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reviewer1643577 - PeerSpot reviewer
Project Manager at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
Reseller
Overall good functionality, scalable, and stable
Pros and Cons
  • "In Poland, SQL Server is the most popular database engine, and overall, our customers like it."
  • "For small-scale businesses, Microsoft could improve by removing some limits in SQL Express."

What is our primary use case?

SQL Server is our main database solution. For example, we use it for our contact center software.

What is most valuable?

In Poland, SQL Server is the most popular database engine, and overall, our customers like it.

What needs improvement?

For small-scale businesses, Microsoft could improve by removing some limits in SQL Express.

In the future, it would be a benefit to have web-based management capabilities.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for approximately five years.

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December 2024
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Five years ago there were some stability issues but in the current version, the stability is good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable.

How are customer service and support?

We use the documentation provided online by Microsoft that has been helpful. We do not need to use technical support because we have many high-level technical staff who know how to use the solution.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very simple.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

For smaller companies, they find this solution expensive.

What other advice do I have?

I rate SQL Server an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: reseller
PeerSpot user
Engineer / MS SQL DBA at Solvinity
User
This solution has proven stability and operational power
Pros and Cons
  • "This solution has proven stability and operational power."
  • "Improvements to the indexing, columnstore indexing, and high availability groups are good improvements for future versions."

What is our primary use case?

The database is primarily used as back-end storage.

How has it helped my organization?

As an engineer working for multiple organisations, MS SQL has proven stability and operational power.

What is most valuable?

The additional tools, like SSIS and reporting services, make this solution useful.

What needs improvement?

Improvements to the indexing, columnstore indexing, and high availability groups are good improvements for future versions.

For how long have I used the solution?

More than five years.

What other advice do I have?

MS SQL is constantly improving their products. New options, such as managing with PowerShell, are good improvements.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
SQL Server
December 2024
Learn what your peers think about SQL Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2024.
831,369 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Data Analyst
Real User
Its lead and lag functions have helped us reduce a lot of code needed when comparing rows
Pros and Cons
  • "I love SQL Server's Common Table Expression. In addition to that, I like its lead and lag functions. That helped us reduce a lot of code when comparing rows in SQL Server."
  • "The way SQL Server pivots data could be improved. For example, I would like built-in comma-separated pivot and unpivot functions."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use SQL Server for reporting.

What is most valuable?

I love SQL Server's Common Table Expression. In addition to that, I like its lead and lag functions. That helped us reduce a lot of code when comparing rows in SQL Server.

What needs improvement?

The way SQL Server pivots data could be improved. For example, I would like built-in comma-separated pivot and unpivot functions. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been working with SQL Server for the past seven years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

SQL Server is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

SQL Server is scalable. I can't say if we'll increase usage in the future because I'm only working here as an analyst. It's a company decision. If necessary, then I can make a recommendation. I can go for that if the client wants, so it depends entirely on our client. If the client wants Oracle instead of Microsoft, I don't have an option.

How are customer service and support?

I never contacted Microsoft support about SQL Server, but I have called about Power BI one or two times. It was great support.

What other advice do I have?

I rate SQL Server eight out of 10. 

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?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
CEO at netison
Real User
Simple to use and in demand among our customers
Pros and Cons
  • "SQL Server is widely used and it's simple. You cannot do without Microsoft if you want to manage IT for a business customer."

    What is our primary use case?

    We manage backups for our customers, so we are not developers and we don't use SQL to provide a service. We are a managed service provider focused more on IT support and SQL configuration. So we don't use SQL as a product by ourselves. Instead, we provide instructions for how to back up SQL and do maintenance on it for our customers who need a SQL server for their CRM and ERP products. Their products need to have a SQL server to use in order to use their services. So we handle the maintenance for our customers.

    What is most valuable?

    Microsoft has a very broad landscape of products that they provide—almost everything that you need. SQL Server is widely used and it's simple. You cannot do without Microsoft if you want to manage IT for a business customer. And even if you don't like Microsoft, you should know how to use it because just about every customer uses Microsoft, so you have to use it. So it doesn't matter if I like it. It's everywhere, so you have to know how to use it.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've been using Microsoft SQL Server for 25 years now.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    We are a reseller of Microsoft. We also signed the SPLA agreement, which stands for Services Provider License Agreement. So we are able to use Microsoft products in our data center in order to provide cloud services to our customers.

    What other advice do I have?

    I rate SQL Server nine out of 10.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    reviewer1476273 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Manager with 501-1,000 employees
    Real User
    Popular, works well, and easy to use and deploy
    Pros and Cons
    • "It is a typical database solution, and it is working well so far. It is easy to use, and it is also very common and popular, which makes it easy to find a support partner."
    • "It will be very useful to have high-level database monitoring. It should also have built-in business intelligence reporting."

    What is most valuable?

    It is a typical database solution, and it is working well so far. It is easy to use, and it is also very common and popular, which makes it easy to find a support partner.

    What needs improvement?

    It will be very useful to have high-level database monitoring. It should also have built-in business intelligence reporting.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using this solution for more than ten years.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    We have around approximately 600 or 700 users of this solution. Currently, everybody is using this solution, and we don't have a plan to increase its usage.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    We don't have a direct connection with Microsoft support. We have a support partner who is in contact with the official Microsoft support.

    How was the initial setup?

