Microsoft SQL Server 2022 – Enterprise Edition 

*** IMPORTANT NOTE: This is a RETAIL Edition, and no software assurance is needed for this type. ***

Microsoft SQL Server 2022, released as part of Microsoft's commitment to supporting hybrid and cloud-oriented solutions, brings a host of new features designed for enhanced performance, security, and analytics. Here are some of the main highlights and improvements:

1. Enhanced Azure Integration and Cloud Connectivity

• Azure Synapse Link for SQL Server: This feature allows SQL Server data to be seamlessly integrated with Azure Synapse for near-real-time analytics without complex ETL processes. This hybrid data processing enables on-demand analytics on operational data.
• Azure SQL Managed Instance Link: SQL Server 2022 supports near real-time data replication to Azure SQL Managed Instance, allowing businesses to leverage hybrid disaster recovery solutions and modernize their on-premises data infrastructures.
• Azure Active Directory (AAD) Integration: SQL Server 2022 integrates with AAD for secure, single sign-on access and simplified identity management in hybrid environments.

2. Intelligent Query Processing Enhancements

• Parameter Sensitive Plan Optimization: This feature creates multiple cached plans for a parameter-sensitive query, avoiding poor performance from suboptimal plans and significantly improving query processing speed.
• Enhanced Intelligent Query Processing (IQP): SQL Server 2022 includes additional IQP features, such as adaptive joins and row mode memory grant feedback, further optimizing query performance with minimal user intervention.

3. Improved Security Features

• Ledger: SQL Server 2022 introduces a blockchain-like ledger feature, providing tamper-evidence for SQL Server data to ensure data integrity and support secure, immutable records.
• Enhanced Data Encryption: New encryption capabilities improve data security for both in-flight and at-rest data. Secure Enclaves are also expanded to support data protection in scenarios where sensitive data is used in computations.

4. Simplified Management and Maintenance

• TempDB Improvements: SQL Server 2022 optimizes tempdb performance with concurrency enhancements, which help minimize contention issues and support higher workloads.
• Query Store Enhancements: SQL Server 2022 adds Query Store capabilities to capture query performance metrics and enable easy troubleshooting across replicas in Always On Availability Groups.

5. Advanced Analytics and Machine Learning Integration

• Built-In Analytics: SQL Server 2022 allows direct integration with tools like Azure Machine Learning and Python/R, enabling in-database machine learning and advanced analytics without complex data movement.

6. Availability and Disaster Recovery

• New Failover Options: SQL Server 2022 includes new configurations for Always On availability groups, which simplify disaster recovery and high availability setups.
• Backup to Azure Blob Storage: Improved backup options now allow for direct backups to Azure Blob Storage, simplifying disaster recovery and archiving.

These updates in SQL Server 2022 make it a powerful tool for modern, data-intensive applications that need hybrid, secure, and high-performance solutions. It supports businesses in managing data effectively both on-premises and in the cloud.

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Key features Microsoft SQL server 2022:

Microsoft SQL Server 2022 brings key features focused on hybrid cloud integration, performance, security, and data management. Here are the primary features that make it stand out:

1. Hybrid Cloud Integration with Azure

• Azure Synapse Link for SQL Server: Enables near-real-time analytics on SQL Server data by integrating seamlessly with Azure Synapse, allowing hybrid operational/analytical processing without ETL.
• Azure SQL Managed Instance Link: Allows near real-time data replication to Azure SQL Managed Instance for hybrid disaster recovery, ensuring high availability across cloud and on-premises.
• Azure Active Directory (AAD) Authentication: Provides secure single sign-on capabilities with AAD, simplifying identity management for hybrid scenarios.

2. Enhanced Performance with Intelligent Query Processing

• Parameter Sensitive Plan Optimization: Helps optimize query performance by caching multiple plans for parameter-sensitive queries, enhancing performance for queries with variable parameters.
• Memory Grant Feedback (Row Mode): Dynamically adjusts memory grants for queries, preventing memory-related bottlenecks.
• Optimized Indexing: Automatic index tuning and other indexing enhancements improve query performance with minimal manual tuning.

3. Advanced Security and Compliance

• Ledger: Provides tamper-evident capabilities similar to blockchain, making it possible to track and verify data changes for better data integrity and auditability.
• Enhanced Encryption: Upgraded encryption for both data at rest and in transit, as well as expanded Secure Enclaves support, improves the security of sensitive computations.
• Row-Level Security and Dynamic Data Masking: Expanded capabilities in row-level security and data masking make it easier to comply with privacy regulations.

