By using a single tool like PowerShell, you can access your data wherever it is stored. It does not matter if it is in the cloud in an Azure SQL database or in an on-premises MS-SQL server, MySQL or ...

Joey on SQL Server How To Automate Tasks in Azure SQL Database Knowing how to automate tasks in the cloud will make you a more productive DBA.

Empty hard drives can also be sent to the center to export data. Import and export jobs can be set up and managed using the Windows Azure management portal or the REST interface.