I am a knowledge worker but not a developer and relatively well versed in relational databases and SharePoint; thus I think I can at least frame a sensible question.
One of my site collections occasions some processes best done in a database (perhaps siting on Azure). [Note I have had some experience procuring custom database work [.Net flavor] and was very expensive and generally unsatisfactory]
Now the question is can data move from a list to a database back-end, be processed, and then the result returned to the SharePoint site collection.
If that is a generally correct definition of a program and it is feasible; please present your credentials.
Depending on your version of SharePoint you are looking for Business Connectivity Service (BCS) or Business Data Connectivity (BDC). These are services that connect your on-premise or cloud data sources with SharePoint libraries. what this means is; any time data changes in SharePoint, it will sync to SQL. Any time SQL is changed, it will sync to SharePoint.
Here is a link
This should give you any overview of the service and how to connect it to SharePoint (this link describes SharePoint online).
Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance.
@George, I have done this many times… but I wouldn’t say I am an “Expert” in BCS… frankly because I don’t really enjoy using it 🙂 But if you need help, let me know.
Thanks Beau; is this in your wheelhouse?