We use this solution for data warehousing and products to the platforms developed by the company.
Infrastructure and Networks at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Reasonably priced, stable, scalable, and the support is good
Pros and Cons
- "We like business integration, database, and analysis."
- "I would like to see more integration with other platforms."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
We like everything. We use all of the features that SQL offers.
We like business integration, database, and analysis.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see more integration with other platforms.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used this solution for more than ten years
We are using the latest version.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's a stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's a scalable solution and we have 1,000 users in our organization.
We are stabilizing, so we are not going to increase our usage with SQL.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is okay. We don't have any issues with them.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward.
It took a couple of hours to install, no more than that.
What about the implementation team?
We completed the implementation ourselves.
We have a team of 34 admins and engineers to deploy and maintain this solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We purchased our license and the pricing is fine for us.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others.
I would rate SQL Server a nine 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.
Chief Information Officer at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
Good SSMS and profiling tools that work well for internal applications
Pros and Cons
- "I like that the new version has a memory-optimized table to improve the performance."
- "I would like to see the performance improved. Migrating should be easier and the scalability needs improvement."
What is our primary use case?
We use SQL Server for our internal applications.
What is most valuable?
Working with SQL Server, it is quite convenient to use the SSMS tools to write a profile. I also like the profiling tools.
I like that the new version has a memory-optimized table to improve the performance.
What needs improvement?
We had some difficulty doing the performance tuning when we migrated from the 2008 version to the 2016 version. We experienced a drop in the performance. We could not understand or figure out what caused the drop in performance. We did not change any settings to cause this effect. We tried to keep the same settings.
We feel that when running the 2008 version, it was much quicker in terms of performance.
That is an area of SQL Server that can be improved. Moving to a new version, you shouldn't have to change the configuration.
We have not been able to utilize it fully because it is not straightforward.
I would like to see the performance improved. Migrating should be easier and the scalability needs improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for many years.
We are using version 2016.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's a stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
In terms of scalability, it has some room for improvement.
We have 20 people in our organization who are using this solution.
How are customer service and technical support?
We don't usually get support from Microsoft. We get it from our software vendors or we try to do it ourselves.
We are somewhat satisfied with the support that we have received from the vendor, but not fully because of the issue we faced when we moved to a newer version. But in other areas, it's okay.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have used SQL Server from the beginning.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was moderate. It was not easy but it was not difficult.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate SQL Server a nine 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.
Buyer's Guide
SQL Server
October 2024
Learn what your peers think about SQL Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2024.
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Data Architect at ACPAS Loan Management Software
Stable with good time zone features and easily scalable
Pros and Cons
- "If you need to, you can scale the solution very easily."
- "The solution is rather expensive."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for non-management processes.
What is most valuable?
The product is very good at centralizing information.
The solution has very good features related to timezones.
The product is quite stable.
If you need to, you can scale the solution very easily.
What needs improvement?
The solution has legacy issues when it comes to compatibility. If you have older technology, you may run into compatibility problems with SQL.
The solution is rather expensive.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for over a decade. It's been a long time. At this point, it's been about 12 years or so.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of the solution is excellent. We don't run into any issues with bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's fairly reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution scales well. if a company needs to expand its SQL server, it's not a problem to do so.
We do plan to continue to use it going forward. I'm unsure as to if we have plans to scale it, however.
How are customer service and technical support?
I don't have too much information on technical support, however, it's my understanding that if you need it, it is available.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We did not previously use a different solution. We've only ever really used SQL.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup isn't too complex. It's pretty straightforward, especially if you are setting up the cloud. It's very easy to provision. It requires fairly typical knowledge. If you are familiar with Windows software, you'll find that there isn't much of a challenge to the setup. I'd say it's not overly technical.
Deployment is fast. You can have it up and running in an hour or sometimes less.
You need about two people to handle the deployment of the solution.
What about the implementation team?
I handled the implementation myself. It's pretty easy, and not too technical, and therefore I didn't need the assistance of any consultants or integrators.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
You do need to pay for licensing in order to use the solution. It is a little bit expensive, however, it's not the most expensive option on the market. It's cheaper than the competition, however, as I mentioned, it's still pretty pricey.
What other advice do I have?
We're just a customer. We don't have a business relationship with the client.
