Microsoft plans to bring this popular database software SQL Server to Linux and will be available sometime in mid-2017. This bold move is betting on that Windows operating servers will still grow while gaining the new set of users from the Linux side. If you have followed the continuous growth of cloud computing demand and most operating systems in the cloud were Linux-based as Amazon is still dominating the cloud space with over 50% market share, Microsoft must find its future of MS SQL database in Linux and not just confining itself in the Microsoft only systems.
I think this strategic move made by Microsoft is inevitable, and now it is still not too late to decouple its database product from its operating system despite the challenge to separate the SQL server software from the system. In the era of embracing the big data, one must put more emphasis on database product and loosen up any dependencies and let it strive and evolve freely. Who knows one day SQL server may rename itself to a different name and accommodates nonSQL and other data structure. So in this Linux version, it would have limited features especially to those functions integrated deeply with Windows platform. So at this time, we are not sure how much "core relational database capabilities" would be excluded according to Scott Guthrie, an Executive VP of the Cloud and Enterprise group in Microsoft. But fortunately, the new and highly anticipated feature of Microsoft SQL Server 2016, Stretch Databases, will be included it. The Stretch Database technology allows a user to migrate exactly the data needed within a hybrid cloud environment and also keeps more of your customer’s historical data at your fingertips by transparently stretching your warm and cold OLTP (On line transaction processing) data to Microsoft Azure in a secure manner without application changes.
Microsoft continues its cross-platform strategy after Satya Nadella took over the helm. There is a recent acquisition of Xamarin, which builds developer tools for building Android and iOS apps. In late 2015, Microsoft develops its in-house Linux-based operating system called Azure Cloud Switch that used in network devices. Microsoft also lends a helping hand and made tools for Linux admin user to monitor 43 different metrics such as CPU IO wait time, percentage, disk read/write, and memory used. All these tools are free and no trick! Besides fully embracing Linux in their on Azure cloud in Redmond, where it has 60% of images are Linux according to Corey Sanders, director of program management on Azure, Microsoft is also embracing cloud containers running Docker and Mesosphere. Finally, it recently released stats package R Server for Linux.
All these changes are unlike the old Microsoft we used to know, and it is moving in a more open and supportive direction.
All these changes are unlike the old Microsoft we used to know, and it is moving in a more open and supportive direction.
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