The Top Features of SQL Server Standard 2012

Being able to boost the performance of your systems is important if you want your organization to stay competitive. You will notice a lot of significant updates in SQL Server Standard 2012. Some of the editions also contain notable changes and they are offered as distinct licensing models. SQL Server 2012 gives performance a boost along with BI and upgrades in development.

Here are some of the most significant features of SQL Server 2012

1.       Server Core Support

Windows Server Core can give you the infrastructure apps that you need which will enable you to gain back-end services. You do not need a graphical user interface on the server per se. Moreover, Windows Server Core provides a more efficient installation and stronger security. This also reduces the need to perform patching.

2.       DQS

Data Quality Services allows users to ascertain that their databases have very precise and accurate data. This is achieved by data cleansing care of the DQS and the modification or removal of incorrect data. DQS in SQL 2012 also provides intelligent data analysis when it culls information from different sources.

3.       T-SQL Updates

SQL 2012 provides enhancements in the T-SQL. These include sequence support, and a new operator that does TRY_CONVERT when it comes to converting data. This also serves the OFFSET and SET very well in order to page data. Data formatting is made even easier because of the new FORMAT() and there is a THROW operator that goes with Server 2012’s windowing functions.

4.       Databases

The databases in SQL Server 2012 are very well contained. This makes it easy if you need to deploy new ones and to migrate databases within different Server instances. So if someone is utilizing a contained database, that person would not need log in information for that particular instance of SQL Server. This is because the authentications are found within the database itself. The absence of configuration dependencies is also an added feature of the contained databases.

5.       The Columnar Index

The primary function of this is to support the warehousing of data. This feature includes the high performance and high compression tech that PowerPivot has and applies it to the relational database of SQL Server 2012. These indexes store data in a column fashion and query results are project as needed. This dramatically improves query performance.

These are just some of the most notable changes in download SQL Server Standard 2012. 

What sets SQL Server 2012 Apart from the Rest?

There are certain platforms that can speed up the way businesses are run. For some SQL Server Standard 2012 certainly fits the bill.  But if you must pick up this platform, you have to ask yourself what are its most salient features so that you and your fellow stakeholders can decide whether this is the software that can help you accomplish tasks on the job.

Here are some of the most notable changes in Server 2012:

*Much more simplified versions of the platform

This piece of software comes in three parts, they are the Enterprise, the Standard and the Business intelligence version. The B.I. edition contains the business capabilities but does not have some of the more advanced capability perks. Enterprise contains everything while the Standard version only provides some of the more fundamental, relational abilities. The Datacenter, Workgroup and Standard for SME’s have been retired by Microsoft but the Developer and Compact editions remain available. If you are looking for the Web edition, it will be offered to web providers who have an SLPA certification

*Licensing done per core

You can only license the Enterprise edition on a per-core basis. The B.I. version of Server 2012 can be registered per server. Additionally, you will need the Client Access Licenses for every user as in previous editions.  Of course, if your purchase Server Std, you still have the option of licensing it per core or per server and as of 2012 it has costed some $1,700 per core and 800 USD per server.

*DQS

Data Quality Services (DQS) allows your databases to hold top quality and accurate data. Essentially, DQS can give you data cleansing capacities and these in turn can change or correct data. Data matching is also available so that you can spot duplicate information and its intuitive profiling function allows you to analyze data that you have culled from different sources.

*Databases that are contained

Essentially, these make it easier for you to deploy newer databases and to transpose databases from different SQL Servers. This means that, if a database is contained, you do not need a login for that sql server. All that you need for authentication will be stored in the contained region. You will also not need to worry about dependencies of configuration in the particular instance of SQL that these are hosted from.

From this list of features, you can then decide if SQL Server Standard 2012 is truly the one that will meet all your IT needs. Choose wisely, for there are other apps that can simplify your tasks on the job.

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