We're using the latest version of the solution currently.
We use both cloud and on-premises deployment models.
I'd recommend this product to other organizations.
Overall, we've had a positive experience with the solution. I would rate it 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.
Analytics Manager - Data and Capability at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Scalable as a cloud, good as a data warehouse, and offers good analytics
Pros and Cons
- "As a data warehouse and storage solution, it's quite good."
- "The solution could use better governance on the management side, especially around data governance."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for many tasks. We use it as a data warehouse. However, we also use it for workflows and processing jobs.
What is most valuable?
The analytics are pretty good.
As a data warehouse and storage solution, it's quite good.
It's easy to put the data back onto the SQL Server or Oracle.
The solution is pretty fast. We find it to be responsive.
There are a lot of services, such as the SSISS, SIS, and SSI's that work quite well.
What needs improvement?
The solution could use better governance on the management side, especially around data governance.
The product could do better at allowing for integrations.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been working with the solution for many years. It's likely ten to 15 years at this point. It's well over a decade, so I have some long-term experience with the product overall.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability for the solution is good, at least where it concerns the cloud. Using the cloud makes everything very easy to scale. On-remises, if you run out of dick space, it's a bit difficult.
How are customer service and technical support?
We've been in touch with technical support in the past. We manage the data center ourselves, however, if we run into issues we know we can contact them for assistance. I'd say we are quite satisfied with the level of support we get.
How was the initial setup?
I can't recall how the initial setup was. It was a while ago. We've had the solution for a very long time.
What other advice do I have?
We're just customers and end-users.
I don't know if I would recommend the solution per se. There are other options out there. Something that is a NoSQL database. Something like Snowflake, for example, might be a very good option for data warehousing. They are more adept at handling different types of data.
You shouldn't have to create tables or systems, you should just be able to query files.
I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten. However, for the current scenarios we have, there are other options that may be more suitable. It's not the only product available on the market, and the competition is quite good.
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.
Lead Data Architect at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Easy to use and integrates well with other Microsoft products, but the performance needs improvement, and there are many hidden costs at the enterprise level
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features are ease of use and the integration with Single Sign On (SSO), as well as with other Microsoft products."
- "The performance needs some improvement and it needs more features integrated into it."
What is our primary use case?
We are using SQL server for both transactional and analytical purposes, and for storing the data.
How has it helped my organization?
We are familiar with Microsoft products and bringing another Microsoft product was a very easy transition.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features are ease of use and the integration with Single Sign On (SSO), as well as with other Microsoft products.
What needs improvement?
The performance needs some improvement and it needs more features integrated into it.
Technical support could be better.
Scalability could be less costly.
One of the conflicts with Microsoft is if you have an enterprise relationship, you have to deal with a third-party offering Microsoft solutions.
In the 2016 version, they don't have support for Python. It may be included with the 2019 version but if they don't, I would like to see support for Python implemented.
For how long have I used the solution?
The company has been using this solution for approximately 20 years. I was in contracting and now have been using it for approximately five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
SQL Server is pretty stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There is a concern with the scalability because it's an on-premise technology.
Scaling always comes with more costs and also the licensing cost increase, which makes it complex, and more difficult.
We have backend developers, data engineers, data scientists, and analysts using this solution.
How are customer service and technical support?
Most of the time, technical support is not straightforward and it goes to a third party.
I wouldn't say that it is great, but okay.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Previously, we had not used any other solutions. We have been a Microsoft shop from the beginning.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was not easy but not complex. Rather, it was somewhere in between.
What about the implementation team?
We did not use an integrator or reseller to deploy this solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Pricing is reasonable for small organizations, but the scaling increases the price.
For larger organizations that would be using enterprise solutions, it contains some hidden costs.
What other advice do I have?
It's suited for small organizations, but if someone from a larger organization is looking for this, they might have some problems implementing enterprise-wide solutions. This is because of the integrations, as there would be hidden costs to it.
The best parts of this solution are the costs and that it is easy to use, but the cons would be with implementing an enterprise-wide solution. There are many hidden factors, such as costs. Also, you have to put more effort into integrating with other solutions across the enterprise.
I would rate this solution a six 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.
