Microsoft is gearing up for the release of SQL Server 2017 with its first release candidate. SQL Server 2017 RC1 indicates the development work for the upcoming version is complete and almost ready to come to market.
The latest version of the relational database management system will bring SQL Server performance and security to Windows, Linux and Docker containers.
Key enhancements in RC1 include: faster performance SQL Server on Linux Active Directory integration; TLS to encrypt data; machine learning services enhancements; SQL Server Analysis Services, SQL Server Integration Services on Linux and SQL Server Integration Services on Windows Server. In addition, Microsoft believes the latest version will perform queries up to 100 times faster than disk, better protect organizations, provide transformative insights with up to 1 million predictions per second, and enable users to build modern apps using any data, language or platform.
Since the latest version will bring support for Linux OS and containers running on Windows, Linux and macOS, Microsoft says SQL Server will be suitable for many DevOps scenarios.
To help users integrate SQL Server into their DevOps cycle, the company announced a new site: DevOps using SQL Server. The site aims to teach developers and development managers the knowledge necessary to integration SQL Server 2017 into the DevOps pipeline. SQL Server DevOps tools include Visual Studio SQL Server data tools, mssql-scripter, sqlcmd, and bcp. The site also includes demos, documentations, blogs, videos, and conference presentations.
