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Mohamed Abozied - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Administrator at Alsafy
Real User
Great for creating backups and databases but needs more security updates
Pros and Cons
  • "It's a very stable solution."
  • "There should be more security updates for the product."

What is our primary use case?

I use the SQL Server for backups and for creating databases and a lot of other stuff. I also use it to shrink data and some stuff like this. 

What is most valuable?

The solution is great for creating backups.

You can create databases using this product.

I like the way you can shrink the volume using SQL.

It's a very stable solution.

I've found the product to be able to scale well. 

What needs improvement?

There should be more security updates for the product. That would be ideal. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for about five or six years. I've used it for quite a while at this point. 

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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of the product is great. 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?

So far, I have found the solution to be quite scalable. If a company needs to expand it out, it can do so. 

We have about 4,000 users on the solution currently. About five to seven different departments use it. 

How are customer service and support?

I don't directly deal with technical support. That would be handled by a different department and a person who is responsible for dealing with issues. Therefore, I can't speak to how helpful or responsive they would be. 

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

I did not use a different solution before using SQL. 

How was the initial setup?

It's easy for anyone to install. For me, it was good and easy to install. A company shouldn't have any issues tacking the process. 

The deployment is quick. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes. That's it. 

What about the implementation team?

I didn't need the assistance of consultants or integrators. It was something I could handle on my own. 

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

You can pay an annual or monthly licensing fee in order to use the solution. 

What other advice do I have?

I'd recommend the solution to others. It's very useful.

I'd rate the solution at a seven 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
Sr. DBA/Developer at Morningstar
Real User
Top 20
Stable with good scalability potential and very easy to manage
Pros and Cons
  • "SQL is very easy to manage."
  • "Occasionally the performance, as good as it is, is a bit off. We sometimes experience memory spiking. If they could maybe fix that aspect of the solution, that would be quite helpful for our organization."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for our daily operations.

How has it helped my organization?

The solution has provided our clients with some valuable data feeds.

What is most valuable?

The performance is a very valuable aspect of the solution.

SQL is very easy to manage.

What needs improvement?

Occasionally the performance, as good as it is, is a bit off. We sometimes experience memory spiking. If they could maybe fix that aspect of the solution, that would be quite helpful for our organization.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been using the solution for more than ten years at this point.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is extremely stable. We haven't had issues. We don't really experience bugs or glitches and haven't had the system crash on us before.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of the solution is very good. A company that needs to expand should be able to do so fairly easily.

We have about ten people using SQL at our organization. Some are in Operations. Some are developers.

The data we have is constantly expanding and growing for us, so we already are increasing the capacity of the SQL server. We'll continue to do so as necessary.

How are customer service and technical support?

If we have any issues, we contact Microsoft. We only do so if something happens and we can't fix it ourselves. It hasn't happened too many times, and it usually doesn't revert to me to reach out, so although I know we have used them in the past, I myself have no direct experience dealing with them.

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

It's been about ten years since we started using SQL, which is quite a long time. I don't recall if we used a different solution before that or not. If we did, I don't know what it would have been.

How was the initial setup?

I'm not sure how to answer as to if the solution is straightforward or complex in terms of setup. I didn't handle the deployment, so I'm not the person who would be best equipped to answer these types of questions.

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

I'm not the person that deals with billing and payments, so I don't know what the cost of the solution is, or if it is monthly or yearly billing. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I'm not sure if we would have looked at something else or what it might have been. If there was research and a comparison was done, that would have been a decade ago. It's been a long time. 

What other advice do I have?

We are using the 2008 and 2017 versions.

I'd like others to know that SQL is easy to use and easy to manage. It also offers pretty good performance, in my opinion.

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten. It's not too expensive, or at least that is my understanding, but I am aware there are lots of open source options out there as well companies may want to consider.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
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.
831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.
reviewer1635153 - PeerSpot reviewer
VP Global Information Technology at a insurance company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
A scalable and stable solution with a flawless setup
Pros and Cons
  • "The initial setup is easy, flawless."
  • "I want to see one improvement and this involves the replication between the DC and DR."

What is our primary use case?

We are using the latest version.

We can use the solution for the same application. On the database side we have Microsoft SQL and on the operating system side we have 2019.

What needs improvement?

