Microsoft SQL Server
Accelerate your AI application's time to market by harnessing the power of your own data and the built-in AI capabilities of SQL Server 2025, the enterprise database with best-in-class security, performance, and availability.
Benefits
Supercharge your mission-critical workloads with Microsoft SQL Server
Fast and agile
Build AI applications using your own data and deploy them securely anywhere to accelerate your innovations to market.
Built-in intelligence
Intelligent Query Performance (IQP) enhancements adapt query plans to common pitfalls without application changes, making intelligent parallel adjustments for at-scale workloads.
Enterprise-proven
Scale your business while meeting security, performance, and availability needs with an industry-leading total cost of ownership.
Overview
Reinvent your business
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- Support for Microsoft Entra Authentication including Managed Identities throughout the engine, inbound and outbound
- Enhanced query performance with Optional Parameter Plan Optimization, faster batch mode, and columnstore improvements
- Increase application concurrency and uptime with Optimized Locking
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- Mirror SQL Server databases in Microsoft Fabric to enable zero-ETL, near real-time analytics
- Manage, govern, and protect your SQL Server from Azure
- Azure Pay-As-You-Go enabled by Azure Arc for SQL Server anywhere, with simplified onboarding
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- Help ensure uptime with fully managed disaster recovery in the cloud through the link feature in Azure SQL Managed Instance.
- Continuously replicate data to and from the cloud.
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- Drive insights in near real time by breaking the wall between operational and analytical stores.
- Analyze all your data using both Apache Spark and SQL runtimes in the cloud with Azure Synapse Link for SQL Server 2022.
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- Manage and govern your entire data estate to overcome data silos with Microsoft Purview, which combines data governance solutions and Microsoft 365 compliance solutions.
- Safeguard and manage sensitive data wherever it lives.
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- Achieve your security and compliance goals using the database rated as least vulnerable over the last 10 years.
- Use an immutable ledger to help protect data from tampering.
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- Take advantage of performance and availability for faster queries and business continuity.
- Accelerate query performance and tuning with no code changes required.
- Keep multi-write environments running smoothly for users across multiple locations.
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- View all SQL Servers deployed on-premises, in Azure, and in other clouds.
- Capture key performance metrics and realize faster time-to-value with monitoring.
- Gain proactive and actionable insights with automated best practices assessment.
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- Manage availability groups (AGs) inventory and track real-time health status.
- View Always On failover cluster instances (FCI) and protect with Defender for Cloud.
- Automate backups and point-in-time restore for seamless application of policy.
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- Protect your on-premises and multi-cloud data using Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
- Enhance security with automatic patching and Extended Security Updates (ESU) enabled by Azure Arc.
- Gain central insights and governance across all SQL databases with Microsoft Purview.
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- Scale with cost-efficient, pay-as-you-go pricing.
- Easily onboard new technologies or scale existing ones as your data estate grows.
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- Get security from the ground up with multi-layer security provided by Microsoft.
- Gain infrastructure backed by a team of experts, and proactive compliance trusted by enterprises, governments, and startups.
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- Bring your on-premises core-based SQL Server license to Azure.
- Integrate and manage your environments with tools and services designed for hybrid cloud.
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- Build apps with your favorite open-source frameworks and languages.
- Take advantage of best-in-class tools on a platform that supports a wide range of services.
Microsoft Intelligent Data Platform
Pivot and adapt in a rapidly evolving landscape, add layers of intelligence to applications, uncover predictive insights, and govern data anywhere with an integrated data platform.
INDUSTRY RECOGNITION
The business value of Microsoft SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc
40%
increase in IT monitoring team’s efficiency
492%
3-year return on investment
23%
faster data availability
SOLUTIONS
Find the SQL Server version and solutions for your needs
SQL Server 2025PREVIEW
AI-ready enterprise database with best-in-class security, performance, and availability.
SQL Server 2022
The most Azure-enabled release yet, with continued performance, security, and availability innovation.
SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc
Extend Azure services to SQL Server instances hosted outside of Azure.
SQL Server on Azure
Azure SQL is a family of managed, secure, and intelligent products that use the SQL Server database engine in the Azure cloud.
SQL Server BI
A modern, comprehensive, enterprise-ready business intelligence platform to transform data into insights.
SQL Server 2022 Developer
A full-featured free edition, licensed for use as a development and test database in a non-production environment.
SQL Server 2022 Express
A free edition of SQL Server, ideal for development and production for desktop, web, and small server applications.
CUSTOMER STORIES
See how companies use the Microsoft data platform to realize their potential
GET STARTED
Take the next step with SQL Server
Preview SQL Server 2025
Try the AI-ready enterprise database with best-in-class security, performance, and availability.
SQL Server Documentation
Dive into the technical details including installation guidance and stay up to date on the latest release notes.
SQL Server Blog
Keep up on the latest news about SQL Server innovations and enhancements.
BUSINESS SOLUTIONS HUB
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