The ability to organize and structure our data in order to extract and provide it to various products and systems within our organization. It is widely used and has great online support from many third-party sites.
Data Analyst at a media company with 1,001-5,000 employees
We're able to easily upscale previous systems to provide an efficient interface for our internal clients to do their jobs effectively
What is most valuable?
How has it helped my organization?
We're able to easily upscale previous systems to provide an efficient interface for our internal clients to do their jobs effectively.
What needs improvement?
Learning SQL could be easier. Some inbuilt tools to enable faster query writing would be very useful.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used various versions for at least 25 years, on and off.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
No, none.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
When upsizing, some tools do not do a very good job of scaling efficiently and lots of after tweaks need to be made.
How are customer service and support?
From Microsoft -- poor/very expensive, but there are many other helpful resources out there.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Used MS Access, but data ports became too large for it to support, so we needed a product to take us to the next level as our data ports grew.
How was the initial setup?
A lot of initial reading was required to carefully manage the process of setting everything up correctly.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Not my area.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
No, others evaluated.
What other advice do I have?
Do your homework first and be prepared for a tough learning curve.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Enterprise Architect with 51-200 employees
We're able to create an end-to-end automated BI platform, but we'd prefer hosting multidimensional OLAP instances with Tabular rather than the either/or installation.
What is most valuable?
- Business intelligence platform
- Analysis services (multidimensional and tabular)
- Relational database features
- Data extraction and transformation (integration services)
How has it helped my organization?
It provides the ability to create an end-to-end automated BI platform through data management and provisioning, transformation and publication.
Data platform development process improvement: Integrating the features of Visual Studio Team Foundation Server data projects for SQL Server development. Allows for smooth operation between development environments in conjunction with an agile process to release database changes.
What needs improvement?
Hosting multidimensional OLAP instances in conjunction with Tabular, rather than the either/or installation.
OLAP multidimensional ongoing maintenance - automated partitioning or interface for streamlining the mechanism within the cube and data layers.
Integration Services: There is a great deal of room for improvement here in that thepackages are the least extensible part of the platform. Even with the feature ofplatform variables, since these are not easily managed and deployed. Our testers have had a great deal of difficulty swapping environments, particularly where the connection information changes (underlying database name, for example). Changing servers with identical database names is less problematic.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used it since its release in 2012 until now.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
No issues encountered.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
There were some avoidable issues, primarily due to a lack of scaling in our own design.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There were some avoidable issues, primarily due to a lack of scaling in our own design.
How are customer service and technical support?
Customer Service:
Online information for SQL Server is extensive.
Technical Support:I did not have the need to contact technical support for any reason.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Open Source database and OLAP solution was found to lack stability, and required the installation of many moving parts in order to have a complete stack. These services don't always work together well, and the various online communities would frequently blame the other for issues.
How was the initial setup?
It's straightforward to install a new instance, but more complex if new features are added to an existing instance. Deployment of SQL code is efficient through Visual Studio database project development methodologies.
What about the implementation team?
I have used both in-house, and vendor teams for implementation, both with very high levels of expertise into different aspects of database development.
What was our ROI?
It's very high as the data platform is business-critical.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I don’t concentrate on this issue, but rather the necessary features and the version required.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
No other oprions were evaluated.
What other advice do I have?
Make sure that you have an experienced database administrator to implement the infrastructure of the solution.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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November 2024
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Data Analyst at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
Easy use and simple to expand with good performance
Pros and Cons
- "We found it to be quite scalable."
- "While using it, we really didn't experience any pain points."
What is our primary use case?
I'm a web developer, and I use SQL for the backend.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable aspect of the solution is its ease of use.
It's a pretty stable solution.
We found it to be quite scalable.
What needs improvement?
While using it, we really didn't experience any pain points. It doesn't need any additional features.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have a couple of years of experience with the solution so far.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability and performance are good. It doesn't crash or freeze. it's not buggy. there are no glitches. It's pretty reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability has been good. If a company needs to expand it, it can do so.
How are customer service and support?
I've never used technical support. I can't speak to how helpful or responsive they would be.
What other advice do I have?
I'm not sure which version of the solution I'm using.
I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten. We've been satisfied with its overall capabilities in general.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Senior Systems Engineer at Dimension Data
Good usability, satisfactory performance, and easy setup
Pros and Cons
- "Its usability is very good. Its performance is satisfactory."
- "Their support could be better. There should be more visibility on the progress of the ticket, and their last line of support should be more knowledgeable. Other than that, we have nothing to complain about."
What is our primary use case?
It is for supporting our custom applications. We have a number of custom applications that we use that have SQL embedded.
I am using the version before the latest one.
What is most valuable?
Its usability is very good. Its performance is satisfactory.
What needs improvement?
Their support could be better. There should be more visibility on the progress of the ticket, and their last line of support should be more knowledgeable. Other than that, we have nothing to complain about.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for seven to eight years.
