Microsoft SQL Server BI Software

Easy to configure, difficult to master

Easily the most intuitive RDBMS software out of the box.

Pros

The most noteworthy features of Microsoft SQL Server are the many tools and wizards that allow even novice users to get started by creating tables and views without extensive knowledge of relational databases. The query wizard can even assist with creating queries with its intuitive IDE. These features lower the intimidating barrier to entry that accompanies other relational database software such as Oracle or MySQL. There is even a free version call Express that allows anyone to dabble in the software before committing to the product.

Aside from the user assisted features, the other appealing aspect of SQL Server is the integration with other Microsoft products that are probably already running in an organization. SQL Server interfaces with Active Directory allowing for easy user management so appropriate levels of database access can be allotted via group membership. This is useful because even something simple like user access management in another RDBMS may present a learning curve for anyone that is not a DBA. With SQL Server a general IT resource could manage user access with an existing knowledge of Active Directory providing more time to focus on core database design.

Cons

SQL Server carries a high cost subscription based licensing cost. The user assistance features provide a great introduction to relational databases, but there is still a significant and continuous learning curve. Databases continue to evolve with industry need. Anyone that interacts significantly with SQL Server during day to day database or application design may need to consider yearly training to keep up with all the changes.

SQL Server 2016 - Features Review

Overall experience with SQL server 2016 is very nice and excited in my perceptions due to Better support for memory optimzed tables, Built in JSON support, Stretch DB concepts, Query Store and dynamic temp db according to size and presence of CPU in the databases.

Pros

In our project we have been migrated from Microsoft SQL Server 2008 to SQL server 2016 directly for all our databases & SSIS packages. There are many features that was available to use for the projects and some of those are:

1. Data was always encrypted, so less vulnerable to SQL injections and useful to take a backup when database is in motion. Prior version (Before SQL server 2016) support only when databases is in Rest.
2. Data/Software Migration is very useful from prior version without any issues or taking any time. It took only set of testing activities and 2 hours of trun around time to get it upgraded.
3. Very simillar like XML TSQL clause created in SQL 2005, in SQL 2016 JSON clause T-SQL has been created for JSON output from querying database objects.
4. In prior versions we have to wait for long running query to capture, however in SQL server 2016 ability to view the execution plan as the query is active on the system.
5. Strecth Database is a new concept that has been created and stored in Azure. However in the background it is shown as single databases for user views.

Cons

Only I know very least number of disadvantages this MS SQL server 2016 is having:

1. Enterprise pricing may be costly as some of the organisation cant afford for the count of data they are having.
2 With the performance tuning, Microsoft SQL Server will be having some gobble resources.

SQL Server is the backbone of my life!

Overall, my experience with SQL Server is amazing! I am able to store all of our Las Vegas luxury casino data (gaming, hotel, food & beverage, entertainment, etc.) and query that for information that we then turn into automated or ad-hoc reports. These then go to the operators of the business as well as the executives who analyze the reports and make better decisions daily, weekly, and monthly. The goal is simple: just become better over time...better than you were last year, last month, last week. And SQL Server is the vehicle to empower your organization to find those valuable insights hiding in plain sight to do just that!

Pros

I absolutely LOVE SQL Server. It is my favorite software to use because the possibilities for query-writing are endless. I would say this is the most reliable and flexible of all the database software I have ever used. SQL Server allows you to write in T-SQL (T = transact, SQL = structured query language), which means that you can create variables, use temp tables, and write code in a procedural format that runs akin to a module in other programming languages. We use SQL Server 2008 at work, though I am really loving the new features in the latest version (as of today) SQL Server 2016.

Overall, SQL Server is a platform for creating table schema, storing information, and then writing scripts (queries) to manipulate that data--to find insights that are useful to making better business decisions. The interface is easy to understand, the error-checking is strong (and actually tells you what is wrong). It doesn't hold your hand like other simplified coding languages, but it becomes very reliable and easy to use once you obtain a solid foundation in relational database theory and SQL language.