System administrator at a mining and metals company with 10,001+ employees
Has high availability and good performance
Pros and Cons
- "The availability is the most valuable feature. It has high availability. It also has good performance."
- "In terms of improvement, it could use more integration with other products."
What is our primary use case?
My primary use case is for data mining and processing data from plants. It's normally just for databases for the systems.
What is most valuable?
The availability is the most valuable feature. It has high availability. It also has good performance.
What needs improvement?
In terms of improvement, it could use more integration with other products.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for around ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is good. We don't have any issues with stability or scalability.
How are customer service and technical support?
We have contacted support when we had Windows issues. They are okay, not the best but not the worst. They know what they're doing but they take a little too long. The response time isn't so good.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is mostly straightforward. The time it takes to deploy depends on the circumstances. It takes around three or four hours.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution. It's a good product. I am satisfied with it. It's familiar, we've been using SQL for a while.
I would rate it a nine out of ten. There's always room for improvement.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Programmer Analyst at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Creating and implementing stored procedures is a valuable features
What is our primary use case?
Very pleasing and satisfying experience.
- Used to create queries
- Implemented store procedures
- DBA can also use this effectively.
How has it helped my organization?
- Used to create queries
- Implemented store procedures
- DBA can also use this effectively.
- Reduces other manual work.
What is most valuable?
- Creating and executing SQL queries, transactions, ACID properties
- Creating and implementing stored procedures.
What needs improvement?
Every good tool has its own limitations.
- First of all its cost. It is very high.
- We need a good amount of RAM to properly use this.
- Sometimes, query sticks in between.
But our organization provides great RAM, so we don't have any issue with its speed.
For how long have I used the solution?
More than five years.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
No.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It's good.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
No.
What other advice do I have?
Go for it. Thumbs up.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Sr. Database and Application Administrator with 10,001+ employees
It will do clustering, so you can have two database servers looking at the same data simultaneously
Pros and Cons
- "You could have an offsite and an onsite, and if the onsite goes down, the offsite picks it up. I like that flexibility to provide continuing operations."
- "It is a simple query language. It is consistent across all versions. If you start with an older version, move to the newer version. The same code will still work."
- "It can go easily on a virtual machine and be accommodated by a virtual machine easily. That is a plus, as not all databases can handle that."
- "It will do clustering, so you can have two database servers looking at the same data simultaneously."
- "It pesters you to update the Client every month when there is nothing new that you really need to add, but it is constantly pestering you. I do not care for it."
How has it helped my organization?
It allows me to obtain access to data that I would not otherwise obtain access to from different programs. It has helped pull statistics and data, then put it into a report form to do some Power BI on it. This really helps people above me to view what we are doing, how we are doing it, and how to improve it.
Overall, it just makes your job simpler.
What is most valuable?
- Ease of installation.
- Ease of creating your databases.
- Ease of changing what your databases look like when you need to.
- Creating tables is simple.
- They have lots of different options that you can use for the fields within the tables.
It is a simple query language. It is consistent across all versions. If you start with an older version, move to the newer version. The same code will still work.
It can go easily on a virtual machine and be accommodated by a virtual machine easily. That is a plus, as not all databases can handle that. It also will do clustering, so you can have two database servers looking at the same data simultaneously.
You can always access the data. You could have an offsite and an onsite, and if the onsite goes down, the offsite picks it up. I like that flexibility to provide continuing operations.
What needs improvement?
Right now, the tool you use to query the system updates every month. It pesters you to update the Client every month when there is nothing new that you really need to add, but it is constantly pestering you. I do not care for it.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have no problems with stability at all, even when they are clustered.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability depends on the version. I have to know ahead of time what version I need, but that is typical of all database software. However, as long as I build it correctly, it works great.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have not had support for the SQL Server product.
This is Microsoft, so you just buy a ticket and they will just work with you until it is fixed. However, I have not had any issues where I needed to contact them.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used MySQL, because it is a free product. It was just hard to operate, do backups, and make automated. Also, it was not scalable.
How was the initial setup?
Initial setup is real simple. Just install it. Though, I recommend for new users to at least look online for training or a manual.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It has the easiest licensing.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We are a Microsoft shop, so we use Active Directory. That integrates well with this product, but we did look at Oracle. We also looked at IBM. This was the best price point for us for what we were getting.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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