Local vector search and RAG on the Azure SQL Database container

Store embeddings and run similarity search directly in the Azure SQL Database engine using the native VECTOR(n) type and VECTOR_DISTANCE. No separate vector store needed.

Verified on 2026-09-05 against the container image sqldbpreview-dpgaeqhmgphzd4bk.azurecr.io/azure-sql/db-dev:latest, reporting EngineEdition 5, Edition SQL Azure, build 12.0.2000.8. All twelve executable checks behind this skill passed, including CREATE VECTOR INDEX building at index version 3, Msg 42266 below 100 rows, the 1998 dimension ceiling, Msg 37579 for a security policy on a table that already carries a vector index, and an exact scan and an index-backed search returning the same row. The dated measurements further down record when each of those claims was first taken.

Identity (read this first)

This targets the Azure SQL Database engine running locally in a container, NOT the SQL Server image. Confirm with: