ChristineSpence - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Solutions Account Manager at First Technology
Reseller
Helps users to manage their data but improvement is needed in pricing and support
Pros and Cons
  • "SQL Server is easy to manage."
  • "The tool needs to improve its pricing and technical support."

What is most valuable?

SQL Server is easy to manage. 

What needs improvement?

The tool needs to improve its pricing and technical support. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with the product for ten years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate the product’s stability a seven out of ten.

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SQL Server
March 2024
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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I rate the tool's scalability a seven out of ten. 

How was the initial setup?

I rate the tool's deployment a seven out of ten. Deployment time depends on the customer's environment. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I rate the product’s pricing a six out of ten.

What other advice do I have?

Our clients are from small, medium, and enterprise businesses. It helps users to manage their data. 

I rate the overall product an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
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Karoly Krokovay - PeerSpot reviewer
CEO at Informula Ltd
Real User
Highly stable and secure, but stability could improve
Pros and Cons
  • "The support from Microsoft has been good."
  • "SQL Server has good performance, but it could be better."

What is our primary use case?

We developed a product for banks and we store the data in SQL Server.

What needs improvement?

SQL Server has good performance, but it could be better.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using SQL Server for a couple of years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of SQL Server is very important for us because we provide services for banks. The banks need a secure and stable solution from us and we have requested from the cloud provider to give us this level of service.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have approximately 10 developers and architects using SQL Server. Additionally, we have approximately four end-users using the solution.

How are customer service and support?

The support from Microsoft has been good.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have previously used Oracle.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of SQL Server is not complicated. 

What about the implementation team?

We have four technicians that do the implementation and maintenance of the solution.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There is a license required to use the solution and I am satisfied.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others.

I rate SQL Server a seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
SQL Server
March 2024
Learn what your peers think about SQL Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Business Intelligence Manager at a consumer goods company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Enables us to use ADF Azure data factory for analysis services for a large amount of data but data navigation could be improved
Pros and Cons
  • "We are using the net for our environment. We're using the ADF Azure data factory for our analysis services, and it is pretty good."
  • "Something that could be improved is the cost because it's very high. That's the only thing I'm concerned about but the technology is good."

What is our primary use case?

We have a large amount of information and data. We are using a lot of business models for our menu mix.

How has it helped my organization?

Because we are using the solution from an analytics perspective, the performance is good. We have a large amount of information in our dashboard. The data navigation could be improved.

What is most valuable?

We are using the net for our environment. We're using the ADF Azure data factory for our analysis services, and it is pretty good.

What needs improvement?

Something that could be improved is the cost because it's very high. That's the only thing I'm concerned about but the technology is good. We are looking forward to getting some discounts because we have a large amount of data.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for three and a half years. The solution is deployed on a public cloud. Azure is the cloud provider.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's much more stable. It's good. We haven't had any downtime during the past two years. The solution has gone down maybe once.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It should be scalable within the coming years because data is growing and the business is growing.

Right now we have about 300 users, but by next year we might have around 2,000 because we also have a retail side, which could also use the platform. Some of their roles are in the executive layers and the managers layers, and reporting line people also.

We are planning to increase the usage. This is a transformation phase, so we are currently using SAP business objects, and we are on the Oracle database. We just moved to Azure cloud with the data warehouse and Power BI tools.

How are customer service and support?

My team works with support. As far as I know the technical support is good, but occasionally it takes a little bit of time.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Previously, I was using SAP, which is good. The technology is great. It has many more features than Microsoft SQL, like the data architect and performance.

My plan was to use SAP HANA, but we had an acquisition in our company, so we got a new team and new managers. The head of BI decided to go with Microsoft, however, my POC was already accepted with SAP HANA and AWS cloud hosting. We went in the other direction and started using SQL because the people who were hired were more familiar with the Microsoft technology rather than SAP. 

How was the initial setup?