Cons

Hmm...if I had to speak ill of SQL Server...I would probably say that it is a bit tricky to get up to speed quickly with. There's a lot to it, so to speak, so it's taken me the better part of five years working in the data analytics industry to finally say that I feel I am completely proficient in utilizing the software to its full potential. Topics such as query optimization remain my areas of biggest weakness. I can write a query to pull any kind of desired information; however, the art lies in being able to pull it quickly and with reasonable efficiency. If your query takes more than 15 minutes (or even hours!) to run, it's probably not written correctly and likely poses a major threat to the server you are connecting to (and tying up!) in the process. I would like more information in the software (GUIs, warnings, etc.) regarding poorly-written queries from an execution standpoint.

Very reliable, relatively easy-to-use, and reasonably-priced compared to Oracle

Our entire product line (IIS-based web applications) relies on SQL Server. Without it, our business wouldn't function at all.

Pros

As a Systems Administrator, MS SQL Server is one of the easiest DBMS you can use from a management perspective. SQL Server Management Studio is a very robust client, and it allows you to configure everything from either the GUI or SQL scripts. No digging into config files, calling apps from command line, etc. User management in SQL server is easy and straight-forward while being EXTREMELY granular. Plus, it easily connects to Active Directory if you so desire.

The software is very reliable. MySQL can have issues during backups, but not SQL Server. Once you get it set up and configured properly (again, not hard to do), you can leave it running for months without encountering problems.

While SQL Server is by no means cheap, compared to the other enterprise-level DBMS like Oracle, it's quite reasonable. MySQL is free, but it's quite limited when you do a feature-by-feature comparison with SQL Server.

If you're on the fence, install an Express instance (up to 10GB databases with some limitations). You won't be disappointed.

Cons

Like a lot of other Microsoft software, the installer is pretty bloated with prerequisites, components, etc. But that's a fairly small nitpick.

I will also say that RAM management in SQL Server isn't perfect. SQL will, as long as it is regularly used, consume all of the RAM you have allocated it. By default, that setting is 2 petabytes of RAM, so it will slow your system to an absolute crawl, consuming everything it can to the detriment of the OS itself. This means you need to manually allocated a reasonable amount of RAM to SQL knowing full-well that it will likely consume this RAM at all times. That's fine for dedicated database servers, but it's not ideal for people running SQL on laptops.

Aside from that, I have very few complaints about SQL Server.

If you are working from scratch,it is relatively easy to set up a new database server and connectivi

Pros

If you are working from scratch, it is relatively easy to set up a new database server and connectivity between clients. Everything is quite simple, given that you have knowledge of the database. The DBMS allows you to easily create several things completely in design (tables, views, etc.), which is a great advantage when you do not know all the syntax.

The integration of other monitoring software such as fog light is very easy without the consumption of time. Great ability to handle all complex query requirements. Suite of advanced functions of sql. Provide all the excellent functionalities, such as Reporting Services, Integration Services, Job Scheduler, Resource Manager, Query Analyzer and Profiler, etc. Each of these modules is perfectly constructed and manages the tasks effectively. Configurable in each level. The user permission is on all objects and other higher levels. Changes can be made for specific privileges at the user level. Window service based on Control to the server to start and stop the service.
I think one of the best things about Microsoft SQL (currently using 2012) is the Developer Network and the useful resources that are available. Thanks to the network of developers, I have been able to learn much more about queries and create more useful and advanced queries over time. Things like Transact-SQL (T-SQL) are useful many times due to the large number of new queries that can be generated after learning T-SQL.Compatibility with most SQL Server administ

Cons

Sometimes, performance when executing some long queries is not what you would expect. Although the power of the CPU is important for this part, but in the company we have state-of-the-art servers in the NAP of the Americas, so it seems a software problem instead of a hardware problem.
Some of the configurations of previous versions (2008 - 2012) are quite clumsy and not very well done - I have had several instances of my corrupt installer and have to re-download. The administrator of the database, sometimes, takes time to load.
Scalability is excellent, but not the best, like other new databases in the market. The memory consumption of the CPU is always more than normal in the production specifically by the sql server. Scope of the improvement in the profile generator for the most used options.
Sometimes, if it is not handled properly with a predefined scheme, the relations and the maintenance of the data become a problem. This happens mainly only when it comes to new users or with people who do not work as part of a larger workforce that manages the system.
Certain add-ons also provide useful features, but if SQL added them, it would save users the problem of finding and installing them. The database is the target of many attacks from your SA account, this should be disabled by default and just after installation, about 30 seconds, the attacks begin, with many requests per second, need to improve the firewall to prevent these attacks, or place the SQL Server inside a VPN

Ridiculously powerful and full of features we do not make use of. We love it, and cannot do without.

