MSSQL

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The code base for MS SQL Server (prior to version 7.0) originated in Sybase SQL Server, and was Microsoft's entry to the enterprise-level database market, competing against Oracle, IBM, and, later, Sybase itself.

The current version of SQL Server, SQL Server 2008, was released in August 2008 and aims to self-tune, self organize, and self maintain data with the development of SQL Server Always On technologies, to provide near-zero downtime. SQL Server 2008 will also include support for structured and semi-structured data, including digital media formats for pictures, audio, video and other multimedia data. In current versions, such multimedia data can be stored as BLOBs (binary large objects), but they are generic bitstreams. SQL Server 2008 can be a data storage back-end for different varieties of data: XML, email, time/calendar, file, document, spatial, etc as well as perform search, query, analysis, sharing, and synchronization across all data types.

MSSQL Server 2008 comes in five editions.

• Enterprise - Full fetured
• Standard – Appropriate for departmental applications
• Workgroup – Data management and reporting platform with core product features
• Express – For learning and building desktop and small server applications for redistribution by software vendors (FREE)
• Compact – Embedded database ideal for mobile devices and small scale applications.

Applications

MSSQL is a powerful RDBMS (Relational Database Management System) which covers applications as small as smartphones all the way up to the enterprise with solutions such as:

• Business Critical
• Large-scale OLTP (online transaction processing)
• Large-scale reporting and analytics
• Data Warehousing
• Advanced analytics
• Server consolidation
• Virtualization

Features

• Resource Governor to manage concurrent workloads
• Policy based management
• Sparse columns to increase performance and reduce storage requirements
• Transparent data encryption
• Performance System Analysis – enabling users to troubleshoot, tune and monitor server instances
• Server Analysis Services – Build solutions with scalability, performance, data-mining and user interface enhancements
• Server Reporting Services – Integrate with Office 2007 system to take advantage of visualization, usability and improved performance

Platforms

While this is a Microsoft Product Designed for use on a Microsoft server or similar OS, there are connectors available to allow for access from other languages.

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