SQL Database: overview and six editions of SQL Database 2014

The main product from Microsoft in the RDBMS category has been the SQL Database. The main query language supported is T-SQL which is the ANSI standard SQL extended by MS. MS SQL Server was first created for the PS/2 systems in collaboration with Sybase and Ashton Tate. The first release was in 1989, an updated version was released on average every two years. By the time the SQL Database 2005 version became available, the code base was completely owned by Microsoft and the SQL Database was offered as an independent product. Sybase developed a similar product with a similar sounding name.

Microsoft offers the product in a number of editions, including an Express version that is available for free. It is limited in features but does give you a good feel of what the SQL Database can do. The latest release has been Community Technology Preview which have been made public in April 2016. SQL Server 2016 became generally available on June 1, 2016

The SQL Database 2014 editions have changed over time. The different editions of the SQL Database in any specific release are addressed to different usage scenarios. There are six editions available with the SQL Database 2014. These include an Express edition, Enterprise edition, a Business Intelligence edition, Web edition, Developer edition, and a Standard edition.

1. The Express edition provides all the the necessities to get started with SQL Server. It is free and easy to use.
2. The Enterprise edition is intended for enterprise level applications. These typically have demanding and mission-critical services from the database and business analysis needs.
3. When you have a need for building secure BI applications that are scalable as well as manageable, you need to invest in the Business Intelligence (or BI) edition.
4. The Standard edition of the SQL Database is useful for BI and core database functionalities.

The latest SQL Database 2014 has incorporated in-memory that improves performance significantly by letting users’ process complete tables to in-memory. This feature is available in all the editions of the sql database and allows minimizing the time for transporting data back and forth from disc. Even if the applications need to be disk bound, performance is enhanced through the use of extension of SSD buffer pool in the sql database. These solid-state drives can act as a cache between the hard drives and main memory. Full text search capabilities incorporated into the latest editions of the sql database.

5. The “Web” edition is meant for SQL Database integrated into web applications, and only available for service providers hosting public websites that use SQL Server.
6. The “Developer” version is meant for application development, test and roll out of sql database applications. It has all the capabilities of a full SQL Database.

Please contact us at SQL Server Tutorial if you have any further questions regarding SQL Server or SQL Server 2014 in particular. We are ready to help!

Related sites:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/server-cloud/products/sql-server/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00b3baKf3R0

http://msftdbprodsamples.codeplex.com

http://searchsqlserver.techtarget.com/essentialguide/SQL-2014-Investigating-Microsofts-latest-database-release

Cloud Database: Overview of Cloud Database

Big data constantly grows. Predictions are that it will continue its’ expansion at around 60% yearly. Therefore, it is obvious that enterprises need a place where their growing database is living.

Database that runs on the cloud platform – Cloud Database – provides this much needed space. There are two ways this can happen.

First – is to run one’s own database of the rented space (a server, virtual server, shared server or whatever) in the cloud service.

Second option would be a Cloud Database, which is provided by the cloud provider hosting a database and providing user access to it. Depending on what the service provider has, it could be the database of choice of the user:

1. In the virtual machine image deployment mode for a Cloud Database users could purchase server space from the provider. It is possible to run a database of the user’s choice and upload a machine image with an optimized copy of the database of choice. You could set up such a Cloud Database very easily as product vendors make it simple with readymade images for this purpose. Oracle 11g Enterprise edition ready to go image for Amazon web services the EC2. One could set up a Cloud Database with Oracle for Microsoft Azure, the same way.
2. A Cloud Database service provider may also have a database as a service or DBaaS. One big advantage of this mode of Cloud Database is that it is the service provider responsibility to keep the software current and manage maintenance needs. Users can simply pay as you go (based on usage) if the portfolio has the database you need. Amazon, for example offers “SimpleDB” and Amazon relational database service as well as “Dynamo DB”. The first one is a No-SQL service while the second offering offers SQL interface. Microsoft Cloud Database service on the other hand offers Azure version of the SQL Server database.
3. In a third option, Cloud Database hosting provider can support a third party offering of database as a service. Cloud service provider Rackspace for example, provides MySQL service in dedicated as well as in cloud hosted mode. Cloud Database No-SQL Database through Object Rocket’s MongoDB as a service is available on Rackspace. MongoDB-as – as a service is also available on Amazon web services as well as on Azure. Consoles provided by the cloud service providers help access and use the database instance. Users are able to launch Cloud Database instances, create backups and monitor the operations.

Choice of databases in the Cloud Database includes both the SQL and the No SQL Database products.

• Common SQL based Cloud Database include Oracle, SQL Server, NuoDB, Maria DB, MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc. Scaling up with these older versions of databases may be difficult on the cloud platform because they were designed before the advent of the cloud as a computing platform. Thus, they may have limitations in quick scaling. Cloud Database services based on these databases have started to evolve to make the scaling problem easier.
• Cassandra, MongoDB or the CouchDB are the newer No-SQL Databases and have to inherent limitations in scaling up/low. However, since existing applications mostly in SQL, it is not very easy to migrate these legacy applications into the NO-SQL Cloud Database services.

If you have any further questions regarding Cloud Database and its functions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We are always happy to help!