This software practically runs our facility. Without it, we couldn't keep track of our animals or our people (staff, members, donors). To us, this software is well worth the costs involved.

Pros

SQL Server is just so incredibly powerful, most users probably do not know how much it can do, or how much it can handle. In our type of organization, we deal with people and animals. We rely on donors and members for funding, we track everything about our animals from health issues, to medications, to physical exercise. Every one of our systems relies on, as the backbone, SQL Server. This software is powerful, versatile, and reliable. With pretty much every department of ours needing some type of database, standardizing to SQL Server was just the best move. It can handle it all. It can track it all. And it can report on it all for us. To date, we use it for: our Accounting software, our donor tracking, our membership tracking, our animal tracking (includes tracking from what zoo or aquarium animals came, their medical history, their exercise history, their diet, their location in our facility, their trainers, their behavioral issues/environmental factors), our vet's digital imaging systems, our guest services scheduling, our security systems (surveillance, door locks), our water quality and hvac sysytems logging and controls, our point of sale system (for admissions and food court and ecommerce), and our facility management software (maintenance and IT requests). This system does indeed handle everything we need it to.

Cons

You need a lot of training to make the most of it. Or it could cost you a lot if you have to pay a developer to help you get the most out of your systems. Luckily a couple of us are really into databases, and we both have a lot of experience with SQL, we can do most things in-house. But still the amount of training we go through to keep current, or to keep learning is probably the biggest "problem" with this software. Most software packages, you can buy, setup, receive a few hours or a few days of training, and you'll be good to go. With SQL, if you intend to use it, to get the most of out it, you will need more extensive training, or to hire people to put in the work. It's not cheap. But it can help you accomplish so much if you put in the time.

My experience with sql Server has been satisfactory, I have done punctual work.

I have worked several times with this software for different reasons I have been able to simplify developments thanks to the Transact-SQL so it has saved me programming time, the services that I have under my responsibility at work are stable, this gives confidence and tranquility for me and for my bosses, I made restorations in record time.

Pros

This software has as its first advantage that it is a Microsoft product and has the full support of the company and the stability of a well-tested product. At the basic level, I find it very efficient, the sql responses are fast and there are almost no service interruptions, which is a point in its favor when I use it, I find the Transact-SQL language that is used very powerful, I was able to assign commercial processes of the application in the database that allows multiple applications to use them and it is not necessary to program these functions in each application, the SQL server administration tools are very well thought to be all in a Microsoft environment, the integration is perfect, they are very intuitive to find new functions, they do not require prior knowledge, what is important to train new staff, another thing that I like about this software is the scalability that can start with a small database and grow, in A past project had transactional tables that inserted millions of records daily. I like security, it is possible to assign specific permissions to different users who perform different activities within the same database, this makes me trust the product.

Cons

The least I like is undoubtedly the cost SQL-Server does not have a good cost-benefit ratio, other brands offer better benefits in this regard, another point is the high consumption of RAM, it is necessary to allocate a large amount of resources for this And to guarantee the quality of the service, until now I have not found a hosting provider that offers me a PHP server with Sql-server. This stopped once a new development for a client was disappointing to me. It is difficult to learn in a particular way, the free versions of this software are very limited and the certifications are expensive, which reduces the interest when it is investigated.

I am using SQL server from three years as I am a software developer.

I am able to store thousands of users information in a arranged way. I am able to analyse the data from different sources. I am able to print report such as pdf file. I am able to get backup of my data. I can show the records in any form using SQL queries. I can fetch details of any number of customer in just a second without going through the bunch. I can update the data about my customer. I can delete any unnecessary data. I can send automatic mails using the sql job. I can make my data easily accessible by using different index provided by SQL. I can sort the data in ascending, descending or in alphabetical order. So bottom line is I am making money by investing some money into SQL server.

