Microsoft's Database Landscape 2018

• SQL Server remains relevant with improvements that address industry trends, such as running on Linux, processing complex graph data, and support for machine learning scripts and semi-structured data.
• SQL-like interfaces and integrations are available for most Azure-hosted data services to help organizations leverage existing SQL Server skills and investments.
• Azure-hosted database services introduce popular open-source database products, providing a single location for hosting applications that integrate multiple database types.

Microsoft’s database landscape includes products and services that use popular proprietary and open-source database technologies. By understanding which technologies Microsoft offers, architects can simplify design and integration of systems to ensure they are using the most efficient and effective database technologies.

Understanding Microsoft’s Database Landscape

Understanding the breadth and depth of Microsoft’s database landscape can best be accomplished by examining a chart showing the products and services Microsoft offers for each major data type; what function they provide, such as database storage and management, data ingestion and integration, and data transformation and analysis; and where they are available, either on-premises or hosted by Microsoft. (See the chart “Comparing Microsoft Database Offerings“.)