UCC (Unified Contact Center) configuration | SharePoint Online in customer's Microsoft 365 tenant | Customer |
| Customer relationship management (CRM) data (read-only) | Customer's CRM platform | Customer / CRM |
The customer-hosted Azure SQL databases in this guide are distinct from Dialogue Insights resources in the AnywhereNow-managed Microsoft Fabric environment. Do not treat the customer SQL location as a location or access guarantee for all Dialogue Cloud Neo data. See [Dialogue Insights reporting environment](/operate/reporting-operations/reporting/dialogue-insights-reporting-environment.md) for reporting storage and access, and the applicable agreement for contractual data-processing responsibilities.
{% endtab %}
{% tab title="Unify Model" %}
| Data type | Storage location | Owner |
| ------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Call Detail Records (CDR) | Dialogue Insights data hosted in Microsoft Fabric for new Dialogue Cloud Neo customers | See the [reporting environment](/operate/reporting-operations/reporting/dialogue-insights-reporting-environment.md) for tenant management and customer access |
| Dialogue Manager content (WebChats, emails, text) | Azure SQL database in customer's Azure tenant | Customer |
| SharePoint UCC (Unified Contact Center) configuration | SharePoint Online in customer's Microsoft 365 tenant | Customer |
| Customer relationship management (CRM) data (read-only) | Customer's CRM platform | Customer / CRM |
| {% endtab %} | | |
| {% endtabs %} | | |
{% hint style="warning" %}
Customer-hosted databases need sufficient connectivity and performance for the requested load. An inaccessible or undersized database can prevent processing.
{% endhint %}
***
## Customer responsibilities
{% hint style="warning" %}
After go-live, maintenance and **regular monitoring** of databases is the **customer's responsibility**. Databases accrue data for every conversation and grow continuously with use.
{% endhint %}
Customer responsibilities include:
* Monitoring database size and growth
* Adding archiving databases when required
* Deleting or archiving old data
* Reclaiming unused space
* Upgrading to a higher DTU (Database Transaction Unit) tier or higher storage as volume grows
For Azure SQL limits, pricing, and maintenance guidance, see [Microsoft Azure SQL documentation](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/resource-limits-dtu-single-databases?view=azuresql).
For anticipated database growth rates, see [Call Detail Records](/set-up-dialogue-cloud-neo/prerequisites/azure-sql-databases/call-detail-records.md) and [Dialogue Manager](/set-up-dialogue-cloud-neo/prerequisites/azure-sql-databases/dialogue-manager.md).
***
## Required databases
The tables below show when a **customer-hosted Azure SQL database** is still required.
{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Connect Model" %}
| Database | Required when | Notes |
| ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **CDR database** | Existing customers upgrading to Dialogue Cloud Neo with Connect only | Existing customers can continue using their current CDR database for Power BI-template reporting and use Dialogue Insights for Microsoft Fabric-based reporting. |
| **Dialogue Manager database** | When using Dialogue Manager (WebChat, email, or other Dialogue Providers) | One database per UCC Service is required |
| **Additional databases** | For each additional UCC Service in another region, for archiving. | |
**New customers onboarding to Dialogue Cloud Neo with Connect** do not receive a customer CDR database and use **Dialogue Insights** only.
{% endtab %}
{% tab title="Unify Model" %}
| Database | Required when | Notes |
| ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- |
| **Dialogue Manager database** | When using Dialogue Manager (WebChat, email, or other Dialogue Providers) | One database per UCC Service is required |
**New customers onboarding to Dialogue Cloud Neo with Unify** use **Dialogue Insights** only and do not receive a customer CDR database.
An existing Service/UCC cannot currently move from Connect to Unify. This page does not define a post-conversion database-write policy.
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}
{% hint style="info" %}
Do not connect multiple Dialogue Managers to the same database. See [Design, Planning, and Limits](/set-up-dialogue-cloud-neo/design-planning-limits.md) for deployment rules.
{% endhint %}
***
## Connecting to Azure SQL
The recommended method for connecting Dialogue Cloud to Azure SQL databases is [Secure Vault](/platform-administration/provisioning/provisioning/configurations/configure-secure-vault.md), which uses Microsoft Entra ID Service Principal authentication and eliminates plain-text connection strings from SharePoint configuration sites. Secure Vault is available from DC2025.01.
Provision the Azure SQL databases first. After the server and database names are available, return to Secure Vault to store the credentials and attach the databases to Dialogue Cloud.
For deployments on earlier bundles, connection strings are configured directly in the SharePoint UCC configuration site.
Dialogue Cloud must be able to connect directly to the Azure SQL endpoint by using the regional network addresses supplied for the customer environment. Azure Private Link / Private Endpoint connectivity is not supported for Dialogue Cloud Azure SQL database access.
***
## What's next?
If your deployment still uses a customer-hosted CDR database, review the CDR requirements first. Then configure the Dialogue Manager database if required:
{% content-ref url="/pages/aRHFme4iM891R4m4iusL" %}
[Call Detail Records (CDR) database requirements](/set-up-dialogue-cloud-neo/prerequisites/azure-sql-databases/call-detail-records.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}
{% content-ref url="/pages/qoIh4P23levu0niPnXLy" %}
[Dialogue Manager database requirements](/set-up-dialogue-cloud-neo/prerequisites/azure-sql-databases/dialogue-manager.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}
After completing the databases that apply to the deployment, return to the [setup overview](/set-up-dialogue-cloud-neo/initial-setup.md). Database work does not determine whether onboarding, upgrade, or model-specific telephony comes next.
---
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