SQL Server for quick and easy wins
June 06, 2016

SQL Server for quick and easy wins

Ved Mishra | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Microsoft SQL Server

Microsoft SQL Server is being used extensively in my organization. It is the default database for SharePoint sites and also the default choice for custom database applications. SQL Server Database is very commonly used in the IT department since it is well suited with the Microsoft umbrella of products. Other departments also use SQL Server for self-served Microsoft Business Intelligence reports and SharePoint. Analytics is one of the main business problems that SQL Server handles efficiently and effectively. SQL Server Reporting Services, PowerPivot, Power BI, SharePoint rely heavily on SQL Server engine and database in the back-end.
  • SQL Server handles a relational database very well. The fundamental logic for Extract, Transform and Load (ETL) hasn't changed much for a long time, so there is no learning curve if you upgrade from older versions to new ones.
  • One of the strong advantages of using SQL Server is its better compatibility with Microsoft product suites. Choosing Microsoft SQL server is the first choice if your organization relies on other Microsoft products.
  • It is very stable, fast, affordable, and extremely popular. There is an easy learning curve to acquire SQL Server skills. Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio is very graphical and requires very little programming to achieve basic tasks.
  • SQL Server is only operable on the Windows platform. It should support the Unix platform too.
  • There are a few object types missing in SQL Server, e.g. no packages (collection of procedures and functions), no "before" event triggers.
  • SQL Server doesn't support partitioning.
  • Microsoft SQL server is priced less as compared to other enterprise database choices. This makes the initial investment more cost effective and in turn reflects better ROI.
  • Microsoft is easy to use and administer. Resources are readily available to support SQL Server. Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio makes life simpler when it comes to basic database administration tasks. As resource cost to maintain SQL Server is much less, it helps in gaining more positive ROI.
  • ROI can easily turn into negative side if solution evolves into a complex enterprise one, requiring better performance and bigger size of data. SQL Server cannot handle enterprise data as well as Oracle. Detailed architectural planning is needed before choosing SQL Server for an enterprise solution as the cost to move from SQL later could be more.
SQL Server is a better choice for quick time to market solutions and for easier maintenance. Oracle Database setup and programming to support solutions has a harder learning curve and it requires more time and effort to hit the ground running.

An organization having invested heavily in the Microsoft Business Intelligence tool tends to prefer SQL Server for quick win solutions. Go with SQL Server for quick and easy wins. But do proper due diligence for enterprise solutions.
I prefer SQL Server for SharePoint applications. There are SSIS data sources, destinations that can be used to sync data between SharePoint lists and SQL Server tables. SQL Server is a good choice if you are looking for a solution with quicker time to market. It is simple to use and administer. However, I would prefer something else (like Oracle) for enterprise solutions.