If you’re following Microsoft Azure news, then you’re probably excited to hear that the images for SQL Server 2016 are available in Windows Server 2016. Even though the SQL came out earlier this year, Windows Server 2016 just went generally available yesterday.
The secure database platform is ideal for significant amounts of data and analytics. It even set the world record benchmark for performance in database software.
Here are the versions available:
- SQL Developer – Free full edition of SQL Server for development/testing (no production)
- SQL Express – Entry level free database for lightweight workloads (1 GB memory, 10 GB storage)
- SQL Web – Low-cost database for low to medium-size web applications
- SQL Standard – Core Database capabilities for medium-size workloads
- SQL Enterprise – Full edition of SQL Server with comprehensive capabilities for mission-critical or large transactional processing, data warehousing, and business intelligence workloads
The SQL Server RTM Express might not show up in the search results, but an Azure team member said that they’d be making sure it’s fixed soon.
With the SQL Server 2016 images, you can also take advantage of a Bring-Your-Own-License (BYOL) if you already have an agreement. That way you can get migrated to Windows Server 2016 without hassle. To get started, visit the Azure Marketplace.
Further reading: Azure, Azure Marketplace, Microsoft, SQL Server 2016, Windows Server 2016
