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.
Network Administrator at Alsafy
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?
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.
Executive Director at a manufacturing company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Intuitive features, low maintenance, and reliable
Pros and Cons
- "SQL Server is similar to other Microsoft products, such as BI, they are easy to use. You do not need to have an expensive BD to maintain them. All the useful intuitive features you find in Microsoft solutions you will find in SQL Server."
- "Since this is a relational order system, scalability has a limit. If your system is very big, you need bigger servers and you have to spend more money. We scale a system up to a certain level, and then we move or shift data to the warehouse, which is NoSQL. We then do not have any bottleneck in scaling. For using this technique we are happy with it."
What is our primary use case?
We have a few transitional systems in our large company that we maintain with Microsoft SQL Server.
What is most valuable?
SQL Server is similar to other Microsoft products, such as BI, they are easy to use. You do not need to have an expensive BD to maintain them. All the useful intuitive features you find in Microsoft solutions you will find in SQL Server.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used SQL Server within the past 12 months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
SQL Server is stable. However, every product has limitations. It is stable for a certain amount of workload. Beyond the capabilities of this solution, you will need other data solutions, such as Oracle. A solution that is more secure.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Since this is a relational order system, scalability has a limit. If your system is very big, you need bigger servers and you have to spend more money. We scale a system up to a certain level, and then we move or shift data to the warehouse, which is NoSQL. We then do not have any bottleneck in scaling. For using this technique we are happy with it.
It is hard to tell or count how much data we are using because being one of the leading companies in Bangladesh, we have many teams who work on it. Different teams work on many different technologies.
We have not had an issue with the scalability SQL Server.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
For databases, we have used a lot of data tests with other solutions, such as Oracle. We have used all Oracle data, Postgres, and a few others.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very straightforward. You do not have to worry about the management of the SQL Server instance.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
To scale the solution there are additional costs.
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.
Buyer's Guide
SQL Server
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about SQL Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
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Senior Database Administrator at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
Easy to use, quick to set up, and pretty scalable
Pros and Cons
- "The ease of administration, in general, is the solution's most valuable aspect."
- "Its ability to handle certain kinds of large data could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the product for internally developed applications. There's some business intelligence and data warehousing used as well as some financial information.
How has it helped my organization?
It's evolved over the years. It's become a truly useful enterprise situation and an enterprise tool. The amount of data that it can contain is significant.
What is most valuable?
The ease of administration, in general, is the solution's most valuable aspect.
You can make the solution work pretty fast. Performance isn't an issue.
The initial setup is quick and easy.
The solution is stable.
The scalability is good.
What needs improvement?
Its ability to handle certain kinds of large data could be improved. Its high availability, segmentation, and disaster recovery features can be improved upon also.
There are not really any significant features that I'd like to see added to it.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for a long time. It's been 25 to 30 years at this point.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution offers very good performance and is pretty reliable.
The stability is excellent. There are no bugs or glitches. it doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution scales pretty well. I would rate it at a four out of five. If a company needs to expand, it shouldn't be an issue.
It's used pretty extensively by a lot of people in our organization. It's used for everything from management to clerks and external users. Clients use it in some way, shape, or form.
How are customer service and technical support?
I've used technical support in the past and I would rate them as average. They aren't bad.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I've also used Oracle and MySQL in the past. This company hasn't switched. I've just used other solutions in various roles over the years. We have Oracle in place for our financials still. There's no need for my SQL and Postgres. They're open-source tools.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very straightforward and the deployment is quick. You can have it up and running in three minutes. It's not a problem to get it set up.
You only need one person to handle any maintenance tasks on it.
What about the implementation team?
We handled the entire deployment in-house. We did not need an integrator or consultant to assist us.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The licensing cost varies widely, depending upon what methodology you employ. It could be very cheap, for example, it could be less than $2,000. Alternatively, it can go up to well over $100,000.
What other advice do I have?
I'm a customer and an end-user.
I'm currently using the most recent version of the solution.
I'd advise those who wish to use the solution to first practice a bit with it.
I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten. It's a very solid product. It's very stable. The ease of use is pretty high and the amount of support that's freely available for it is significant.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private 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.
IT Service Manager at Kuveyt Turk Participation Bank
Easy to set up, very stable, and quite scalable
Pros and Cons
- "The solution has proven to be very stable."
