Innovative features in SQL Server 2019

The intelligent software from Microsoft also offers a number of innovative features for data processing: In addition to clustering (group allocation) of data, these also concern monitoring, i.e. various types of systematic collection (logging, measurement), as well as the processing of queries or entries during searches.

A special feature of the new SQL Server Edition is the Intelligent Query Processing (IQP), which considerably accelerates the processing of queries and is particularly effective for large amounts of data. The speed of many database operations has also been increased and additional functions added.

Below is a detailed overview of the most important new features of Microsoft SLQ Server Edition 2019:

Data virtualization withBig Data Cluster available in SQL Server 2019

More and more companies have extensive and constantly growing data collections. With the Big Data Cluster feature, a complete environment is now available in SQL Server 2019 that leverages AI technologies to provide near real-time visibility into all dataset data. Big Data Clusters provide all the tools needed to train and use machine learning models.

SQL Server 2019 Big Data Cluster (BDC) is a Linux-based container network of SQL Server and Apache Spark, deployed in Kubernetes or Azure Kubernetes Services (AKS).

The PolyBase feature introduced in SQL Server 2016 for processing Transact-SQL queries from external data sources has now been extended to include Oracle, MongoD and Terradata for accessing certain external storage data sources.

Use of Java in SQL Server 2019

The SQL Server 2019 version now offers for the first time to use Java code within the database management system. Developers now benefit from the integration of the Java Runtime. Compiled Java code can now be executed on the SQL Server without having to migrate it for processing. The integration of further programming languages is also possible with the new SQL Server 2019 based on the SQL Server Language Extensions.

Secure Enclaves for encrypted data with Secure Enclaves

Since the Always Encrypted feature introduced in SQL Server 2016, SQL Server 2019 extends the ability to encrypt data from the client to the DBMS with Secure Enclaves. Even database administrators with their extended privileges cannot view this data.

Various performance improvements for SQL Server 2019

In addition, the new Microsoft SQL Server 2019 offers many performance improvements that benefit not only users but also administrators:

Intelligent Query Processing: With Intelligent Query Processing (IQP), the 2019 edition of SQL Server also includes several optimizations for query processing that provide speed benefits, especially when processing large amounts of data.

Intelligent Performance: The so-called Intelligent Performance describes an additional increase in the execution speed of database operations. Some of them are automatically available internally or must first be activated by the database administrator.

Database Snapshot: Using a Database Snapshot, the database admin creates a snapshot of the database. This snapshot can then be used to illustrate an evaluation or report. If the original database changes, the snapshot can be used to document deviations from the previous state.

Last Query Plan Statistics: SQL Server provides the database administrator with an up-to-date view of recent query execution plans. 

Lightweight Query Profiling Infrastructure (LWP): LWP has been further enhanced and is now enabled by default in SQL Server Management Studio for Live QueryStatistics.

Accelerated Database Recovery (ADR): accelerates database recovery after a restart or extensive transaction rollback.

Licensing models for Microsoft SQL Server 2019 at Wiresoft

With SQL Server 2019, Microsoft is continuing the core licensing option available since the 2016 server version. Depending on the SQL Server 2019 Edition - whether Standard or Enterprise - different options are available to acquire suitable server licenses.

SQL Server 2019 Editions at a glance

At Wiresoft you can purchase the following server editions 2019:

SQL Server 2019 Standard: The Standard is designed specifically for small to medium businesses.

In the Standard, you can choose between licensing by server/CAL (i.e. server licenses and access licenses) and by cores (no additional access licenses are required here).

SQL Server 2019 Enterprise Edition: The Enterprise version is designed for medium-sized companies and especially large enterprises or organizations. It is licensed according to the respective number of cores. A licensing per server/CAL is generally not available here.

Difference between licensing by Server/CAL and by Cores

While licensing by server/CAL follows the usual familiar scheme, core licensing is based on the number of licenses required by the cores. This means a change in the so-called license metrics, i.e. the way the respective license demand is counted.

While it used to be irrelevant how many cores a processor contained, this number is now critical for determining license requirements.

Core licensing is designed to accommodate the growing number of cores per processor, which allows you to handle even larger workloads.

Licensing of SQL Server 2019 by Server/CAL

Microsoft's licensing model by server/CAL is also common to other server editions. It is based on the usual requirements:

Each server on which an SQL Server instance is to be executed requires a Standard. In addition, for each user or device that accesses the licensed SQL Server, a corresponding access license (CAL) of the same or a newer server version is required, i.e. a user or device CAL.

With a 2019 CAL, access to both the 2019 SQL Server 2019 and the 2017 SQL Server is possible.

Which type of licensing is more favourable for a company depends on how many users or end devices have to be licensed: User CALs are more suitable if an authorized user wants to access the server from different devices, whereas device CALs are cheaper if different users always access the server via a specific device.

Licensing of SQL Server 2019 according to cores

According to Microsoft, the per-core licensing model is now the standard procedure in the cloud, as it standardizes the licensing of Windows Server and Azure. It also simplifies the mobility of licenses, for example with Azure Hybrid Use Benefit. As a result, hybrid use and cloud deployments for the provision of software can now also be better mapped.

With cloud-based licensing, a core license is valid for two cores instead of one license per processor as before. Thus, the total license requirement results from the respective number of cores per processor. A minimum of eight licenses per server is applied, with at least eight cores being licensed per processor. All physical cores of a server therefore require their own core license.

Microsoft has also introduced the following rules:

At least 8-core licenses are required for each individual processor.

Each individual server also requires at least 16-core licenses.

The core licenses required for each server are only available as packages of 2: SQL Server Standard 2-Core or SQL Server Enterprise 2-Core.

Which Standard is cheaper in each individual case, whether server/CAL or 2-core license, depends on the type of machine: those with up to 2 processors with 8 cores each can be licensed more economically with the SQL Standard version. Due to the minimum number of eight cores set by Microsoft, machines with fewer cores cannot be licensed at a lower price.

With core-based licensing, no access licenses (CALs) are required.

Licence Microsoft SQL Server 2019 at Wiresoft

No matter whether you want to cover your license requirements in your company with Microsoft SQL Server 2019 Standard or Enterprise, whether Server/CAL or 2-core license: At Wiresoft you will receive these Microsoft products exclusively as original license rights. Microsoft licenses are particularly favorable with Wiresoft, because we offer unused software licenses from European enterprises - and this absolutely legally. Therefore you can be sure that all licenses have been checked by Wiresoft for originality and usability. This is also confirmed by many enthusiastic customers. Please contact us if you have any questions about your licensing with Microsoft SQL Server 2019