4. Enhanced Management and Monitoring

• Query Store on Read-Only Replicas: Allows Query Store to capture query performance on read-only replicas in Always On Availability Groups, simplifying troubleshooting and performance tuning.
• TempDB Improvements: Optimized for better concurrency, reducing contention issues and supporting higher transaction workloads.
• Intelligent Performance Monitoring: Expanded performance monitoring tools help track resource usage, diagnose bottlenecks, and optimize database performance.

5. Integrated Machine Learning and Analytics

• In-Database Machine Learning: Supports Python and R directly within SQL Server, enabling predictive analytics without data movement.
• Integration with Azure Machine Learning: Simplifies model training and deployment workflows, allowing SQL Server to work as a data source for Azure ML.

6. Enhanced High Availability and Disaster Recovery

• Flexible Failover Options: New configurations for Always On Availability Groups enhance options for failover and disaster recovery.
• Backup to Azure Blob Storage: Simplifies disaster recovery by allowing for direct backups to Azure Blob Storage, reducing the need for complex storage configurations.

7. Improved Developer Experience

• JSON Enhancements: Expanded JSON support provides more flexible data parsing, storage, and querying capabilities.
• Graph Data Processing: Improved support for graph databases, enabling efficient modeling and querying of complex relationships.

These features make SQL Server 2022 a robust, flexible, and secure solution for managing and analyzing data in both on-premises and cloud environments.

What’s new in SQL Server 2022?

Microsoft SQL Server 2022 introduces a range of new features and enhancements that focus on hybrid cloud integration, advanced security, improved performance, and enhanced data analytics. Here’s a breakdown of what’s new:

1. Deep Integration with Azure for Hybrid Cloud Scenarios

• Azure Synapse Link for SQL Server: Enables near real-time analytics on operational data by directly connecting SQL Server to Azure Synapse, allowing for advanced data processing and hybrid analytics without needing ETL processes.
• Azure SQL Managed Instance Link: Offers seamless, near real-time replication from SQL Server to Azure SQL Managed Instance, enabling hybrid disaster recovery and offloading analytics workloads to Azure.
• Azure Active Directory (AAD) Authentication: Now includes support for AAD, allowing simplified and secure access management in hybrid cloud scenarios.

2. Enhanced Intelligent Query Processing (IQP)

• Parameter Sensitive Plan Optimization: Optimizes performance for queries with variable parameters by storing multiple execution plans, significantly reducing query execution times for diverse workloads.
• Memory Grant Feedback (Row Mode): Adjusts memory grants dynamically based on previous query execution, optimizing resource utilization.
• Degree of Parallelism (DOP) Feedback: Dynamically adjusts the degree of parallelism for queries based on runtime feedback, leading to better CPU utilization and faster query processing.

3. New Security Features for Data Protection and Compliance

• Ledger: Introduces blockchain-like ledger technology to SQL Server, making it possible to maintain tamper-evident data records and ensure data integrity for compliance and audit needs.
• Always Encrypted with Secure Enclaves: Expanded support for secure enclaves allows for in-place data encryption and secure computation on sensitive data, even when users have access to the database.
• Enhanced Data Masking and Row-Level Security: Provides expanded options for data masking and row-level security to protect sensitive information and ensure compliance with privacy regulations.

4. Improved Availability and Disaster Recovery

• Failover Improvements with Always On Availability Groups: Enhanced Always On configurations improve failover performance and availability, making it easier to manage high availability and disaster recovery solutions.
• Backup to Azure Blob Storage: Simplifies the backup process with direct backups to Azure Blob Storage, enhancing disaster recovery options without needing complex storage setups.

5. Expanded Data Analytics and Machine Learning Capabilities

• Integrated Python and R Support: Expands in-database machine learning with built-in support for Python and R, enabling data science workflows directly within SQL Server.
• Integration with Azure Machine Learning: Supports seamless integration with Azure ML, allowing SQL Server data to be used directly in model training and predictions.

6. Enhanced Developer and Performance Features

• JSON Enhancements: Improved JSON functions make it easier to work with semi-structured data, parsing, and manipulating JSON documents directly in SQL Server.
• Improved Graph Processing: Better support for graph databases enables SQL Server to model and query complex relationships, ideal for applications like social networks or recommendation engines.
• New Transact-SQL (T-SQL) Features: New T-SQL capabilities improve developer productivity, offering more flexibility in writing complex queries and managing data.

7. Simplified Management and Monitoring

• Query Store on Read-Only Replicas: Enables Query Store on read-only replicas in Always On Availability Groups, making it easier to monitor and troubleshoot query performance across all replicas.
• TempDB Enhancements: Optimizes TempDB for better performance and reduces contention, especially under high concurrency workloads.
• Improved Performance Insights and Monitoring Tools: New built-in performance monitoring tools offer insights into resource usage, query performance, and database health.

