Name: SQL Server
Rating: 4.5 (2555 reviews)

Overview

Product Information on SQL Server

Updated 13th October 2025

What is SQL Server?

SQL Server is a relational database management software developed to support data storage, retrieval, and management for organizations of varying sizes. The software enables users to securely store and access structured data, run queries, create reports, and perform analytics. It supports transaction processing, business intelligence, and analytics applications. The software includes tools for database administration, backup and recovery, security management, and automated maintenance. It offers integration with other applications and supports scalability to accommodate growing data needs. SQL Server aims to address challenges related to managing large volumes of data, ensuring data integrity, and enabling businesses to analyze information for operational and strategic decision-making.

Overall experience with SQL Server

It Security & Risk Management Associate

500M - 1B USD, IT Services

FAVORABLE

“Data Integration Tool Streamlines Workflows But Setup Remains Technically Challenging”

5.0

Apr 1, 2026

Overall, the experience has been very good. it provides reliable tools for data integration, making it easier to extract, transform, and load data across systems, The integration capabilities are strong and support different data sources efficiently. it helps automate data workflows and improves data consistency. it has enhanced overall efficiency in managing data pipelines.

BI Engineer

1B - 3B USD, Healthcare and Biotech

CRITICAL

“Navigating Through Complexities of SQL Server Integration Services”

3.0

Jan 23, 2025

SQL Server Integration Services is an embeded solution for data integration to Ms SQL Server The system is quite powerfull, but the maintain level is in the average. Graphics view of the IIS job let you select each step. After the build phase the Job is visible in SQL Server supervision and can be easily schedule

About Company

Company Description

Microsoft enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Microsoft is dedicated to advancing human and organizational achievement. Microsoft Security helps protect people and data against cyberthreats to give peace of mind.

Company Details

Company type

Public

Year Founded

1975

Head office location

Redmond, Washington, United States

Number of employees

10000+

Annual Revenue

30B+ USD

Website

https://microsoft.com

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Key Insights

A Snapshot of What Matters - Based on Validated User Reviews

User Sentiment About SQL Server

Reviewer Insights for: SQL Server

Deciding Factors: SQL Server Vs. Market Average

Performance of SQL Server Across Market Features

SQL Server Likes & Dislikes

I like most is the abality to efficiently integrate and transform data from multiple sources. it supports automation of ETL processes, which saves time and reduces manual effort. The tools are reliable and work well different data systems. it also improves data consistency and workflow efficiency.

Sql Server integration : scheduling and job errors supervision is clear and fast

Easy procedure to connect SQL with different platforms. We can connect our SCADA systems to SQL pretty easily and in an effective way. We utilize SQL for alarms and historian purposes.

I dislike is that setting up and configuration data integration workflows can be somewhat complex. it may require technical expertise to handle transformations and troubleshooting. performance tuning for large datasets can also take additional efforts. However, overall, it is a reliable and effective data integration solution.

1 Complexity of parameters : parameters can be set with functions but at diefferents levels wich make the search and debug difficult 2 limited connector number 3 team developpement not included

It becomes difficult to work with very large tables in SQL. Expertise is required to query different database and tables to use SQL in an effective way.

Top SQL Server Alternatives

Peer Discussions

What Your Peers Are Saying About SQL Server

CIO

What tool(s) are you using for SQL Server Database Monitoring (besides just SSMS)? Specifically, I am wanting the following features: - Alerting with possibility of sending a ticket to Service Now - Deadlock alerts - SSIS Job Failures - Query Optimization Recommendations - SQL Server Optimization Recommendations - Point in time report to see what was being ran during a certain period of time - Other features?

Mission Diplomatic Technology Officer

We have shut down our SQL server and moved to dataverse.

See Full Discussion

25 Jan 20251.1k Views1 Comment

IT Analyst

How are automated database builds handled for SQL Server through a build/release pipeline. What is the failback mechanism if there are failures during database update during both DDL and DML. Any specific tool recommendation would be helpful.

