Microsoft announces SQL Server for Linux

Although this may have seemed incredible a few years ago, Microsoft has confirmed that SQL Server is coming to Linux. More than just making an announcement, the Redmond giant also made a private preview available earlier this week. The SQL Server for Linux preview includes the core relational database features of SQL Server 2016.

According to Microsoft's Cloud and Enterprise Group Executive Vice President, Scott Guthrie, "SQL Server on Linux will provide customers with even more flexibility in their data solution. One with mission-critical performance, industry-leading TCO, best-in-class security, and hybrid cloud innovations – like Stretch Database which lets customers access their data on-premises and in the cloud whenever they want at low cost – all built in."

SQL Server 2016 offers Microsoft R Server analytics support, in-memory database capabilities that can speed up certain tasks up to 100 times, as well as encryption for data on the wire, at rest, and in memory. Microsoft hopes that its availability on Linux will speed up SQL Server overall adoption, in addition to providing a flexible  cross-platform solution.