It is mostly straightforward. There were no issues. It takes about two or three months to prepare. Development takes another three months. It takes almost one year to just kick off the project with live production.

For deployment and maintenance, we used seven or eight people. Most of them were developers and DBAs, and some of them were business analysts.

What about the implementation team?

We used in-house developers and had some consultation from Microsoft.

What was our ROI?

There is a return on investment because based on analytics, we are reducing the number of people who are doing the analytical part so that it's an automated process, and the data will be available to everyone, including business users.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Licensing fees increase depending on size and performance. If you want higher performance, you should go for a different course.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution 7 out of 10. 

My advice is to know your use case and requirements so that you aren't surprised after deciding to get this product and realizing in the implementation that you need much more space. You at least need to make a massive POC to know if the product will give you 100% what you need.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Data Architect at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Reliable and easy to use
Pros and Cons
  • "It's easy to use and fairly intuitive. I do development and data analysis, so we do a lot of work with SSIS and SQL Job Scheduler. Deploying new databases is very simple with things like BACPAC."
  • "One thing I don't like about SQL Server is the way they've set up security with users and groups. It just doesn't seem that intuitive to me. Adding some more explanatory information might help some."

What is our primary use case?

We do data warehousing, and our clients are mainly large commercial Insurance providers in the United States.

What is most valuable?

It's easy to use and fairly intuitive. I do development and data analysis, so we do a lot of work with SSIS and SQL Job Scheduler. Deploying new databases is very simple with things like BACPAC. You don't have to do all the scripting for the database, then all the tables, keys, etc. It takes all that out of your hands.

What needs improvement?

One thing I don't like about SQL Server is the way they've set up security with users and groups. It just doesn't seem that intuitive to me. Adding some more explanatory information might help some. Sometimes the documentation is a little thin, but the same could be said about a lot of products.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using SQL Server on and off since it first came out in the 1990s. Most of the people I've worked for are SQL Server shops.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I can't really speak intelligently about that because I haven't been on any of the real big ones yet. 

How was the initial setup?

The complexity of the initial setup really depends. Obviously, you're going to need to know a few things and there are different ways to do deployments. I like the BACPAC, which is one of the features that come with SQL Server. It's a nice feature to deploy. BACPAC really handles all of the configuration for you. If you use that, I don't think you really need to know too much. If we're talking about a small database that holds a few thousand records, it doesn't matter what you're doing. You can't make a mistake because it's just not big enough.  

We do a lot of Azure-based on-demand type systems where we host the system or we host it in Azure. We do the work for them. So we don't really do a lot of those installs.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We're going a lot heavier into Azure and we're going to be dealing with lots of volume because insurance data is pretty voluminous. I think some of our clients don't like the idea of having one gigantic VM system to run the database. That's one reason why they're switching to Snowflake. We had to do some SSRS stuff in the past, and I think they're moving over to Power BI mostly.

What other advice do I have?

I'd probably rate SQL Server nine out of 10. I don't think I'd give anybody a 10, but I think nine's about the best I can do. In my experience, it's been reliable and easy to use.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Group DWH and BI Senior Manager at Virgin Mobile Middle East and Africa
Real User
Low maintenance, helpful online community, and flexible
Pros and Cons
  • "The SQL Server is low maintenance, it does not require advanced technical skills to maintain or use it as you might in other similar database solutions. You need some knowledge on how to access the solution and how to query it but it is fairly straightforward."
  • "SQL Server could improve by enhancing the integration abilities, adding more inbuilt data security features, and simplifying the maintenance."

What is our primary use case?

We use SQL Server as a relational database mostly for the application backend activities and integrations.

What is most valuable?

The SQL Server is low maintenance, it does not require advanced technical skills to maintain or use it as you might in other similar database solutions. You need some knowledge on how to access the solution and how to query it but it is fairly straightforward.

What needs improvement?

