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CLEARLY OUTSCORING PREVIOUS versions, this beta release of SQL Server 7.0 shows that Microsoft is serious about playing pro ball with database rivals Oracle, IBM, and Informix. This version demonstrates good stability along with a nearly complete feature set. Current SQL Server 6.x customers and Windows NT shops seeking a Windows-based solution for decision support, data warehousing, or OLAP applications should keep an eye out for the production version when it arrives later this year.
Microsoft still needs to tweak the performance a bit, add the final few features, and do the usual buffing and polishing prior to shipping. Aside from these foibles, SQL Server 7.0 exhibits impressive improvements in architecture, ease of use and manageability, and development options. But despite this achievement, it is too early to compare this beta version with the production releases of database rivals.
For sites that already are using SQL Server 6.x, upgrading to 7.0 is unlikely to cause many headaches, as Microsoft wisely has implemented backward compatibility. During my tests with the 6.5 and 7.0 versions I...