This is an interesting bit of news even though the details are sketchy at this point. Microsoft will be offering a Linux version of their flagship database solution SQL Server.
From the announcement, they haven't indicated if the server will be a native port to Linux, a specialized turnkey distro with SQL Server embedded in it, or some sort of VM running under Linux as more servers increasingly are. Either way, it's pretty surprising even if I'm gonna be waiting for the other shoe to drop with this one. I seriously doubt it represents any change of heart on Microsoft's part.
Here's what Microsoft's Scott Guthrie
Microsoft had to say:
Today I’m excited to announce our plans to bring SQL Server to Linux as well. This will enable SQL Server to deliver a consistent data platform across Windows Server and Linux, as well as on-premises and cloud. We are bringing the core relational database capabilities to preview today, and are targeting availability in mid-2017.
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.
“This is an enormously important decision for Microsoft, allowing it to offer its well-known and trusted database to an expanded set of customers”, said Al Gillen, group vice president, enterprise infrastructure, at IDC. “By taking this key product to Linux Microsoft is proving its commitment to being a cross platform solution provider. This gives customers choice and reduces the concerns for lock-in. We would expect this will also accelerate the overall adoption of SQL Server.”
“SQL Server’s proven enterprise experience and capabilities offer a valuable asset to enterprise Linux customers around the world,” said Paul Cormier, President, Products and Technologies, Red Hat. “We believe our customers will welcome this news and are happy to see Microsoft further increasing its investment in Linux. As we build upon our deep hybrid cloud partnership, spanning not only Linux, but also middleware, and PaaS, we’re excited to now extend that collaboration to SQL Server on Red Hat Enterprise Linux, bringing enterprise customers increased database choice.”
“We are delighted to be working with Microsoft as it brings SQL Server to Linux,” said Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Canonical. “Customers are already taking advantage of Azure Data Lake services on Ubuntu, and now developers will be able to build modern applications that utilize SQL Server’s enterprise capabilities.”
Bringing SQL Server to Linux is another way we are making our products and new innovations more accessible to a broader set of users and meeting them where they are. Just last week, we announced our agreement to acquire Xamarin. Recently, we also announced Microsoft R Server , our technologies based on our acquisition of Revolution Analytics, with support for Hadoop and Teradata.
The private preview of SQL Server on Linux is available starting today and we look forward to working with the community, our customers and our partners to bring it to market.
Obviously Redhat and Ubuntu, two of the biggest sellouts in the FOSS world, are anxious to get into bed with Redmond on this one.
Time will tell if this is a
genuine effort to be more cross-platform on Microsoft's part; or, if it's just another example of Microsoft's now classic "Embrace, Extend, Extinguish" strategy.
Microsoft announces SQL Server to be made to run in LinuxYeah right! Maybe...but I'll believe it when and if it actually turns out to be true.