SQL Server could improve by enhancing the integration abilities, adding more inbuilt data security features, and simplifying the maintenance.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using SQL Server for approximately 10 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

SQL Server is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable and flexible.

We have approximately 15 people using the solution in my organization.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support from Microsoft is good but we have learned and received the most help from the online community.

How was the initial setup?

The installation difficulty level depends on the use case and environment. For example, if you need to deploy it on multiple nodes or have large amounts of storage it could increase the difficulty level. 

What about the implementation team?

We have a team of approximately five database administrators and application developers who handle the setup and maintenance of the solution.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There is a license required for the use of SQL Server and we are on an annual subscription.

What other advice do I have?

I rate SQL Server a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Solution Architect at KIAN company
Real User
Highly scalable, easy to use, but better performance and monitoring needed
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is very easy to use."
  • "SQL Server needs to improve in performance and monitoring because there are no specific monitoring solutions to detect and analyze events for issues in the database. You have to use another monitoring solution. If Microsoft could provide an update to this solution or provide a monitoring solution specifically for SQL Server, it would be very valuable."

What is our primary use case?

I have been working on SQL Server for installations, configuring for developers, and for creating backup jobs from the MBF files.

What is most valuable?

The solution is very easy to use.

What needs improvement?

SQL Server needs to improve in performance and monitoring because there are no specific monitoring solutions to detect and analyze events for issues in the database. You have to use another monitoring solution. If Microsoft could provide an update to this solution or provide a monitoring solution specifically for SQL Server, it would be very valuable.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for approximately three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I have found the SQL Server stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is highly scalable. You are able to implement a SQL cluster mechanism for replicating the data between two nodes of the SQL Server. If one of the nodes is down the second node becomes active.

We have approximately 20 developers working directly with SQL Server and approximately 1,000 end-users that are working on the application that is behind the SQL Server.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support is good. We had a big problem and after an investigation, we could not find the solution. We needed to make use of Microsoft support team and open a specific case on the Microsoft panel. They were able to provide solutions for solving this issue.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have used MySQL.

How was the initial setup?

The installation is not very complex. However, the process could take a long time because you have to follow the step-by-step instructions for the installation. The time it takes to do the installation is approximately two days.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There is a license required for this solution. One of the problems is for smaller businesses to purchases a license because it is expensive for a lot of them to afford.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others.

I rate SQL Server a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Gajanan Shalgar - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Engineer at OMFYS Technologies India Pvt.Ltd
Real User
Top 10
Installation is straightforward, flexible-to-use and it has secure functions
Pros and Cons
  • "SQL Server and their offers are very good. You can switch over, export, and do other things."
  • "The free version of SQL Server is time-limited before updating to the paid version."

What is our primary use case?

I use SQL Server for .NET. We have ERP software in the background and we use the SQL Server for its creation.

What is most valuable?

SQL Server and their offers are very good. You can switch over, export, and do other things. I got access from users and it is very flexible to use.

What needs improvement?

SQL Server is technically good. For questions or other queries, we go through the internet and they explain it there. I think the structure of their product is good.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using SQL Server for one year and a month.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's stable. It was very easy for me to handle it.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The free version of SQL Server is time-limited before updating to the paid version. So, sort of more access and more work in your database to help process most of the time. It's better to purchase it for more secure functions.

How are customer service and technical support?

We have a technical support engineer who handles maintenance and security for SQL Server. I think Microsoft's technical support is also very good.

How was the initial setup?

It's a straightforward installation. I installed SQL Server 2012, 2013 and 2016.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The usability of the free version is limited. They also have some guidelines on how to use the paid ones. You still have to check your IT requirements after purchasing it. We are using a licensed one right now, which has more functionality than the free version.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Manager Digital Technologies at a real estate/law firm with 51-200 employees
Real User
Easy to use, simple to configure, and has a straightforward setup
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution has the capability to scale."
  • "Microsoft doesn't have active-active load balancing scenarios. It's always a failover cluster."

