The first version of Microsoft Servers SQL was introduced by the company back in 1988. The DBMS was immediately positioned as a relational database, which, according to the manufacturer, has three advantages:
- stored procedures, due to which data sampling was accelerated and their integrity was maintained in multi-user mode;
- permanent access to the database for administration without disconnecting users;
- An open server platform that allows you to create third-party applications that use SQL Server.
Microsoft SQL Server 2005, codenamed Yukon with advanced scaling capabilities, was the first version to fully support .NET technology. Support for distributed data has improved, the first reporting and analysis tools have appeared.
Integration with the Internet made it possible to use SQL Servers 2005 as the basis for creating e-commerce systems with simple and secure access to data through popular browsers using the built-in Firewall (firewall). The Enterprise version supported parallel computing on an unlimited number of processors.
Version 2005 was replaced by Microsoft SQL Server 2008, which is still one of the most popular database servers, and a bit later the next version appeared - SQL Servers 2012, with support for compatibility with the .NET Framework and other advanced information processing technologies and Visual Studio development environment. To access the cloud storage , a special Azure SQL module was created.
Transact-sql
Since 1992, the SQL query language has been the standard for database access. Almost all programming languages use it to access the database, even if it seems to the user that he is working with information directly. The basic syntax of the language remains unchanged to ensure compatibility, but each manufacturer of database management systems has tried to replenish SQL with additional functions. No compromise was found, and after the “standards war” two leaders remained: Oracle PL / SQL and Transact-SQL in Microsoft SQL Servers.
T-SQL extends SQL procedurally to access Microsoft SQL Servers. But this does not preclude the development of applications on "standard" operators.
Automate your business with SQL Server 2008 R2
Reliable business application performance is critical to today's business. The slightest downtime of the database can lead to huge losses. The Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 database server allows you to reliably and safely store information of almost unlimited volume using management tools familiar to all administrators. It supports vertical scaling up to 256 processors.
Hyper-V technology makes the most of the power of today's multi-core systems. Supporting multiple virtual systems on a single processor reduces costs and improves scalability.
Analyze data
For fast real-time analysis of data flows, the SQL Server StreamInsight component is optimized for this type of task. You can develop your own applications based on .NET.
Uptime and Data Security
Optimum performance at any time is maintained by the resource regulator integrated in the server. The administrator can manage the load and system tools, set a limit for applications on the use of processor resources and memory. Encryption features provide flexible and transparent protection of information and maintain a log of access to it.
Unlimited Database Size
The data warehouse can be scaled quickly and safely. Users can use ready-made Fast Track Date Warehouse templates to support disk arrays up to 48 TB. The basic configuration supports the equipment of leading companies such as HP, EMC and IBM. The UCS 2 information compression functions allow for more economical use of disk space.
Improving the efficiency of developers and administrators
New wizards allow you to quickly eliminate server underload, improve control and optimize performance without the need for external third-party specialists. Control application and database operation parameters, find opportunities for improving the work on the dashboards and speed up the update and installation.
Personal Business Analysis Tools
The companies have never had a unanimous opinion as to who should be engaged in analytics - IT departments or directly users. The system of creating personal reports solves this problem through modern tools for the safe and effective construction, analysis and modeling of business processes. Direct access to databases in Microsoft Office and SharePoint Server is supported. Corporate information can integrate with other types of materials, such as maps, graphics, and video.
Convenient collaboration environment
Give your employees access to information, collaborative development, and data analysis with the PowerPivot Excel spreadsheet application. The program allows you to analyze information and model business processes and publish reports for sharing on the Internet or in the SharePoint system.
To visually create internal reports, the Report Builder 3.0 system is proposed, which supports many formats and a wide range of predefined templates.
Work with databases for free
The company provides small projects and novice developers with a special free version of Microsoft SQL Server Express. This includes the same database technologies as the "full" versions of SQL Server.
Visual Studio and Web Developer are supported. Create complex tables and queries, develop Internet applications with database support, get direct access to information from PHP.
Take full advantage of Transact-SQL and the most advanced ADO.NET and LINQ data access technologies. Stored procedures, triggers and functions are supported.
Concentrate on the elements of business logic, and the system will do the optimization of the database structure on its own.
Create rich reports of any degree of complexity. Use the search engine, integrate reports with Microsoft Office applications and add geographic location information to your documents.
Developed applications can work if there is no connection to the database server. Synchronization is performed automatically using the proprietary technology of transactional replication Sync Framework.
Administer your infrastructure using management policies for all databases and applications. Common operational scenarios reduce the time needed to optimize queries, create and restore enterprise-wide backups.
SQL Server 2008 R2 Express Edition is ideal for quickly deploying sites and online stores, personal use programs, and small businesses. This is a great option to get started and learn.
Manage Databases Using SQL Server Management Studio
Microsoft SQL Server Management is a specialized environment for creating, accessing and managing databases and all elements of SQL Server, including reporting services.
The system combines in one interface all the features of administration programs from earlier versions, such as Query Analyzer and Enterprise Manager. Administrators receive software with a large set of graphical objects for development and management, as well as an extended language for creating scripts for working with the database.
The Microsoft Server Management Studio code editor deserves special attention. It allows you to develop scripting scripts in Transact-SQL, program multidimensional data access requests and analyze them with support for saving the results in XML. Creating queries and scripts is possible without connecting to a network or server, with subsequent execution and synchronization. There is a wide selection of predefined templates and a version control system.
The Object Browser module allows you to view and manage any built-in Microsoft Servers SQL objects on all servers and database instances. Easy access to relevant information is extremely important for rapid application development and version control.
The system is based on the Visual Studio Isolated Shell system, which supports extensible settings and third-party extensions. There are many communities on the Internet where you can find all the necessary information and code examples for developing your own data management and processing tools.
According to Forrester Research, the Microsoft SQL Server 2012 database server is one of the three leaders in the corporate information storage market in 2013. Experts note that the rapid growth in Microsoft's market share is due to the integrated approach of the corporation to automate business processes. Microsoft SQL Server is a modern platform for managing and storing any type of data, complemented by analytics and development tools. Separately, it is worth noting the ease of integration with other company products such as Office and SharePoint.