I want to see one improvement and this involves the replication between the DC and DR. We have limited options at the moment and it does not lend sufficient support for the number of databases. This means we have a huge number of databases, topping approximately 2,000. For the moment, this particular replication is not supported by SQL. 

The support number of databases needs to be increased, as well as the database number of databases that it supports. That support cannot be found when it comes to the replication between the DC and DR. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using SQL Server for ten years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is sufficiently stable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable. 

How are customer service and technical support?

When it comes to the speed, knowledge and customer-friendliness of the technical support, we feel these to be good. 

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

We did not use other solutions prior to SQL Server. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is easy, flawless. 

It lasts a single day. 

What about the implementation team?

We handed the implementation on our own. 

This involved a technical team of 15 people. 

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

There is a need to pay for the license for SQL Server. We have an enterprise license, which we consider to be fine. 

What other advice do I have?

We have 10,000 customers. 

I would recommend the solution to others. 

SQL Server is good and I rate it as 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.
PeerSpot user
System Administrator at ARTIc
Real User
Easy query creation, scalable, and reliable
Pros and Cons
  • "We have found the solution valuable because we are able to easily create a query, shrink, backup, and make new tables."
  • "If you are a new user then this solution could be difficult, they could improve by making the overall usage easier."

What is our primary use case?

We are using SQL Server for the backend of our SAP and are planning on moving to a cloud version soon.

How has it helped my organization?

This solution has helped our organization by providing a backbone for our SAP. We would not be able to operate without it.

What is most valuable?

We have found the solution valuable because we are able to easily create a query, shrink, backup, and make new tables.

What needs improvement?

We are using an older version of SQL Server and the migration to a newer version could be made easier.

If you are a new user then this solution could be difficult, they could improve by making the overall usage easier.

In an upcoming release, they could improve the ability to customize the solution.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using SQL Server for approximately ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We have not experienced any problems with the stability of this solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

SQL Server is scalable.

How are customer service and technical support?

We have not used the support from Microsoft. However, we did have freelance support a few times.

How was the initial setup?

The installation is very easy. We did not have any challenges.

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

The price of the solution is very expensive. If I went with the cloud version of SQL a license would cost me approximately 11,000 Riyals per month.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We have a team that has evaluated other solutions before we chose SQL Server, such as Oracle.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution. However, Oracle has a good reputation for quality that might be a better choice.

I 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
PeerSpot user
Digital Transformation Architect at Comdata
Real User
Very stable, user-friendly, easy to troubleshoot, and easy to manage databases
Pros and Cons
  • "It is a very user-friendly solution. It is easy to manage the databases and troubleshoot any issue. It is a perfect solution for the volume or transactions that we need to manage."
  • "The way to make cursors and manage raw data in rows can be improved. Currently, the way to construct or build these cursors is very hard, and you can waste memory. You need a highly skilled person to make it more efficient. It can also have support for Cubes, which is the organization of data in different dimensions by using MDX languages."

What is our primary use case?

We developed a product that is using five or six databases supported on SQL Server. 

What is most valuable?

It is a very user-friendly solution. It is easy to manage the databases and troubleshoot any issue. It is a perfect solution for the volume or transactions that we need to manage.

What needs improvement?

The way to make cursors and manage raw data in rows can be improved. Currently, the way to construct or build these cursors is very hard, and you can waste memory. You need a highly skilled person to make it more efficient.

It can also have support for Cubes, which is the organization of data in different dimensions by using MDX languages.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is very stable. I would rate it an eight out of ten in terms of stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is scalable. You can get scalability by using the link servers, or you can create another instance in another server and make a link with that server. It is very quick.

We have around 50 users of this solution.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have not interacted with them.

How was the initial setup?

Its initial setup is easy. It takes a week. One of the things that you need to pay attention to is the collection.

What other advice do I have?

It is a nice product. You can use it as you want. If you don't know how to use it, you will waste it. Oracle is more powerful than this, but it is great for our needs.

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
Rafael Keller - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Manager at Pluris Midia
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Good technical support, easy to set up, and the documentation is helpful
Pros and Cons
  • "The documentation and manuals are very good."
  • "I would like to have the option to use fewer processors for certain tasks, thus reducing the licensing fee."

What is our primary use case?

The primary use is to maintain my database client.

What is most valuable?

What I like best about this product is the environment.

The documentation and manuals are very good.

What needs improvement?

The pricing could be improved.