Information Security Manager

Automated database builds for SQL Server through a build/release pipeline are typically managed using tools that integrate with continuous integration (CI) and continuous deployment (CD) systems. Here's an overview of how this process is handled: ### 1. **Automated Database Build Process** - **Source Control:** The database schema (DDL) and scripts (DML) are stored in source control, often using tools like Git. This can include SQL scripts or projects created using Visual Studio (SQL Server Data Tools – SSDT) or other database tools. - **Build Pipeline:** - **Build Definition:** A build pipeline for SQL Server usually triggers automatically upon changes to the source repository. For instance, using tools like Azure DevOps, Jenkins, or TeamCity. - **Database Project/Schema Validation:** The pipeline uses tools like **SSDT** (SQL Server Data Tools), **Redgate SQL Change Automation**, or **Flyway** to validate and compile database projects. This ensures that the DDL is valid and ready for deployment. - **Unit Tests for Database:** You can integrate database unit testing using tSQLt or other frameworks to ensure the new changes do not break the database. ### 2. **Database Release Process** - **Release Pipeline:** - The release process often consists of deploying the new DDL and DML changes to different environments (Dev, QA, Staging, and Production). - Tools like **Redgate SQL Change Automation**, **Liquibase**, **Flyway**, or **DbUp** manage schema changes and migrations by applying incremental changesets, tracking the history of changes, and ensuring consistency across environments. - **Rollback/Fallback Mechanism:** - **Transaction Management:** During deployment, SQL scripts can be wrapped in transactions. If a failure occurs, the transaction is rolled back. - **Backup Mechanism:** - Before deployment, a full or differential database backup is often taken to enable a complete rollback if a critical failure occurs. - **Schema Versioning and Rollbacks:** Tools like Flyway, Redgate SQL Change Automation, or Liquibase maintain a version history of database migrations. These tools allow rollback to a previous version in case of failure. - Flyway, for example, has a `migrate` and `undo` feature, and Redgate provides a schema comparison to reverse changes. - **Rolling Back DDL Changes:** If a DDL (e.g., table alterations) fails, reverting to the previous schema version can be handled by the version control tool, though this is complex and requires careful planning. - **Rolling Back DML Changes:** For DML changes (e.g., data modification), compensating transactions or rollback scripts can be included to reverse any data modifications made in case of a failure. ### 3. **Handling Failures (DDL & DML)** - **DDL Failures (Schema Changes):** - Use **schema comparison tools** like **Redgate SQL Compare** or SSDT to identify and rollback changes if failures occur. - **Transactional Deployment**: If possible, wrap schema changes in a transaction and roll back the transaction upon failure. - In case of failure, either restore from a backup or use the rollback feature of tools like Liquibase or Flyway. - **DML Failures (Data Modifications):** - Include rollback scripts or compensating transactions to undo data changes in case of errors. - **Pre-checks:** Always run validation queries (e.g., SELECT statements) before applying DML to ensure the data consistency is maintained. - Use backup and restore techniques or employ log shipping to revert databases to a known good state if failures occur during DML changes. ### 4. **Tool Recommendations** - **Redgate SQL Change Automation:** Excellent for automating deployments and managing schema changes with a focus on safety and rollback mechanisms. It integrates well with Azure DevOps, Jenkins, and other CI/CD tools. - **Flyway:** A powerful open-source tool for database migrations with support for SQL Server. It handles versioned migrations (DDL and DML) and has rollback (`undo`) support. - **Liquibase:** Similar to Flyway, Liquibase tracks database schema changes and supports rollbacks. It integrates with various CI/CD pipelines. - **Azure DevOps Pipelines:** Native support for SQL Server database builds and deployments, integrates well with SSDT and Redgate tools. - **DbUp:** A lightweight .NET-based tool for managing database migrations. It's simple and easy to integrate into build pipelines. ### Best Practices: - Always use transactional DDL and DML scripts to ensure you can roll back in case of failures. - Implement automated database backups before applying updates. - Test deployments in staging environments thoroughly before pushing to production. - Ensure that all migrations and rollback scripts are version-controlled. This combination of tools and techniques ensures a robust, automated process for building, releasing, and rolling back changes in SQL Server databases.

See Full Discussion

19 Sep 2024610 Views1 Comment

SQL Server Reviews and Ratings

Recommended Gartner Insights

IT Analyst

Information Security Manager

See Full Discussion

19 Sep 2024610 Views1 Comment

50M-1B USD

IT Services

Review Source

Data Integration Tool Streamlines Workflows But Setup Remains Technically Challenging

Mar 31, 2026

CONTROL SYSTEM INTEGRATOR II

Services (non-Government)

Connecting SCADA Systems and Managing Alarms Made Possible With SQL Database

4.0

Dec 8, 2025

We were looking for a platform to store our Automation system data and SQL provided the perfect platform for this use case. We have been using SQL for multiple purposes for a long time, and it is really amazing.

It System Architect

Insurance (except health)

Stable Performance and Microsoft Integration Versus Complex SSIS Maintenance Requirements

Mar 20, 2026

Microsoft SQL Server is used as a central data integration platform, especially in environments that rely on Microsoft technologies. With SSIS it offers robust ETL capabilities.

IT Associate

<50M USD

Banking

SQL Server Offers Strong Security but Faces High Licensing and Resource Demands

Nov 19, 2025

sql server is a robust, enterprise RDBMS that excel the security, integration and performance with in microsoft ecosystem it ideal to the organization that need high availability strong security and advance analytic

It Associate

Gov't/PS/Ed

Education

High Availability And Security Noted, Ongoing Cost Remains A Challenge

Feb 7, 2026

Microsoft SQL server is the back end database server in our environment. It features "bulletproof" security and high availability. We also benefit from the Microsoft licensing model by using SQL Server as we use other Microsoft products in the shop: Azure, Power BI, Office 365, etc.

Overview

Product Information on SQL Server

What is SQL Server?

SQL Server Pricing

Overall experience with SQL Server

“Data Integration Tool Streamlines Workflows But Setup Remains Technically Challenging”

“Navigating Through Complexities of SQL Server Integration Services”