Microsoft SQL is a valuable tool to manage and present information across platforms.
October 10, 2024

Microsoft SQL is a valuable tool to manage and present information across platforms.

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Microsoft SQL Server

I work for a company that creates a software suite that allows our customers to manage and track their work, their companies and contacts, user logins, etc. We use an extensive database built over the years and several stored procedures that can be called from our software to perform calculations and format data in needed layouts.

Pros

  • It stores information.
  • It is very reliable, with a few notable exceptions.
  • It connects with other software quickly, and tools are provided to facilitate that.

Cons

  • SQL does not run on Snapdragon or any ARM processors in general. Vendors like Dell are starting to sell laptops with ARM-based processors, and while Windows will work, SQL refuses to run.
  • When Windows 11 came out, SQL would fail after the upgrade from 10 to 11 because Windows 11 formatted the disk with larger sector sizes than SQL allows. This left a lot of our customers unable to use our software until they reverted to Windows 10. Since then, a registry hack has been made available to let SQL run, but we lost quite a bit of customer goodwill. Microsoft needs to test its software, Windows, and SQL on various platforms before pushing upgrades to avoid this.
  • Since 2008, the maximum database size available to SQL Express has been 10 gigabytes. However, 10 gigs does not go nearly as far now as it did then, and this needs to be doubled.
  • Microsoft was a massive upgrade from the Access database our company used previously. It's more reliable and easier to manage.
  • It seems more fragile than access was. I have had several customers call in with database corruption. Sometimes, we can fix it with a DBCC CHECKDB, but we never trust the results and always have them move their data to a fresh database afterward.
  • If you're including SQL Express with your product, you need to be mindful of its limitations. One processor core, one GB RAM, and ten gigabytes of disk space are consumed far faster than you'd think.
As stated previously, the interface is clean and accessible, and there are overwhelming resources online if you run into issues. However, it is not what I would describe as intuitive to an average user.
Microsoft SQL is slower than MySQL and Access but far more feature-rich and reliable. Access is almost obsolete nowadays, so not too many people are considering it, but unless budget or an open-source ethos is a factor, Microsoft SQL is superior in every way. Many commonly used tools, like Crystal Reports, support it.

Do you think Microsoft SQL Server delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Microsoft SQL Server's feature set?

Yes

Did Microsoft SQL Server live up to sales and marketing promises?

I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process

Did implementation of Microsoft SQL Server go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Microsoft SQL Server again?

Yes

Microsoft SQL is ubiquitous, while MySQL runs under the hood all over the place. Microsoft SQL is the platform taught in colleges and certification courses and is the one most likely to be used by businesses because it is backed by Microsoft. Its interface is friendly (well, as pleasant as SQL can be) and has been used by so many for so long that resources are freely available if you encounter any issues.

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