The Evolution of SQL Server Versions and Editions

People like us who have been into the software development industry for quite some time are familiar with the SQL Server database. We have seen it grow and evolve. Each time a new SQL Server Version is released, which is very frequent, we have been surprised with new and more user-friendly features which have made our coding life easier. Over the last 13-14 years, SQL Server has released many SQL versions and features that you can be proud of as a developer. 

Read: Power BI - Getting Started with Query Editor in Power BI

This blog is a simple effort to run through the evolution process of our favorite database management system. Here, we will discuss all SQL Server versions, SQL Server Editions, and SQL Server Version Comparison moving ahead through the blog.

SQL Server is a relational database management system (RDBMS) developed by Microsoft. Let us see how it all started?

Read More - SQL Server Tutorial for Beginners 

• Microsoft joined Ashton-Tate and Sybase on 12th Jun 1988.
• They wanted to create a variant of Sybase SQL Server.
• The first SQL Server version was released the following year.
• This was the first SQL server version of Microsoft that was launched successfully.
• This marked Microsoft’s entry to the enterprise-level database market.

Later, Microsoft SQL versions for Windows NT and other operating systems were also launched.

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Multiple SQL server editions are available in the database market that you must know as a database developer.

Here is a quick SQL server version comparison that you must know before you enter the database industry.

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Here is again the SQL server version comparison based on features.

There are five mainstream editions of SQL Server that are frequently used by industries worldwide.

Express

• Basic of all SQL Server editions.
• Free to use in production.

Web

• It is between the Standard and Express editions. 
• Can be used for web development

Standard

• Enables database management with minimal effort.

Enterprise

• Unlimited virtualization and high service levels for the mission-critical workload.

Developer 

• Has all the features of the Enterprise edition, but cannot be used in production environments.

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There are three methods how we can check which version of SQL Server is running in the system.

Method 1

Using Command Prompt with T-SQL Query

• Open a command prompt

Start>Run>Type CMD and hit Ok

• Type SQLCMD -S server_name\instance_name and click enter

• Type  

select @@version
go

and click enter

Method 2

Generate Web report using SQL Server Installation Center

• Open SQL Server Installation Center

• SQL Server Installation Center Opens

• Select Tools and select Installed SQL Server Features Discovery Report 

• It opens a report in the web browser like below giving full details of the SQL Server version running in the system.

Method 3

Using SQL Server Management Studio to check version

• Open SQL Server Management Studio   

• SQL Server management Studio opens

• Select the server name and right click and select properties

• The current SQL Server Version running in the system is displayed.

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This was all about how one of the most popular Relational database management systems evolved over time. We have tried to give a comparative analysis on SQL server version comparison, how the software matured, loaded itself with more and more features and became one of the most popular database applications in the world.

This is not an elaborate write-up on the different SQL Server versions and SQL Server editions but gives the readers enough material to explore the history of SQL Server evolution in more detail if they want to.

Read: How to Download and Install Microsoft SQL Server Data Tools?