- "The solution could offer more integration with other platforms."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for our banking database.
What is most valuable?
Overall, it's a very good device.
The solution has proven to be very stable.
The scalability potential is very high.
The initial setup is very straightforward and the deployment happens very quickly.
What needs improvement?
The solution could offer more integration with other platforms.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for about ten years or so. It's been about a decade. It's been a while.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is very stable, from my experience. It doesn't crash or freeze. There are no bugs or glitches. I've used it for ten years with very few issues. The performance and reliability are very good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution can scale quite well. If your company needs to expand it, it can do so pretty easily. It's not hard.
We currently have 5,000 users on the solution.
We do plan to increase usage in the future.
How are customer service and technical support?
We've dealt with Microsoft technical support in the past and we were very satisfied with the level of service provided to us. They are knowledgeable and responsive.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. I wouldn't describe it as difficult or complex. It's actually very simple. A company shouldn't have too much trouble with the implementation.
The deployment was fast and barely took two days.
We have five people on staff who can handle the deployment and maintenance for us. They are administrators and engineers.
What about the implementation team?
We had a consultant that assisted us with the implementation. They were very helpful and made the implementation very simple.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We pay a yearly license to Microsoft. I can't speak of the exact cost, however.
What other advice do I have?
We're likely using the latest version of the solution.
I'd rate the product at a nine out of ten. We have been very satisfied with its capabilities over the last decade.
I'd recommend the solution to other users and companies.
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.
IT Cybersecurity and Compliance Coordinator at Plaenge
Exceptional performance and robust stability, ensuring a highly secure environment
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of SQL Server is that it is easy to set up."
- "There is room for improvement in terms of pricing for SQL Server."
What is our primary use case?
I use SQL Server for my SharePoint environment.
How has it helped my organization?
It offers exceptional performance and robust stability, ensuring a highly secure environment.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of SQL Server is that it is easy to set up.
What needs improvement?
There is room for improvement in terms of pricing for SQL Server.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with SQL Server for ten years.
I am working on the most updated version.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate the stability a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I would rate the scalability a nine out of ten.
I plan to increase my usage in the future.
How are customer service and support?
I would rate the technical support a ten out of ten.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward.
It is easy to install.
What was our ROI?
There is a return on investment. The cost benefits are good.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The cost associated with SQL Servers is on the higher side.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
While there are other options available such as Oracle Database, Firebird, and MySQL, we specifically chose SQL Server to fulfill our needs for Microsoft services.
We opted for SQL Server as our scalable server solution to meet the requirements of our Microsoft services.
What other advice do I have?
It's a good solution.
I would rate SQL Server a nine out of ten.
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.
Sr. Solution Architect at Team Computers
User-friendly with ability to extract data from the server and store it in a local data source
Pros and Cons
- "can extract data from the server and store it in a local data source for BI purposes."
- "Performance could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We use this solution to extract data. We have a partnership with Microsoft and I'm a solutions architect.
What is most valuable?
This is a user-friendly solution. It's great that I can extract the data from the SQL server and store it in my local data source for BI purposes.
What needs improvement?
I think that performance could be improved and SQL presents some challenges for us.
For how long have I used the solution?
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We haven't faced any scalability issues. We have over 200 users.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I interact with multiple data sources, multiple customers and their ERPs. It can be Oracle, SAP or MongoDB among other solutions. MongoDB, for example, is a little more complex than the SQL Server and we often have more of a challenge establishing a connection with MongoDB.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not a problem.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
This solution is moderately expensive.
What other advice do I have?
I can definitely recommend this solution to smaller and midsize organizations. I rate this solution eight out of 10.
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
Team Lead, Process Improvement at Fidelity Bank Plc
Easy to use, reliable and simple to set up
Pros and Cons
- "Backups hardly get corrupt."
- "The pricing could be more affordable."
What is our primary use case?
I use the client, however, I can also use the server, the Microsoft SQL Server Studio. I can use both, both the client and the studio.
We connected Automation Anywhere to the DB. Our reporting tool is also connected to that DB. Our financial application is also connected to the DB and some other databases too as well as some of our APIs.
What is most valuable?
I like the way it can manage the users from the security section where you can change their roles.
