High-Availability Features Target Enterprises

New high-availability features in SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition could close the gap between SQL Server and rivals Oracle and IBM in the enterprise database market. However, many of the product’s high-availability features already exist in market leader Oracle’s products and one of SQL Server 2005’s most anticipated high-availability features, database mirroring, is not supported in the product’s initial Nov. 2005 release.

Targeting the Enterprise

The introduction of SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition marked Microsoft’s first serious foray into the enterprise database market. That edition significantly improved support for the Microsoft Cluster Services (MSCS) failover technology and introduced a feature called log shipping, both of which reduce downtime in the event of a database or database server failure. SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition expands these capabilities and adds several new features that could reduce maintenance times and speed recovery from a database failure.

The continued emphasis on high-availability features demonstrates Microsoft’s determination to make gains in the enterprise database market, where the company continues to trail IBM and Oracle in total database revenue. As the feature gap between SQL Server and its competitors’ database management systems closes, Microsoft hopes to further SQL Server’s reputation as a credible solution for the largest, mission-critical database applications.