Microsoft Dives Deeper into SQL Server code-named “Denali” – the next version of SQL Server

This is an exciting time for the SQL Server Team. After Ted Kummert announced the next release of SQL Server, Microsoft SQL Server code-named “Denali”, yesterday at the opening keynote of PASS Summit 2010, today Quentin Clark, General Manager of the Database Systems Group, gave PASS attendees a closer look into some of the exciting new features of code-named “Denali”.

SQL Server code-named “Denali” will help empower organizations to be more agile in today’s competitive market. Customers will be able to efficiently deliver mission-critical solutions through a highly scalable and available platform. Industry-leading tools will help developers quickly build innovative applications while data integration and management tools help deliver credible data reliably to the right users and new user experiences expand the reach of BI to enable meaningful insights.

Today, we showcased the following areas of code-named “Denali” including new capabilities that will be delivered to customers:

· Enhanced mission-critical platform: An enhanced highly available and scalable platform through the new SQL Server AlwaysOn for greater flexibility in achieving increased availability and data protection and new Column-Based Query Accelerator for huge performance gains in data warehousing.

· Developer and IT Productivity: A new unified development experience for data developers called SQL Server Developer Tools code-named “Juneau”, new beyond relational enhancements including FileTable for file storage within the SQL Server database, easier of use delivered via SQL Server AlwaysOn, data integration tools and features such as security & supportability.

· Pervasive Insight: Expand the reach of BI to business users via Project code-name “Crescent”, a highly interactive, web-based data exploration and visualization tool built on the breakthrough analytical performance of the VertiPaq technology. Meanwhile, holistic data integration and management tools through enhanced Master Data Services and new Data Quality Services will help ensure organizations can deliver the right data to the right users at the right time.

We are also making available the first Community Technology Preview (CTP) for SQL Server code-named “Denali”. You can download SQL Server code-named “Denali” CTP today!

The first public CTP provides an opportunity for early adopters to submit feedback on an initial set of capabilities including:

· Select capabilities of the new integrated high availability solution, SQL Server code-named “Denali” AlwaysOn, including availability groups, single active secondary for offloading read-only workloads and multi-site clustering

· Flexible server roles to allow administrators to create custom roles for ease separation of duties

· Simplified development and standardized deployment, configuration and management for SQL Server Integration Services

Here are a few things you can do to get to know SQL Server code-named “Denali” a little better:

1. Visit the code-named “Denali” web page

2. Download the first CTP

3. Reference Books Online

Download the CTP, play with it, and let us know what you think. We’re excited about SQL Server code-named “Denali” and we hope you are too!

(copied from SQL Server Team Blog)