Pros

1. The capability of extraction and manipulation of data. Using sql server you can fetch or gather data from different file system like excel file csv file etc and then manipulate them according to your need like sort them with name, make the first later of name in capital etc. And then you can print the manipulated data as well.
2. It provides backup for all your stored data into it, by this there is no worry of loosing your data.
3. After making backup obviously they provide the facility to restore those backups.
4. As I mentioned in first point report generation is also its one of the powerful feature.
5. It serves as back end for many programming language. When someone is maintaining his site.
6. Support of different tools like SQL profiler these tools will work as magic when you will be performing complex task.
7. Another tool is tuning adviser that can suggest you different ideas with which you can optimize your sql queries.
8.Gives you ability to run different instance of sql server in one system by this i mean one can have SQL server 2012 and then after that you can also have SQL server 2014 and 2016 parallaly.
9. Debugging tools like debugger.

Cons

There are very few things left about it as it has released its different versions.
1. It is paid
2. It is heavy sometimes it stucks.
3. Takes lot of resources like memory and space.

Solid relational database ecosystem with useful accessories

The ability to solve data problems and syndicate actionable information to the right audiences in a timely manner.

Pros

I have been using Microsoft SQL Server for about 20 years and have watched the product evolve into a very mature and vibrant offering. SQL Server gives me the flexibility and performance needed for many different relational database solutions ranging from application OLTP databases to enterprise level business intelligence implementations. With my main focus being business intelligence, I have been very impressed with the SQL Server 2016 releases and improvements. It seems the Microsoft is very dedicated to this BI ecosystem and they seem committed to continuity in the products. Some of my favorite things to note are the new SSRS portal interface in 2016, the ColumnStore indexing in Enterprise versions, SSAS tabular models, and the ease of use with Power BI. Overall, I feel extremely confident in this product in terms of its use to solve almost any problem related to data. I find most things very easy to use and due to the wide use of this product, figuring out the more complex issues is not difficult thanks to Google.

Cons

I sometimes don't appreciate the complexities related to transnational logging and the time it takes to roll back large transactions. Purely a performance and optimization issue, but the ambiguities in terms of when a task like this will complete can be frustrating.

Two words - "Best RDBMS"!

Highly recommended - The Best RDBMS Package I have worked so far. Best IDE - let the wizard do basic things with you few clicks so you can focus on actual DB tasks and writing query. Developers in your team are going to love this Database!

Pros

• Microsoft SQL Server is the best RDBMS package I have ever worked on! (Other DBs I have used are - Oracle, Teradata, MySQL, and Redshift)
• Just like other Microsoft products; SQL Server is by far the most User-friendly Database Server - best IDE
• Lots of wizard features from import, export, backup, query builder etc that anyone can easily learn and do just with few clicks!
• Intellisense (like visual studio) to complete code while typing and showing common mistakes before you even execute
• Built-in execution plan viewer which is nice enough to start with.
• Free Plugins and third-party tools available to make your life even easier like: Poorman SQL Formatter, SentryOne Plan Explorer etc
• Integrates very well with other MS products. Full MS BI stack includes SSIS ETL, SSRS BI Tool, SSAS etc.

Cons

• No considerable cons. Maybe Microsoft should consider offering built-in features/tools for which developers use third-party tools and plugins. Like builtin execution plan viewer is not as great as SentryOne Plan Explorer.
• With so many built-in features one little must have to include is One click code indentation. Until Microsoft can add this feature, we can live with Poorman SQL formatter.

I have been working with this software from last 8 years. I like this software and used its features

Pros

This software offers a lot of features that are very handy to work with. And frankly it took very less time to understand this software and get used to it. I have used this software for creating stored procedures, functions, views, database schema.
Easy to connect with external database as well. I have heavily used the SQL profiler which again is a very useful feature. SQL profiler let you see the request that SQL receive from a source and it help you debug your code. Generating backup, restoring backup, importing and exporting data tiers all features are so easy to understand. Even I never googled to know how to do it, I just saw the option and start following the instructions and it's done. Its easy to use and all its features are very useful. Even when you didn't saved your file and accidentally your laptop got off,it help recover your files. Easy interface to create database tables even if you do not remember the script syntax.

Cons

There is nothing that I don't like kind of this with this useful software.
Its just if the edit rows option could have been made easy by auto showing the SQL pane to write query while editing the rows. I found it one step extra. It should be like when we select rows. Also running the query on edit rows if could be done via f5 only, then it would be easier for the user.