How are customer service and support?
Their support could be better. Sometimes, you don't have much visibility of how your service request is progressing. There should be more visibility, and the last line of support should be more knowledgeable.
How was the initial setup?
It was straightforward. It took two to three hours.
What about the implementation team?
We have internal staff for its implementation. We have a team of about three or four people who are well-versed with SQL Server, and we have 30 to 40 users who use this solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
You need to pay for the license. It most probably has per-core licensing.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others. We are satisfied with the product in general. Overall, I'd rate it an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Managing Director at D3
Efficient data retrieval, scalable, and straightforward installation
Pros and Cons
- "One of the best features of SQL Server is the efficient retrieval of information."
- "We want to move to Azure, and the solution could be made better to make the process easier for the migration from on-premise to the cloud."
What is our primary use case?
We are using SQL Server for our financial application package.
What is most valuable?
One of the best features of SQL Server is the efficient retrieval of information.
What needs improvement?
We want to move to Azure, and the solution could be made better to make the process easier for the migration from on-premise to the cloud.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used SQL Server for approximately seven years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
SQL Server is stable. However, Microsoft products have a tendency to crash. I would rate it a five out of ten in terms of stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of SQL Server is good.
How was the initial setup?
The solution is straightforward to install.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of SQL Server could be better in the African market. The licensing model needs to be improved, it is confusing.
What other advice do I have?
I rate SQL Server an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Senior Service Architect at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Stable, great with other Microsoft solutions, and can scale
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is stable."
- "The performance is not always the best."
What is most valuable?
While I don't like SQL Server so much, the selection was for clients so we needed to utilize it. Of course, one thing is that as great with this and other Microsoft products is that it's quite well documented and there are also light versions available. If you need to do something, you can also try it somehow on your own computer and so on.
If I'm helping a client to define what they need to have or what they need to do in a public sector procurement process quite often we cannot fix the database as it would be limiting the competition. That's why we never rule out the SQL Server; it should be included as an option at this level.
The solution is stable.
I haven't had issues with sizing or scaling.
What needs improvement?
If it would be more powerful it would be pretty nice. The performance is not always the best.
Whenever we were setting up the databases, there were some character problems that did not exist on some of the other solutions. However, the exact issues are hard to recall and list. I prefer Linux solutions. That said, when we began the previous project, Microsoft SQL Server was not available for Linux platforms yet.
Nowadays, it's my understanding that there are different versions. I haven't been checking if the current versions are supporting Transact-SQL and stuff like that. I remember that when we had the first Linux-based SQL Servers were introduced, they were, of course, a bit limited from the feature point of view. Whenever it is Unix or Linux or whatever platform, it's easier to manage them and to handle them whenever you are doing remote work.
I'm not so big fan of the Microsoft platforms as a server. However, whenever it's needed then it's needed. If you are a consultant, you need to adjust your whole mindset to whatever it's needed.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution, approximately, for several years. However, there have been gaps. There are different phases, however, I could count something like seven years where I was in an architect position in any project where this server was utilized.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
For the needs we had for the client it was sufficient. Whatever we needed to have - whether more server or more virtual server, the performance for the platform wasn't as good as I would like. I'm not entirely satisfied.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I haven't been utilizing the scale capabilities. I don't have a clear impression on that, however, for our purposes, we've never had an issue.
How are customer service and technical support?
I've never dealt with technical support. The databases were handled by the service provider or service operator of our clients. We have a public sector client and they have their partner who is handling or is responsible for the platforms. Therefore, if we had a problem with the platform, the right bureaucratic way to go about getting a resolution is that we contact the service provider they have. They probably contact Microsoft. The process is bureaucratic.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I'm also familiar with other servers such as Oracle. While we must do as the client wants or needs, if I could choose, I would probably utilize databases like Oracle or open-source databases more often. It depends on the cases. That said, quite often I'm in a position where I cannot suggest the technology, so I use what the client requests.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We didn't pay anything for it as it was provided for our client by the provider. I cannot say about the enterprise licenses or anything. When we began the work and we needed it for our own machines, I prefer the solutions which are available, of course, as open-source or are free. And Microsoft had this express version of their database which we can utilize as well. In that sense, it is okay, however, of course, in general, I don't know.
What other advice do I have?
I've been working for a client as a consultant so I'm helping them with deployments. With one client, we're using on-premises deployments. Our client has their own service provider or service operator so they have their own IT partner who is handling their databases. If I have understood it correctly, the databases were on-premises for our client, however, it's a bit complicated when you are having and dealing with large-scale public sector actors in Finland. There are plenty of kinds of players involved.
Whether or not I would recommend the solution depends. If you are utilizing some solutions where you need the Microsoft platform-based database, it's completely okay. And if you have, for example, the solutions where you have utilized Transact-SQL or whatever, it's okay. However, if you have this kind of situation where you can make your own choices freely, you have options. And if you're utilizing Java or C, et cetera, quite often the path or logic would go towards some of the databases on the Microsoft side.
