MS SQL Server is a comprehensive RDBMS (Relational Database Management System). MS SQL Server was developed keeping enhanced scalability in mind ranging from small-scale applications to large-scale applications with millions of users. MS SQL Server uses query languages including T-SQL and ANSI SQL.

Microsoft’s first release was SQL Server 1.0 (16-bit) in 1989 and gradually introduced many enhanced versions with the Latest version released SQL Server 2012 SP1 on November 9, 2012. Today we are going to discuss about most widely used SQL server among all SQL Server versions in the market. MS SQL Server 2008, codenamed “katmai” was released on August 6, 2008, and MS SQL Server 2008 R2 version, codenamed “Kilimanjaro” was released on April 11, 2008.

Top Features of SQL Server 2008

Here are some of the best features of SQL Server 2008:

# Data Auditing and Data Security

SQL Server 2008 enhances data security and auditing through several advanced features:

• The ‘AUDIT’ objects allow detailed tracking and logging of database activities.
• Auditing DDL commands supports comprehensive monitoring.
• Multiple logging targets ensure extensive data monitoring.
• Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) encrypts data at rest, protecting against unauthorized access.
• External Key Management facilitates the secure handling of encryption keys outside the database system.

# Outstanding Performance

SQL Server 2008 delivers superior performance through a range of unique features:

• Data Compression reduces the storage footprint and enhances I/O performance.
• Backup Stream Compression minimizes backup file size, speeding up backup and restore operations.
• Performance Data Collection offers tools for monitoring and analyzing performance metrics.
• Improved Guide Support optimizes query performance.
• Resource Governor manages CPU and memory resources to prioritize high-priority workloads.

# Maximum Availability and Reliability

SQL Server 2008 ensures high availability and reliability with innovative features:

• The pluggable CPU (CRU) feature allows the dynamic addition of CPU resources without downtime.
• Database Mirroring provides automatic failover and recovery, including compression of mirror streams to reduce the bandwidth required for data replication and auto page-level repairing to ensure data integrity by automatically fixing corrupted pages

# Comprehensive Management Capabilities

SQL Server 2008 offers comprehensive management capabilities to streamline database administration:

• Policy-based management enables administrators to manage multiple servers and objects through a central set of policies.
• Integration with Microsoft System Center improves operational efficiency and reduces costs.
• Extended Events, a lightweight tracing tool, provides deep insights into the database engine, facilitating troubleshooting and performance tuning.

# New & Spatial Data Types

SQL Server 2008 introduces innovative data types to support a wide range of applications:

• The new Date Time Data Type offers precision to the 100th nanosecond.
• HierarchyID supports complex hierarchical data structures with built-in functions for managing and querying hierarchical data. NET.
• Spatial Data Types enable the storage and manipulation of geographical and location-based data, essential for applications requiring accurate mapping and spatial analysis.

# Storage and Data Warehousing

SQL Server 2008 includes groundbreaking features for data storage and data warehousing.

1. Data Storage

Data Storage includes Data Compression, which minimizes storage requirements and enhances performance; the FILESTREAM Attribute, which allows for the storage of large binary data directly in the file system; Integrated Full-Text Search, which enables powerful text search capabilities within the database; Sparse Columns, which provide an efficient way to manage columns that contain a significant number of null values; and new Index Types, which improve query performance and storage efficiency.

2. Data Warehousing

Data warehousing features include support for Star Join queries, which optimize performance for complex analytical queries; Partial Table Parallelism, which improves query performance by parallelizing the processing of large tables; Scale-Out Analysis Services, which enhance the scalability and performance of analytical processing; Persistent Lookups in SSIS (SQL Server Integration Services), which improve the efficiency of data transformations and loading processes; and Excel data mining add-ins, which bring advanced data mining capabilities to Excel, enabling users to perform complex data analysis directly within the spreadsheet application.

# Additional Features

SQL Server 2008 also includes other value-added features such as:

• Service Broker, which facilitates the development of reliable, scalable, and asynchronous database applications.
• Development enhancements with the Entity Data Model, which provide a higher level of abstraction for database developers, improving productivity and reducing development time.
• Comprehensive reporting capabilities, which enable the creation of rich, interactive reports to meet diverse business needs.

New in SQL Server 2008 R2

Now, let’s take a look at what’s New in SQL Server 2008 R2. The release of MS SQL Server 2008 R2 includes several new or improved components and features with other unchanged components and features since SQL Server 2008.

# PowerPivot for SharePoint & Excel

SQL Server 2008 R2 introduces PowerPivot for SharePoint and Excel, enhancing data analysis and data management capabilities:

1. PowerPivot for SharePoint

This feature enables the infrastructure and services necessary for querying, loading, and managing PowerPivot workbooks published to a SharePoint 2010 server. It allows for seamless integration and collaboration on large data sets within a SharePoint framework.

2. PowerPivot for Excel

An add-in for Excel 2010, PowerPivot supports advanced data analysis through PivotTables and visualization objects. It can handle large volumes of data from multiple sources, enabling users to create relationships among these sources for comprehensive data analysis and reporting directly within Excel.

# Multi-Server Administration and Data-Tier Application

SQL Server 2008 R2 enhances multi-server administration and data-tier application management with several features:

• SQL Server Utility forms a central repository for performance data and management policies, making it easy to manage multiple servers.
• SQL Server Utility Explorer provides centralized management and dashboards for reporting, offering a comprehensive view of the state of managed instances for efficient multi-server administration.
• Data-Tier Application (DAC) facilitates the development, deployment, and management of database objects used by an application as a single unit, streamlining the database lifecycle management.

# Master Data Services

SQL Server 2008 R2 introduces Master Data Services (MDS) to manage an organization's master data:

• MDS includes a dedicated database for storing master data, ensuring centralized and structured data management.
• Provides a web-based interface for managing master data, making it accessible and user-friendly.
• Facilitates the setup and maintenance of MDS components.
• Enables programmatic access to master data for integration with other systems and applications.
• Maintains an auditable record of master data changes over time, ensuring data integrity and compliance.
• Allows the application of business rules to master data, ensuring consistency and accuracy.
• Provides a single source of truth for master data across the organization by integrating with various source systems.

# Larger Database Support

SQL Server 2008 R2 increases the maximum supported database size for SQL Server Express. The supported database size in SQL Server Express has been increased from 4GB to 10GB, allowing for larger and more complex databases to be managed and stored efficiently.

# Improved Protection While Connecting to the Database Engine

SQL Server 2008 R2 enhances security with improved protection features while connecting to the database engine:

• Service and channel binding mechanisms are introduced to prevent authentication relay attacks, ensuring secure connections.
• Improvements in authentication with Reporting Services provide additional security layers, protecting sensitive data and maintaining the integrity of reporting processes.

Conclusion

SQL Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 R2 introduced a range of advanced features that significantly enhanced data security, performance, availability, and management capabilities. From robust auditing tools and Transparent Data Encryption to innovative data types and superior performance enhancements, these versions catered to the diverse needs of both small-scale and large-scale applications. The introduction of PowerPivot, improved multi-server administration, and Master Data Services in SQL Server 2008 R2 further extended the platform's capabilities, making it a comprehensive solution for modern data management challenges. As businesses continue to evolve, the innovations brought by SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2 remain foundational in ensuring efficient, reliable, and secure data management.

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