    Its initial setup is easy.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would recommend this solution. I would 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.
    PeerSpot user
    reviewer1503438 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Specialist Systems Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
    Real User
    Easy to install and helps us to keep customer data safe
    Pros and Cons
    • "I use the menu on the management view credit section to get information from the database."

      What is our primary use case?

      We use SQL Server for database integration as we sometimes use queries to take information from the database. For example, if I need a couple of information that is archived or not indexed, I will inform the SQL Server team to help.

      What is most valuable?

      I use the menu on the management view credit section to get information from the database.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      I have been using SQL Server for eight to ten years, but I still check Google for things that aren't clear to me. For service delivery, we use on-premises solutions for our customers.

      What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

      We don't use SQL Server as our primary product. Our focus is on safe customer SQL admin as we don't want problems with customer data in our system.

      How are customer service and technical support?

      I think we consulted once for support in the active directory. We requested the support of Integration Engineers for installation, and their service was very good. However, in the last eight years, we have also used Microsoft support with satisfaction.

      How was the initial setup?

      For the initial installation process, I did an installation for database testing using SQL Server Express. Sometimes, the trials for the samplers are not allowing the SQL Server Express. So, when I was doing the installation, I just selected database management because it isn't the default and it has helped me not to fill out the same details for future use.

      What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

      I cannot answer that question concerning pricing and licensing because I'm just a technical staff member. However, we are just a customer of Microsoft and some of our clients say SQL Server is very high in price.

      What other advice do I have?

      SQL Server is a very good product and we use Microsoft SQL Server software that runs on Windows as most of our clients make use of the Windows operating system. But I don't have a hundred percent trust in Microsoft products. Why am I saying that? This is not a security issue. I am just... We are hitting this kind of issue because, as you know, Windows servers sometimes get corrupted or we need to restart them.

      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.
      PeerSpot user
      PeerSpot user
      DBA,data architectuire at LG CNS Co.
      Real User
      License price is lower than Oracle's

      What is our primary use case?

      The customer's MES system  use it.  The database system desgin as always on architecture.

      Like Data guard in Oracle , always on contain double data and sync data by using transactions store in transaction log

      How has it helped my organization?

      It is easy to establish, and the license price is lower than that of Oracle.  

      Otherwise, our customer could can replace primary databases from Oracle into MSSQL AG

      Base on  windows cluster,  the always on no needs complicated config process.

      Just click and click following  GUI interface.

      What is most valuable?

      table partition options,  that is very useful to separate unnecessary cost. 

      For legacy data,  we can do partition swith out and store into flat files or old tables.

      When it necessary, we can switch in back.

      What needs improvement?

      Horizontal partitioning.  

      In that case,  cold , warm and hot data can be distributed into different database not only table partition located on different FGs .

      For how long have I used the solution?

      Three to five years.

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      Sometimes , when windows server suddently failed, the database still can be turn on when DB server started.

      What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

      When do "sp_rename" or "table rebuild" , the cluster index or non-cluster index no needs to rebuild at same time

      How are customer service and technical support?

      Customer always comes out many questions

      Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

      I have no choice. our customer choose MS SQL 

      How was the initial setup?

       initial setup straightforward

      What about the implementation team?

      ordinary level

      What was our ROI?

      database administrator

      What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

      Migration local database into cloud

      Which other solutions did I evaluate?

      No, I  have to accepted it 

      What other advice do I have?

      subpartition is necessary

      Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
      PeerSpot user
      PeerSpot user
      Brazil IT Coordinator at a transportation company with 1,001-5,000 employees
      Real User
      You can share the results of an integration without having to share the file. The performance could be better.

      What is most valuable?

      The most valuable feature is the easy installation. The user just needs to know how to read.

      How has it helped my organization?

      The SQL Server is helping us with the most feared corporate problem: Excel spreadsheets. The individual user can perform an integration and share the same results with others without the necessity to "share" the file. This reduces the data traffic on my company network.

      What needs improvement?

      Table partition and memory management. The performance could be better.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      I have used it for more than 10 years.

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      The SQL Server has a big issue when some systems use Java as a primary software interface. This database loses the ability to manage memory, consequently locking the processes and losing performance in the execution of some robust queries.

      What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

      Unfortunately, this database doesn't have a good concept of partition table. If you need to create monthly (Jan. to Dec.) partitions in one table, this action creates 12 different files for the same table. In others databases, this process is more transparent and capable to create partitions inside the same database.

      How are customer service and technical support?

      The technical support team for the SQL Server is very friendly, if we compare with others commercial database products. Not only with Microsoft, but this database has more technical information published on the internet, books, and self-taught users to help.

      Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

      I am still using other commercial solutions, but the price of this database is much less expensive than others. It is about four times less expensive.

      How was the initial setup?

      The initial setup is one of the good things about MS SQL. It is very easy to do and start the development that you need to use after the installation.

      What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

      In my point of view, the MS SQL is the most inexpensive database commercial solution. If do you need to build a consistent ERP for example, with a medium to hard capability, and don't have much budget to spend it, this is your solution.

      Which other solutions did I evaluate?

      Of course, I evaluated other options! I never choose the first option and I always try to look around to find competitive vendor options. I already know and have expertise with IBM/DB2 and Oracle solutions. For this new architecture, MS SQL was the best option at the moment for being a pilot project.

      What other advice do I have?

      I suggest that you are first familiar with the bundle functions and plan some of the functions before starting the project. Find more information about the routines and how easy or hard it might be to start the development when you are thinking about cascade and constraints.

      Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
      PeerSpot user
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