Welcome to Microsoft® Books Online for Microsoft SQL Server 2012®. Books Online contains the task descriptions and reference documentation that describes how to perform data management and business intelligence work by using SQL Server.
SQL Server Documentation Changes
SQL Server 2012 introduces two significant documentation changes; a new help viewer that changes the way that you install and view the documentation, and the documentation has been restructured to address issues with previous versions of Books Online. SQL Server 2012 Books Online contains a smaller set of foundation content optimized for users who are searching for information about how to complete a task. For more information, see SQL Server Documentation Restructure.
SQL Server 2012 Books Online uses the help viewer released with Microsoft® Visual Studio 2010 Service Pack 1 (SP1). Also, the SQL Server documentation is no longer included in the installation media, but must be either viewed online, or downloaded as a local help collection. For more information, see Use Product Documentation for SQL Server.
SQL Server Technologies
SQL Server includes several data management and analysis technologies. Click on the links in the following table to find the feature, task, and reference documentation for each technology.
The Database Engine is the core service for storing, processing and securing data. The Database Engine provides controlled access and rapid transaction processing to meet the requirements of the most demanding data consuming applications within your enterprise. The Database Engine also provides rich support for sustaining high availability.
SQL Server Data Quality Services (DQS) provides you with a knowledge-driven data cleansing solution. DQS enables you to build a knowledge base, and then use that knowledge base to perform data correction and deduplication on your data, using both computer-assisted and interactive means. You can use cloud-based reference data services, and you can build a data management solution that integrates DQS with SQL Server Integration Services and Master Data Services.
Analysis Services is an analytical data platform and toolset for personal, team, and corporate business intelligence. Servers and client designers support traditional OLAP solutions, new tabular modeling solutions, as well as self-service analytics and collaboration using PowerPivot, Excel, and a SharePoint Server environment. Analysis Services also includes Data Mining so that you can uncover the patterns and relationships hidden inside large volumes of data.
Integration Services is a platform for building high performance data integration solutions, including packages that provide extract, transform, and load (ETL) processing for data warehousing.
Master Data Services is the SQL Server solution for master data management. A solution built on Master Data Services helps ensure that reporting and analysis is based on the right information. Using Master Data Services, you create a central repository for your master data and maintain an auditable, securable record of that data as it changes over time.
Replication is a set of technologies for copying and distributing data and database objects from one database to another, and then synchronizing between databases to maintain consistency. By using replication, you can distribute data to different locations and to remote or mobile users by means of local and wide area networks, dial-up connections, wireless connections, and the Internet.
Reporting Services delivers enterprise, Web-enabled reporting functionality so you can create reports that draw content from a variety of data sources, publish reports in various formats, and centrally manage security and subscriptions.
SQL Server Information on the Web
Microsoft publishes additional information about SQL Server in several Web sites.
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