There is no clear answer. Quite often when you begin to think about your solution or you think about what you are building, the database is the first thing you decide on. There are other factors too, such as a business case or if you're just building from scratch and so on and so on. I wouldn't like to say that I never would recommend it, however, if you are building everything from the scratch and you can make all the decisions, likely it is not the first option you have or I'd suggest.
I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
ICT Consultant at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Stable, easy to use, and simple to deploy
Pros and Cons
- "The product can scale if a company needs it to."
- "The solution could be more secure."
What is our primary use case?
We have used it in a variety of ways, including for e-commerce deployments.
What is most valuable?
The solution is easy to use.
The deployments are very easy.
Technical support is very helpful.
The product can scale if a company needs it to.
The stability is quite reliable.
What needs improvement?
The product can cost a bit, however, it depends on how you use it.
The solution could be more secure.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution over a number of years. I may have started originally around 2000. It's likely been two decades or so.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is quite stable. there are no bugs or glitches. it doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
You can scale this solution if you need to. It's not an issue.
Everyone in our company is using the product. We have about 80 users on it currently.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support has been helpful and responsive. We have no complaints. We are satisfied with the level of service provided to our company.
How was the initial setup?
The solution is very easy to deploy. It's not a problem.
The amount of time it takes to deploy depends on what you want the solution to do for your company.
What about the implementation team?
We have an installer available to us that can guide us through the process and help us choose the right options.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution can get expensive. You do need to pay a licensing fee in order to use it. I can't speak to the exact costs. There are different subscription types and the subscription a company needs depends on the deployment they have in mind.
What other advice do I have?
I've used the solution on a couple of deployments and also deploy patches.
I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten.
I would recommend the solution to other organizations and companies.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Information Technology Manager at OrchidaSoft
Reliable, easy to maintain, easy to develop, and easy to use
Pros and Cons
- "The performance of SQL Server is perfect."
- "Security is an area that can be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We develop software for another company. We mainly develop on-premises solutions.
We use this solution with our accounting ERP software. Our product is called Orchida ERP and we have many clients in Egypt who are using this software. Its database is SQL Server.
We mainly work in ERP.
We currently have a small project in SharePoint for Microsoft, but 80% of our work is with Orchida ERP
We have our software with SQL server for 20 years. Our software will not work without SQL Server.
We provide consultancy in installing this solution for our clients.
What is most valuable?
It is easy to maintain, and it's easy to set up.
It is also easy to develop. Overall, it's easy.
It can work with many different sizes of data, anywhere from 10 to 50 gigs of data.
The performance of SQL Server is perfect. It does not need to be enhanced.
What needs improvement?
If you work with more than 50 gigs of data, it will run slower than Oracle.
Security is an area that can be improved. It could be more secure; more security is needed.
We have some clients who have been exposed to the SQL injection virus.
We would like SQL to be able to manage this problem or to come up with an alerting system to alert the user that the server has been exposed. This has become more of an issue because of the Corona Virus and people are working from home.
Some have been infected by the SQL injection Virus and will lose their data.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using SQL Server for 20 years.
Most of our clients work with version 14 and version 19, which is the latest.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
SQL Server is scalable. Our clients are medium-sized companies, not large. They don't have professional IT.
We have 20 people in our organization who are using this solution, but we have many clients who are using it. We sell our consultancy service to more than 200 clients every year.
How are customer service and technical support?
If we have any issues, we search Google and the internet to resolve them.
Our company has not used Microsoft Support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have tried many versions of Oracle, including Oracle 11, Oracle 12, and the latest version, which is easy to maintain and similar to Microsoft.
Some of our clients are also using Express SQL. It is not good, but also not bad. If you have small amounts of data then it will meet the requirements.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is straightforward. It is easy, you continuously click the next button until you are done.
It takes 20 to 25 minutes to install. There are no issues with the installation, it is very basic.
What about the implementation team?
We did not use an integrator, we have an in-house team to install and implement this solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Some of our clients purchase the license and others do not; they use Express SQL Server.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
One of our clients is using an SQL Server on Linux. We don't use it but it is a very interesting product. It's a good trend, the Linux environment has become a market share that is growing in Egypt.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others who are interested in using it.
We can't compare this solution with other databases, as we do not have enough experience with other similar tools.
Overall, SQL Server is good. I would rate SQL Server an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
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Howard, yes our database name/server name changes across the environments. We manage this via visual studio configuration environments when creating the ispac or doing deployment from VS but that's just for initial setting defaults to show up within the jobs so we don't have to manually worry about them getting set correctly in the job parameters. The trick is making project parameters (package also works if in the driving package) do all the work for you in the connections by using a simple expression to set the connection values at runtime using those parameters. If your problem is that staff hard coded connections with no parameter override then that's a pretty serious staffing competency issue rather than technical problem.