Microsoft SQL is a relational database product from Microsoft Corporation. Any large application required by businesses and other organizations need a large amount of data to be stored and manipulated. Databases, working in tandem with a suitable application, have been the model used in such situations. Classical hierarchical and network databases have been replaced by the relational model. Today, RDBMS is the predominant version that is in use. MS SQL Server is one such product that can handle industrial-strength data storage and manipulation support for applications.
There have been several major upgrades to Microsoft SQL since its initial launch.
- Microsoft SQL Server, 2005
- Microsoft SQL Server, 2008
- Microsoft SQL Server, 2008, r2 (released in 2010)
- Microsoft SQL Server, 2012
- Microsoft SQL Server, 2014
Microsoft offers different versions of each of these products so that users could invest in the product edition whose capabilities, and the cost of ownership makes sense for them. For example, the SQL Server is available in 4 main versions/ editions. These are the Express, Standard, Enterprise and the Business Intelligence versions. The express edition is available free from users to get a direct feel of the product. The express edition also allows users to start developing applications using SQL Server data tools. Developers are able to use their T-SQL (transact-SQL) skills to get started with applications. T-SQL is Microsoft’s own version of SQL language that has extensions beyond the standard/core SQL functions. Close integration with tools like the SQL Server Management Studio, Visual Studio and Visual Web developer will be handy.
The Standard edition of Microsoft SQL 2014 product lets an organization implement basic database. The reporting and analytics that will be needed are also supported. Features offered by the standard edition include better uptime and effective recovery. Data being a critical resource in any organization, these are some very useful features. This edition includes features to make application testing and deployments simpler. Integration Services enhancements help comparatively simpler data integration from many dissimilar sources. Some main features of the SQL Server reporting services are made available in this product. Some of the analytics are supported through export capabilities to Microsoft Excel 2010 and Microsoft Visio 2010. The standard edition of the Microsoft SQL enhances the availability and performance. Data quality services offered help cleanse data easily. Testing of applications in a scaled-up situation is a challenge. The data replay services helps a user do the scaled out testing quite easily.
Microsoft SQL database in it enterprise edition offers features that help enterprise run real-life applications with high scalability and very high availability and strong disaster-recovery capabilities. The business intelligence edition (no link) introduces tools/features that help meaningful BI. Features include tools and services that help visualization and exploration of data, self-service BI that can be easily managed, reporting and analytics at the corporate level. The Microsoft SQL, Business intelligence version ensures the data used in creating inferences of BI are clean as well as credible. Besides uptime and performance issues, this version has a greater emphasis on security issues in addition.
Check out SQL Server 2014 Tutorials for FREE resources.
