The Server and Its Components

SQL Server has many variations in its product line. These variations exist to handle every imaginable database system, from the smallest of personal architectures to large-scale data warehouses operating in multiserver environments. From the SQL Serverbased MSDE to the Enterprise Edition running a Data Center, it is a truly versatile data-handling product. Following are some of the main reasons for the product's success:

• Internet integration

• Scalability and availability

• Enterprise-level database features

• Performance against TPC-C industry-standard benchmarks

• Ease of installation and deployment

• Data warehousing

But these are more than just a few buzzwords used by Microsoft for marketing purposes. The SQL Server product falls neatly into line, filling the data-handling requirements of a diverse corporate marketplace. Additionally, many features are built into this product. SQL Server 2000 includes integrated XML support and other features needed to operate at the back end of the largest websites on the Internet. SQL Server 2000 supports English Query and the Microsoft Search Service to allow for user-friendly queries and powerful search capabilities. The same database engine can be used across platforms ranging from laptop computers running Microsoft Windows 98 to multiprocessor servers running Microsoft Windows Server 2003.

The SQL Server 2000 database engine supports features required by demanding environments. The database engine protects integrity while minimizing overhead. The engine is capable of managing thousands of users concurrently modifying the database. SQL Server 2000 distributed queries enable you to reference data from multiple sources as if it were a part of a single SQL Server 2000 database. Distributed transaction support protects the integrity of any updates of the data dispersed on multiple sources. Replication enables you to maintain multiple copies of data while also ensuring synchronization.

SQL Server 2000 includes a complete set of administrative and development tools. SQL Server 2000 also supports a standards-based programming model, making the use of SQL Server databases and data warehouses a seamless part of building powerful systems. These features enable you to rapidly deliver SQL Server applications that can be implemented with a minimum of installation and administrative overhead. SQL Server 2000 includes tools for extracting and analyzing summary data for online analytical processing. SQL Server also includes tools for visually designing databases and analyzing data using English-based questions. SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition supports features such as federated servers, indexed views, and large memory support that enable it to scale to the performance levels required by the largest websites.