MSSQL Server Now Available on Linux – What You Need To Know

In an unprecedented move, Microsoft announced on March 7, 2016, that it would provide a version of MSSQL Server for Linux in addition to Windows Server. This is big news for those that use Linux but also want to use the MSSQL database due to either preference or familiarity with the database.

Microsoft also mentioned in the announcement some other new features that will be in the newest version of the software:

• New security encryption capabilities – Data can now be encrypted either at rest, in motion, or in memory.
• In-memory database performance increases.
• Business Intelligence on an increased number of devices – such as iOS devices, Android devices, and Windows Phones.

This announcement is big news for developers familiar with MSSQL Server that may wish to use it now that it is not restricted to a Windows Server environment.

How does this affect the marketplace?

It appears with this move that Microsoft is trying to get market share in a place they have not been able to before (Linux), where Oracle has reigned supreme as far as commercial databases go. It is unlikely those who prefer open-source, such as PostGres SQL or MariaDB, will want to switch, but the move may convince those who were using those databases only due to the unavailability of MSSQL Server on Linux to switch. Also, those using other commercial databases may decide to make the switch now that they can.

One other reason for this move is that more and more businesses are moving much or all of their app architecture into the cloud. With SaaS (Software as a Service) becoming quite popular, it would be more difficult for Microsoft to retain customers who move to the cloud, where Linux servers are a very popular option. Giving customers the option to continue using MSSQL Server in a Linux environment is a huge move that may help them retain customers as well as acquire new ones as databases continue to be moved into the cloud.

Databases and monitoring with Morpheus

If you are going to provision a database for your apps, a good way to go about it is to use Morpheus, a PaaS solution which allows you to provision databases, including SQL and NoSQL databases, as well as apps and servers with a user-friendly interface. In addition to this, Morpheus can monitor your apps, servers, and databases. With Morpheus, data logging is automatic as you provision servers and apps. Using the available tools, you can monitor the various parts of your system to keep track of uptime, response time, and to be alerted if an issue does arise.

The Morpheus interface is clean and easy to use. Source: Morpheus.

Morpheus allows you to provision apps in a single click, and provides ease of use for developers with APIs and a CLI. In addition, backups are also automatic, and you can have redundancy as needed to avoid potentially long waits for disaster recovery to take place. If you want to learn more click here for an exclusive demo.