Database Reference
In-Depth Information
18.1.3 MS SQL Server and the Client-Server Model
Like most modern DBMS suites, Microsoft's SQL Server is a client-server software system.
The server side of the application provides database security, fault tolerance, database
performance, concurrency, and reliable backups. The client side provides the user
interface that facilitates access to the database via reports, queries, and forms. Various
clients can connect to MS SQL Server, including the utilities that come with SQL Server,
such as SQL Server Query Analyzer. Non-Microsoft applications can also access the
backend via ODBC.
18.2 Main Features of MS SQL Server
According to Microsoft, MS SQL Server provides a number of significant features, some of
which are mentioned below:
Database Support:
The SQL Server database engine provides
facilities for supporting relational databases as well as
unstructured data (via XML). It also includes security features
and other related features required to create and support
complex Web-accessible databases.
Replication Services:
The SQL Server relational database
engine supports the features required to support demanding
data processing environments. The database engine protects
data integrity while minimizing the overhead of managing
thousands of users who may be concurrently modifying the
database. SQL Server distributed queries facilitate referencing
of data from multiple sources as if the data all resided in the
local SQL Server database. At the same time, the distributed
transaction support protects the integrity of any updates of
the distributed data. Replication facilitates maintenance of
multiple copies of data, while ensuring that the separate copies
remain synchronized.
Ease of
Installation and Usage:
SQL Server includes a set
of administrative and development tools that improve upon
the process of installing, deploying, managing, and using
SQL Server across several sites. SQL Server also supports
a standards-based programming model integrated with
the Microsoft Distributed interNet Applications (DNA)
architecture, allowing for easy integration with the World
Wide Web (WWW). These features allow software engineers
to rapidly deliver SQL Server applications that customers can
implement with a minimum of installation and administrative
overhead.
Interoperability:
SQL Server includes facilities for
communicating with heterogeneous databases.
