Microsoft SQL Server 2025 comes with a number of significant updates aimed at improvement of AI capabilities, performance, and integration with modern cloud environments. The following are the major highlights.
AI Integration
Native Vector Support:- It allows efficient storage and processing of vector data, which is necessary for AI-powered applications. The algorithms for hybrid search - Vector indexing and DiskANN are optimized.
Model Management:- AI model deployment and management can be done directly in SQL Server through REST APIs. Embeddings and text chunking are supported for advanced analytics.
T-SQL Enhancements:- Direct integration with AI services is supported. It includes external APIs like ChatGPT, which improves operational insights and decision-making.
Performance and Scalability
Optimized Locking:- Avoids contention in highly concurrent environments to improve transactional throughput.
Query Processing Improvements:- Batch mode and improved column store indexing accelerate analytics without any code change.
Improvements in Always On Availability Groups for greater reliability: Smoother failover processes for high availability.
Developer Features
JSON and Regular Expression Support:- A new data type, JSON, and T-SQL regex functions are introduced to improve semi-structured data handling and pattern matching.
Change Streaming:- It enables real-time analytics by streaming change data into any event system like Kafka or Azure Event Hubs.
Integration with Azure and Fabric
Fabric Mirroring:- SQL Server is synchronized in real-time with Microsoft One Lake for analytics using zero-ETL.
Hybrid Management:- Integration of Azure Arc enables unified management across cloud and on-premises deployments.
Licensing and Deployment
Flexible Licensing:- Pay-as-you-go options through Azure Private Servers support cost-effective scalability.
Modern Platforms:- Enhanced compatibility with Kubernetes, containers, and the latest hardware configurations.
SQL Server 2025 is positioned as the powerful solution for AI and data-driven applications, focusing on security, performance, and developer productivity. Public previews will be available in early 2025, while general availability will follow later this year.
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