Microsoft has worked hard over recent years to constantly improve its
database engine to a world-class level, and the latest version (SQL Server
2005) is by far and away the best version to date.
The SQL Server 2005 platform includes the following tools:
- Relational Database. A more secure, reliable, scalable,
highly available relational database engine with improved performance
and support for structured and unstructured (XML) data.
- Replication Services. Data replication for distributed
or mobile data processing applications, high systems availability,
scalable concurrency with secondary data stores for enterprise reporting
solutions, and integration with heterogeneous systems, including existing
Oracle databases.
- Notification Services. Advanced notification capabilities
for the development and deployment of scalable applications that can
deliver personalized, timely information updates to a variety of connected
and mobile devices.
- Analysis Services. Online analytical processing
(OLAP) capabilities for the rapid and sophisticated analysis of large
and complex datasets using multidimensional storage.
- Reporting Services. A comprehensive solution for
creating, managing, and delivering both traditional, paper-oriented
reports and interactive, Web-based reports.
- Management Tools. SQL Server includes integrated
management tools for advanced database management and tuning as well
as tight integration with tools such as Microsoft Operations Manager
(MOM) and Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS). Standard data
access protocols drastically reduce the time it takes to integrate
data in SQL Server with existing systems. In addition, native Web service
support is built into SQL Server to ensure interoperability with other
applications and platforms.