Ever since Microsoft introduced SQL Server Stretch Database in 2016, our guiding principles for such hybrid data storage solutions have always been affordability, security, and native Azure integration. Customers have indicated that they want to reduce maintenance and storage costs for on-premises data, with options to scale up or down as needed, greater peace of mind from advanced security features such as Always Encrypted and row-level security, and they seek to unlock value from warm and cold data stretched to the cloud using Microsoft Azure analytics services.      During re ..read more

AI is transforming everything we do, including how we interact with data. Data is the fuel for AI. Microsoft SQL Server and Azure SQL is the data platform to power today’s modern applications with security, performance, and availability, but also have capabilities and support scenarios required in the era of AI. Azure SQL and SQL Server support building new generative AI experiences that become supercharged when combined with your data. In addition, SQL brings AI assistance to a new level with copilot experiences for both self-help and natural language to SQL capabilities. In this blog po ..read more

Hey everyone!   We’ve been on the road the last couple of weeks at MVP Summit, SQLBits and Fabric Con, connecting with customers talking about the value of migration and modernization. We want to dig into specifically, how Azure can deliver real business value through cost optimization and streamlined productivity for their Windows Server and SQL Server deployments when they migrate to Azure.  We’ve helped countless organizations migrate their SQL Server and Windows workloads to Azure a critical 1st step in any transformation initiative. The move can help improve cybersecur ..read more

Guidance on choosing SQL Server storage options in Azure We’re excited to announce the public preview of the Premium SSD v2 provisioning experience for SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines (VMs) deployed in the Azure portal. Premium SSD v2 storage improves performance, reliability, and scalability of your SQL Server workloads while offering robust resource capacity, as you can create a single disk with up to 64 TiBs, 80,000 input/output per second (IOPS), and 1,200 MB/s throughput. When building Azure SQL VMs in the cloud, DBAs have several storage choices they can consider to give their appli ..read more

DBCC CLONEDATABASE command generates a schema-only clone or copy of a database. Effective March 1, 2025, Microsoft will no longer support creating copy of a database using the DBCC CLONEDATABASE command and using it as a new database in a production environment. However, the command will persist for generating schema-only copies solely for diagnostic and troubleshooting purposes. This change impacts all editions of SQL Server 2016 and later versions.   To generate a production-ready schema-only copy of a database, it’s highly recommended to utilize tools such as Microsoft SQL Server Data ..read more

Over the past year, we have had a first-row seat to just how fast the introduction of new technologies can change businesses across nearly every industry. The adoption of generative AI goes beyond a platform shift, it is transforming how we do everything and reshaping what’s possible for our business and in our day-to-day lives. And while we cannot yet see the ways AI will continue to impact the way we work, we at Microsoft know you need a platform that can grow with you and expand the horizons of what’s possible, powered by intelligent, limitless, and trusted solutions that can touch every co ..read more

In December 2025, Microsoft will discontinue support for the Change Data Capture (CDC) components by Attunity and Change Data Capture (CDC) service for Oracle by Attunity of SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS). This blog provides details to help support customers in modernizing to new solutions well in advance of this change. The following components for which support will be discontinued: Change Data Capture (CDC) components by Attunity. This is an integrated extract, transform and load (ETL) feature in Enterprise editions of SQL Server 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2022. As an integrated feature ..read more

Whether you build applications for SQL Server on-premises or in Azure, there are several options for you to develop or test for free, or with substantial cost savings. Some of these options you may be familiar with, but this post will help explain details and answer some questions Microsoft often gets to provide you a clear story. SQL Server Developer Edition SQL Server comes in several editions and Developer Edition has for many years been the choice of many developers to build applications and test SQL Server with no license costs and the full functionality of SQL Server. As the documentatio ..read more

At Microsoft, we’re seeing firsthand how data is powering incredible innovation and accelerating more than just a platform shift, it is changing the way we do everything. AI and generative AI are not futuristic abstract concepts, they are being deployed by millions every day, transforming every industry. Tapping into the full potential of that opportunity requires the right platform, powered by the right combination of powerful applications and limitless databases.   We are excited to get back in front of customers at Microsoft Ignite 2023 and PASS Data Community Summit to annou ..read more

SQL Server has brought reliability and security to mission-critical workloads for 30 years. SQL Server 2022, released November 2022, delivers performance enhancements as well as Azure connectivity for disaster recovery, analytics, and governance. Now customers like Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) are using SQL Server 2022 to expand their capabilities to better support a truly worldwide operation. “Features like Query Store hints and the next generation of Intelligent Query Processing are awesome. The possibility of improving and maintaining great performance over time without code change ..read more