SQL is simple to manage, as long as you know the script, and know the tables that you make reference to. If there are errors, you can easily debug them.
You can easily debug and resolve your issues.
The ease of backup, how you can back up and call up your backups too is great. Backups hardly get corrupt, except if maybe you have some bad hard drive clusters or bad hard drive sectors.
It is stable.
It's an easy-to-use product.
I find the solution to be scalable.
What needs improvement?
The pricing could be more affordable.
It's like to see less frequent updates. They should be once a month.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using SQL Server for a very long time.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is great. It's very reliable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The product scales well. If you need to expand it, you can.
We have around 50 users on the solution right now.
How are customer service and support?
The solution is pretty problem-free and therefore it would be rare to have to reach out to support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We've always used SQL. I also use SQLite.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very simple, very straightforward. It's not too complex.
The time it takes to set up isn't long. The time of installation is determined by the local system or the server where you are installing it to. That said, it's a light solution. For me, it took maybe ten minutes.
We have eight people who are technical and can handle deployment or maintenance tasks.
What about the implementation team?
I did the installation myself. It's not hard to do. You don't need a consultant or integrator.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We pay a monthly subscription fee.
What other advice do I have?
I'm an end-user.
I would recommend the solution to other users and organizations.
Overall, I would rate it at 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.
Senior DBA & IT Consultant at MA Consulting
An easily installable solution which is comparatively easier to manage than Oracle
Pros and Cons
- "A valuable feature of the solution is that it is comparatively simpler to manage than Oracle."
- "Database support could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We use the latest version.
Most SQL Server applications come with package applications from the shelf. This means that when one buys an application, most of these applications work with SQL Server as a basis. They add SQL Server as a database to applications which come with it that one buys. As such, I don't see many people developing new applications with SQL server.
What is most valuable?
A valuable feature of the solution is that it is comparatively simpler to manage than Oracle. Now that the Linux version is an option, this can be taken into consideration, since Windows limited one's use to things which could only be done in Windows.
What needs improvement?
Database support could be improved. Oracle provides better support.
While the price of the solution is comparatively cheaper, people are paying to Microsoft, in any event, for other things that they're using.
Thoughs the licensing cost could be cheaper, this depends, as there is nobody who only uses the database with Microsoft. Every company has Windows, Office, Active Directory and all the security features of Microsoft. This means that, overall, when one buys these licenses together, he also gets the database. The focus is not on the price of the database, but what is actually being paid to Microsoft.
The licensing price could be better, more user-friendly. Things should be be moved from the enterprise to the standard edition.
For how long have I used the solution?
As with Oracle, we have been using SQL Server for a long time. They actually have the same shelf life. We have been using the solution for around 30 years.
How are customer service and support?
The support does not reflect how Microsoft used to be. It can depend. Oracle has a much more sophisticated database, so it comes with expanded support. There are many solutions which come out of the box, as all the problems which could arise have already been encountered by the customers. This is why they are building a big data, to have a ready answer for any issue which may arise, the answer being very quick and straightforward.
When it comes to Microsoft, noone delves deep, so such problems as those arising with Oracle are not encountered. Oracle is much more sophisticated and comes with many problems. This is why the solution comes with better support, as they have already provided a foundation for many of the solutions.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We did not use a solution prior to SQL Server, with the exception of, maybe, Access.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is good.
It took very little time, a couple hours.
What about the implementation team?
Installation can be done on one's own. Everything can be done sequentially, from one thing to the next.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
While the price of the solution is comparatively cheaper, people are paying to Microsoft in any event for other things that they're using.
Although the licensing cost could be cheaper, this depends, as there is nobody who only uses the database with Microsoft. Every company has Windows, Office, Active Directory and all the security features of Microsoft. This means that, overall, when one buys these licenses together, he also gets the database. The focus is not on the price of the database, but what is actually being paid to Microsoft.
The licensing price could be better, more user-friendly. Things should be moved from the enterprise to the standard edition.
What other advice do I have?
Microsoft is fine. They have done a good job.
As everyone has a station with Microsoft installed, everybody is making use of it. When it comes to the database, this depends on the application. As I said, we are talking about a package solution, so use of the same application could consist of several hundred people or thousands.
I rate SQL Server 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.
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