How has it helped my organization?

Most of the application what we use today are SQL-based applications. If you take a Microsoft ecosystem, there are many tools that connect easily with SQL - especially when it comes to reporting and analytics. Power BI is one of the good examples which can easily connect to SQL and then you can pull any report you want. SQL itself has its own tools like reporting services and transformation services. It also helps you to generate reporting and analytics and data transformation.

Overall, it helps our organization a lot. Again, it depends on what requirements and company has, and for what purpose you are using it. However, from an application relational database point of view that we are using today, it helps due to the fact that it comes with all that we need. Also, from a performance point of view, it configures well.

What is most valuable?

When you use the solution with Azure, for example, you get very good scalability. You can scale fast, whether it is horizontal or vertical.

If we use the product as a PaaS, Platform as a Service, it comes with all the security features you need - including against DDoS attacks.

The product offers good bloc storage, which you can buy at an additional cost. This allows you to have large object storage if you need it.

Over a period of time, their split engine has evolved and in the latest version, they've done a lot. Even from the management tool perspective, a lot of things have been done. A lot of functions have been added.

The initial setup is pretty straightforward.

Technical support has been good.

The solution has the capability to scale.

The pricing isn't as high as other options.

SQL is very easy to use. That's a very good thing about it in general.

What needs improvement?

Microsoft doesn't have active-active load balancing scenarios. It's always a failover cluster. There is no active-active cluster, which other tools, other database providers like Oracle, provide. If Microsoft can consider or probably come up with an active-active cluster, then it would be good. It will be more powerful in a scenario like that.

The pricing, while not the most expensive, is still quite high.

They have something called Parallel Queries, however, I don't know how it works. I've never tested it in a horizontal way. I'd like to understand a bit more about it and be able to use it horizontally.

For how long have I used the solution?

I'm new to my organization and have only been using the product for three or four months here, however, previously, I worked with SQL for a long time.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

In terms of direct users, there are only a few. However, there are applications that are using SQL and those application's users are 100 plus, or maybe 300 to 400 plus users.

This company is in the phase of growth. If it grows as expected, then definitely the chances are high in terms of the number of users - which means we will scale up a bit.

How are customer service and technical support?

We have direct support from Microsoft. We have Microsoft partners as well. I don't see any problem with technical support, as we ourselves are capable of troubleshooting. I'm a certified BBS developer. If there any related issues, we take care of them internally. If not, we raise a ticket from Microsoft and we get support from them. They are helpful and responsive. We are satisfied with the level of service they provide.

How was the initial setup?

The solution is very straightforward. It's not too complex. A company shouldn't have an issue implementing it. Once you install everything and get it configured as per your requirements if you are an SQL professional and an administrator, it's very straightforward.

It's doesn't take too long to set up. Within a week you can get it deployed. If you do a standalone module, a week likely is not required. If it is in a cluster module, of course, within a week you can set up a cluster and then get things done.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

SQL pricing is slightly high compared to where it was before. That said, compared to other products like Oracle, they are still cheap. It's not overly expensive in comparison to others.

The final price you can expect all depends on your requirements. A standard version of SQL is always cheaper than an enterprise. If you're going to go on a cluster, it's particularly expensive. However, when it comes to the value and what is provided, that is also important.

It all depends on what you need. I cannot just blindly say that it's expensive or cheap as it all depends on your requirement. Comparatively, SQL is cheaper than other products like Oracle. Oracle is really expensive compared to SQL. 

What other advice do I have?

We are customers and end-users.

I'm certified in SQL. I have a pretty good understanding of the product.

Overall, I would rate the solution at a nine out of ten.

Whether or not it would work well for a company all depends on what purpose it is being used for. However, SQL is simple to use and simple to configure, and very powerful in terms of relational database and the SQL language and functions it comes with. If you configure it well and then use it well, the outcome will likely be very good.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
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Updated: March 2024
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