Products That Depend on SQL Server

More than two dozen Microsoft server-based products have SQL Server as a prerequisite (the most notable exception being Exchange Server). These products use SQL Server’s database engine to store configuration parameters, state information, application-related content (e.g., SharePoint uses SQL Server to store document attributes and optionally the documents themselves), security credentials, usage logs, and other items. Some also leverage SQL Server’s Reporting Services and Analysis Services components. However, the latest versions of the products listed don’t all support SQL Server 2008 R2—some may be certified to work only with SQL Server 2008 or SQL Server 2005.

Approximately half of the server products listed require a fee-based edition of SQL Server (almost always Standard, Enterprise, or Datacenter editions) as a prerequisite, while the others can use the free SQL Server Express edition. However, for some products, anything more than a very modest product deployment requires the throughput, high availability, or other features exclusive to fee-based editions of SQL Server.