Efficient & Affordable RDBMS Product

Great experience using this product back from SQL 2000 days to SQL Server 2017. Have used for both small size applications to big data projects that has data over 100 gb. Partitioning, Indexing, Sprocs, Views are used and taken advantage off. Automatic plan correction, Adaptive Query Processing are improvements in 2017 need to take advantage off. My vote is for this product

Pros

Nice GUI & Easy to configure using wizards. Scalable product from midsize to complex solutions. Has come a long way from where it was started back from late 90's to till date. On par with other RDBMS products like Oracle in the market. Microsoft has built nice cluster support especially for redundancy and high availability.. New features such as Dynamic resource allocation, Graphical Query Analyzer, OLAP services are huge win. Additional products to support warehousing & Reporting, Transformation services, Analytics is a huge plus. Lot of performance improvement with 2017 version.Bang for the buck.

Cons

Still there's a concern from consumers perspective that SQL Server is for mid-complex systems. For ERP based systems, IoT use cases users go for No SQL products. Another challenge is for global distributed database solutions there's challenge especially Mirroring of data, synchronization, concurrency it's a huge challenge.

Stable, fast and reliable

Overall, my experience with SQL Server has been awesome

Pros

As a lot of my development work depends on SQL Server, it is something that I use almost every day. It is extremely stable and reliable and certainly the only database platform that I will ever consider working with. There is still so much I have yet to learn about SQL and so much to explore, but for my current skills and work requirements, it is excellent and always works well. From simple queries to complicated procedures, I always find it a pleasure to work with.
I have worked with other database architectures before, but found that SQL is much quicker, as well as easier to work with.

Cons

My problem is with SQL Management tools and some of their limitations, but not SQL Server itself. One such example would be backing up and restoring of large databases (40GB upwards). While backups are mostly a breeze, restoring becomes extremely challenging and time-consuming as the database grows beyond the 40GB mark. I am not sure if this is because of the limitations on the available management tools, or if it is an actual problem with SQL server, as the large databases I have worked with had no issues with CRUD operations or backups.

SQL Server - Keeps Getting Better

I have spent more than a decade working with SQL Server and various technologies from a Sys-Admin/Sys-Analyst role in modern day IT organizations. I've had the opportunities to install, maintain, worked on and within, and develop throughout several versions of SQL Server. I've worked in SaaS and Web App for providers that combined have covered the entire Fortune 50 and more than half of the Fortune 500. I've worked in JavaScript prior to and throughout it's massive growth creating projects in NodeJS using mssql and node-mssql to transform SQL data into useful JSON object sets on the fly since before SQL could even output JSON. I've authored several helpful tools over the years combining SQL Server with bleeding edge platforms to provide tools to previous organizations that were better at the time than even some leading tools performing those functionalities today.

Pros

SQL Server is an industry standard software. It is highly configurable, capable of multiple setups, and deeply ingrained with the Microsoft Windows platform. Administration is quick, effective, and easier than ever.

Cons

SQL Server 2017 has a weak implementation of Graph databases which will be a much more prevalent database type once big data and IoT really kicks in. In my opinion, Microsoft should be forcing the graph database capabilities forward and trying to match products like NEO4j in performance.

SQL Server in my daily life

70% of my daily office work is depend upon this product. Whenever i need to debug the issue, find the query, procedure executed behind the display then i have to execute on Sql Server. I use to select the data, update, alter , change in any column as per requested by customer. I always check my CPU, Execution time, reads and writes to improve the performance of my product display.

Pros

This is one of the product which I use in my daily life.
1. With this , I check all the data in the tables which show in the front end (display).
2. I use one of the feature i.e. Sql Profiler to get the query, procedure, tables etc which executing while load the display.
3. Get the execution time , CPU time , Reads, Wrtites, etc of the query from profiler with this product.
4. We can make shortcut keys of the query which you use the most like select query, show the columns of particular columns etc.

Cons

Sometimes, I faced the issue while using the WINDOW+R shortcut which toggles the result set. Many times it stucks and then I toggle the result set by dragging it.
For installing it , need compatible software, window version. It took more time to set up . If one of the requirements is not fulfilled then you have to make it compatible and try again the process.

MS SQL Server Perfect Database Management Solution

I would definitely recommend that you read the Windows administration book before you start exploring SQL server.