I would like to have the option to use fewer processors for certain tasks, thus reducing the licensing fee. That would be great.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with SQL Server for more than 10 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I use SQL Server on a daily basis.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is not very good because when you add processors to the machine, the price of the license goes up. Scaling is very expensive. We have approximately 500 people who are using it.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is very good.

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

We used the Oracle Database prior to SQL Server.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is simple and the deployment took one day.

What about the implementation team?

We had assistance with our deployment and the experience was very good.

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

This is an expensive product, especially when you need two servers, or for enterprise solutions. We pay approximately $12,000 USD per month for both the server and the license.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

At this time, all of my applications are running on SQL Server. However, in the future, if the application can be migrated to Oracle or another database then I may do that because SQL Server is very expensive.

What other advice do I have?

This is a good product, although my advice is that if a company can afford it then they should use Oracle instead.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

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?

Other
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Girish Vijay - PeerSpot reviewer
Deputy Manager IT at Carl Bechem Lubricants India Pvt. Ltd.
Real User
Top 5
Users can quickly and efficiently retrieve a large amount of records from a database
Pros and Cons
  • "The latest version supports for big data analytics. SQL Server's vector processing-based batch execution mode is now available to the entire execution of R or Python code. Since much of the work that tends to be done in R and Python involves aggregation, batch mode - which processes rows of data several at a time, can be very helpful."
  • "CAL licenses should cost less. Microsoft usually prices high for client access licenses. Server plus user client access license (CAL) licensing requires a separate Server license for each server on which the software is installed, plus a user CAL for each user accessing the server."

What is our primary use case?

ERP Database.

Using the SQL queries, the user can quickly and efficiently retrieve a large number of records from a database. In standard SQL, it is very easy to manage the database system. It doesn't require a substantial amount of code to manage the database system. Long established are used by the SQL databases that are being used by ISO and ANSI. Using the SQL language, the users can make different views of the database structure.SQL has a difficult interface that makes few users uncomfortable while dealing with the database.

How has it helped my organization?

Microsoft database is very user friendly. This new version of SQL Server continues to meet these twin demands. It adds new features from the worlds of data science and NoSQL. It offers cross-platform capabilities and Docker container compatibility. But it also reinforces its investment in core database engine performance, ease of index maintenance, high availability, and data warehouse performance. That's a difficult balance and one that other database vendors don't have to meet. While this may be Microsoft's cross to bear, the company does pretty well with it, turning a formidable challenge into a positive market differentiator.

What is most valuable?

The latest version supports for big data analytics. SQL Server's vector processing-based batch execution mode is now available to the entire execution of R or Python code. Since much of the work that tends to be done in R and Python involves aggregation, batch mode - which processes rows of data several at a time, can be very helpful. Two other new batch mode features, memory grant feedback, and adaptive joins will enhance SQL Server's performance and efficiency as well. It is good to move from Microsoft to deal with big data analytics

What needs improvement?

CAL licenses should cost less. Microsoft usually prices high for client access licenses. Server plus user client access license (CAL) licensing requires a separate Server license for each server on which the software is installed, plus a user CAL for each user accessing the server. A SQL Server CAL is required for a user to access or use the services or functionality of either edition of SQL Server and frequent updates to the latest versions will lead to obsolete and discontinuing the security patches has to be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

Since two years

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Very good stability with 250-300 users.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This product can withstand with 250-300 users.

How are customer service and technical support?

Very good.

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

SQL standard 2008.

How was the initial setup?

Straightforward - no complexity.

What about the implementation team?

Vendor team with an in-house team.

What was our ROI?

2 years.

What other advice do I have?

It is an overall very good product.

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
reviewer2112948 - PeerSpot reviewer
Consultant at a transportation company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Top 5
Backups data quickly and initial setup is easy
Pros and Cons
  • "Managing database is very good."
  • "Sometimes we experience issues with its stability."

What is our primary use case?

We do backups or restore or query tables to create the views, create some triggers to send the attachment report files, and to report on data.

What is most valuable?

It makes managing the database easy. Backups are very quick.

What needs improvement?

Sometimes we experience issues with its stability.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have experience with SQL Server for 3-4 years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Sometimes we experience issues with its stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Five thousand users are using the solution. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is easy. Fifteen twenty minutes required for deployment. 

What other advice do I have?

Overall, I would rate the solution 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
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Updated: December 2024
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