Transform Platforms

TL;DR

The Transform path containerizes .NET apps and migrates databases to Azure SQL Database over 3–6 months. The result: elastic autoscaling, CI/CD pipelines, and lower operational overhead where PaaS and serverless fit the workload — at the cost of deeper application and operating-model changes.

Transform is the deeper modernization path. Applications are re-architected for the cloud. Databases move to fully managed PaaS services. The result is a modern, elastic, DevOps-ready platform that can evolve as fast as the business needs it to. In the underlying Horizons model, this path maps to Horizon 2.

What Changes

On-Premises / Stabilize	Transform Target	Benefit
.NET Framework on IIS/VMs	.NET (Core) on Azure Container Apps	Elastic scale, portable, CI/CD-ready
SQL Server / SQL MI	Azure SQL Database	Serverless scale, built-in intelligence
Manual deployment	GitHub Actions / Azure DevOps pipelines	Automated, repeatable, auditable
Monolithic architecture	Container-based services	Independent scaling and deployment

The Architecture

%%{init: {'theme':'neutral'}}%%
graph TB
  classDef azure  fill:#0078d4,stroke:#005a9e,color:#fff
  classDef db     fill:#038387,stroke:#025356,color:#fff
  classDef devops fill:#107c10,stroke:#0a5e0a,color:#fff
  classDef ops    fill:#deecf9,stroke:#0078d4,color:#003459
  subgraph aca["Container Apps Environment"]
    CA(["Azure Container Apps<br/>.NET Core Services"]):::azure
  end
  subgraph data["Data & Secrets"]
    SQLDB[("Azure SQL Database<br/>Serverless")]:::db
    KV["Azure Key Vault"]:::ops
  end
  subgraph obs["Observability"]
    MON["Azure Monitor"]:::ops
    ACR["Container Registry"]:::ops
  end
  subgraph cicd["DevOps"]
    GH(["GitHub Actions<br/>CI/CD Pipeline"]):::devops
  end
  GH -->|"Push image"| ACR
  ACR -->|"Pull image"| CA
  CA -->|"Queries"| SQLDB
  CA -.->|"Secrets"| KV
  CA -.->|"Telemetry"| MON
  style aca  fill:#e6f3ff,stroke:#0078d4
  style data fill:#e6fafa,stroke:#038387
  style obs  fill:#f0f7ff,stroke:#0078d4
  style cicd fill:#f0f9f0,stroke:#107c10

The .NET Modernization Path

Moving from .NET Framework to modern .NET is the core application change in the Transform path. The approach depends on the application’s complexity:

1. Upgrade in place — For well-structured applications, use the .NET Upgrade Assistant (or the newer GitHub Copilot modernization agent in Visual Studio) to migrate from .NET Framework to .NET 8+ (or the latest LTS release)
2. Strangler fig pattern — For large monoliths, extract services incrementally while the legacy application continues to run
3. Rewrite critical paths — For deeply coupled code, rewrite the highest-value components as modern services

The containerized application runs on Azure Container Apps — a serverless container platform that handles scaling, load balancing, and ingress without managing Kubernetes directly.

Why Azure SQL Database

Azure SQL Database is a different service from SQL Managed Instance. Where SQL MI maximizes compatibility with on-premises SQL Server, Azure SQL Database is designed for cloud-native workloads:

• Serverless compute — Scales to zero during idle periods (General Purpose tier), scales up automatically under load
• Built-in intelligence — Automatic tuning, threat detection, and performance recommendations
• Elastic pools — Share resources across multiple databases for cost efficiency
• Hyperscale tier — Scale to 128 TB with near-instant backups

Validate the economic model

Serverless, elastic pools, and PaaS management can reduce waste and operations effort, but savings are not automatic. Use Azure Migrate assessments, the Azure TCO Calculator, and proof-of-concept telemetry to validate the target SKU, scaling rules, and reservation strategy.

Before and After

Dimension	Before (Stabilize or on-prem)	After (Transform)
Application	.NET Framework on IIS / VMs	.NET 8+ on Azure Container Apps
Database	SQL Server or SQL MI	Azure SQL Database (serverless)
Deployment	Manual or scripted	CI/CD via GitHub Actions
Scaling	Vertical (resize VM)	Horizontal autoscale, scale-to-zero
Cost model	Fixed VM costs	Pay-per-use, serverless
Analytics	Limited or batch	Real-time via Fabric mirroring
Typical timeline	—	3–6 months

Not every workload needs Transform

Transform delivers the most value for workloads that are actively developed, customer-facing, or need to scale dynamically. For stable, internal workloads, Stabilize with SQL Managed Instance is often the better fit — and the smarter investment.

What Comes Next

With a containerized application and Azure SQL Database, you are ready to add Fabric integration via Azure SQL DB mirroring for a fully unified, AI-ready data platform.

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