Pros

SQL server is a great database management product. This is a very fast and stable and at the same time cross-platform solution running on both Linux and Windows operating systems, the security of which is implemented at the highest level. It is also gratifying that SQL server works equally well on both physical and virtual servers, both on the ground and in the cloud. Since this product is produced by Microsoft, it integrates well with other products of this company, such as Power BI. This app can provide you with high availability and a wide selection of options available of your choice, though everything will depend on the edition. And most importantly, many features can be tested completely free using Developer Edition.

Cons

Although SQL server is easy to manage through the graphical user interface, but to understand how it works, to fix some problems you need to read a thick book, and even more than one and read ton of documentation. Does not have good monitoring tools out of the box. For some companies will not be a cheap solution.

SQL Server - Robust application for database storage, analysis and reporting

We are using Sql server in our organisation to create new databases and maintaining the existing one. Data access is so simple and secure. If there is any sensitive data then we use to encrypt the table columns data. Overall its a great application.

Pros

Sql server is a powerfull data storage tool and widely used in our organisation. Its enrich with numerous inbuilt features. In sql server backup and restoration task is much easy. Its preety much secure and reliable tool. In sql server there are several security roles to authorize the user, so we use to supply the privilege according to need. Its reporting services are greatly helpfull for us to analyse the data. I can easily monitor the performance / health of the database. Dtabase tuning advisor extremely good in case of performance improvement task as this reveals proper detail of missing items like Index, primary key, stats etc. Easy to review the execution plan of a stored procedure. Data movement from one server to another server is much easy. I can trace the sql statements nicely with the use of trace component.

Cons

Microsoft Sql server setup takes a bit more time but once done then all good.

SQL Server - A RDBMS by Microsoft

Microsoft SQL Server is helping use to find the best programming capacity to match up with the secure and best performance. User interface is also user friendly as it does not need any basic training to under the infrastructure.

Pros

SQL Server is the one of the best database management software I have ever worked on. Relational database management system based on relational model. Performance of the SQL Server is also high. It is easy to setup and GUI also provide the user friendly interface to work on it. Integration on SQL Server with non relational data source is also improved compare to the SQL Server 2015. The Best feature in it advance analytics which help you to keep the track of the development. Support and integrity also improve in the SQL Server 2017 with cross-platform as it can now work with Linux as well as Docker container.

Cons

SQL Server is having the large community so the vulnerability and fixing are coming very frequent. Real time intelligence sometime not work as expecting. The SQL profiler should come with more default option and Microsoft should provide the interface where we can develop and design the profiler template.

SQL over the time

I have used SQL Server as the weapon of choice for business development and despite some minor product bugs over time, always has been a highly manageable and capable especially for long-standing data, very friendly even with developers who are not familiar with Microsoft technologies

Pros

For long time has been the working horse for database oriented applications and corporate data on Microsoft side. Is a highly robust database engine and supports a lot of punishment on production enviroments. Also provides a long standing continuity for older database repositories over from previous versions of the product. The management tools in their several incarnations provided almost all the needed capabilities for developers and database administrators. Also the cross data capabilities and the support for OLAP has been among the stronger points, currently enhanced capabilities for memory oriented data, cloud computing and the newest support for Linux enhance the experience

Cons

I found that a major drawback i found over the time is than usually SQL Server releases are a little behind their competitors in terms of state of the art capabilities and features.

A great database and a data management solution

I have been working with MS SQL Server from the SQL 2000 version. Currently I work with SQL 2016 (and I am testing SQL 2016 in Linux). In all of these years, I have been using a different solution of the database (clustering, data mirroring, CDC, log shipping, AlwaysOn, etc..), always with a great satisfaction. A great number of people think that MS SQL Server is a database for small data volumes but, these people are wrong. This database, can manage a big data volume and his management could be very easy if you follow the MS recommendations. On the other hand, you have a great knowledge base in Microsoft and in a great number of tech portals and blogs. You can find in the Internet, (almost) any T-SQL code to implement with only search it.

Pros

You can do practically anything with this database because it, has complete solutions integrated into it like SSIS, SSRS, Monitoring, Task Schedule (SQL Agent), alerts, other database connectors, etc.
And currently Microsoft is working to finish his database 2016 version to running on Linux.

Cons

Perhaps the only (at the moment) problem, are the locks management in the database when the update/delete operations are very big. I miss the possibility to auto-partition (internal scripts) of these operations, managed by the database engine.