8. Increased Scalability and Flexibility for Modern Workloads

• SQL Server 2022 on Linux: Expands SQL Server’s capabilities on Linux, aligning it with the Windows version in terms of functionality and performance improvements.
• Expanded Container Support: Enhanced container support offers greater flexibility for deploying SQL Server in containerized environments, making it easier to integrate SQL Server into DevOps workflows.

These new features make SQL Server 2022 a powerful option for organizations looking to leverage a secure, highly available, and hybrid-ready data platform. With Azure integration, improved performance, and advanced analytics capabilities, SQL Server 2022 caters to modern, data-driven business needs.

Microsoft SQL Server 2022 Standard vs. Enterprise:

Microsoft SQL Server 2022 offers two primary editions tailored for different levels of functionality and performance: Standard and Enterprise. The Standard Edition is aimed at small to medium-sized businesses with lighter workloads and budget constraints, while the Enterprise Edition is geared toward large organizations with high-performance requirements, advanced security, and extensive scalability needs. Here’s a detailed comparison of their features:

1. Core Licensing and Scalability

• Standard Edition

  • Licensing: Available in both per-core and Server + CAL (Client Access License) licensing models.
  • Maximum CPU Cores: Limited to 24 cores per instance.
  • Memory: Supports up to 128 GB of memory per instance.
  • Scalability: Suitable for moderately complex workloads; limited to smaller deployments.

• Enterprise Edition

  • Licensing: Only available in per-core licensing.
  • Maximum CPU Cores: Supports the maximum number of cores provided by the host operating system, with no specific SQL-imposed cap.
  • Memory: Can use all the memory available in the operating system, supporting large-scale deployments.
  • Scalability: Ideal for enterprise-scale, highly demanding workloads that require maximum processing power and memory.

2. High Availability and Disaster Recovery

• Standard Edition

  • Basic Availability Groups: Supports up to two nodes in an Always On availability group with a single database failover.
  • Log Shipping and Database Mirroring: Supported, but without automatic failover for Database Mirroring.
  • Backup to Azure: Available, allowing backups to be stored in Azure Blob Storage.
  • Failover Clustering: Limited to a single database failover for basic clustering.

• Enterprise Edition

  • Advanced Always On Availability Groups: Supports multiple availability databases and failover nodes with automatic failover options across replicas.
  • Distributed Availability Groups: Allows multiple clusters to join an availability group for enhanced disaster recovery and data migration.
  • Failover Clustering: Includes multi-database failover and advanced clustering options, making it suitable for complex high-availability configurations.

3. Performance and Query Processing

• Standard Edition

  • Basic Query Store: Limited features to track performance metrics.
  • Intelligent Query Processing (IQP): Supports basic IQP features, but lacks some advanced optimizations.
  • Memory-Optimized TempDB Metadata: Available to reduce contention in tempdb.
  • Max Degree of Parallelism (DOP): Limited to 2 parallelism for query processing.
  • Columnstore Indexing: Limited support for read-only workloads, ideal for small analytics workloads but with constraints.

• Enterprise Edition

  • Advanced Query Store: Full capabilities, including query capture on replicas in Always On configurations.
  • Advanced Intelligent Query Processing: Includes all advanced IQP features such as adaptive joins, row mode memory grant feedback, and parameter-sensitive plan optimization, boosting complex query performance.
  • Unlimited Degree of Parallelism (DOP): No limit on parallelism, optimizing high-performance workloads.
  • In-Memory OLTP: Full support for memory-optimized tables and native stored procedures, reducing latency for high-transaction workloads.
  • Columnstore Indexing: Enhanced support for both read and write operations, ideal for large analytics and data warehousing workloads.

4. Security and Compliance

• Standard Edition

  • Basic Data Encryption: Provides Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) and encryption for data at rest.
  • Always Encrypted: Supported, but without Secure Enclaves for more complex data security scenarios.
  • Row-Level Security and Dynamic Data Masking: Available for basic data protection needs.

• Enterprise Edition

  • Advanced Data Encryption: Includes Always Encrypted with Secure Enclaves, allowing computations on encrypted data without exposure.
  • Ledger: Provides blockchain-like ledger capabilities for tamper-evidence, supporting data integrity and audit requirements.
  • Advanced Row-Level Security and Dynamic Data Masking: Full-featured implementations for fine-grained data security and compliance.

5. Data Warehousing and Analytics

• Standard Edition

  • Basic Data Warehousing: Supports columnstore indexing for read-only analytics, but lacks advanced features for large-scale data warehousing.
  • Reporting Services: Provides essential reporting tools but lacks advanced reporting scalability and interactivity.
  • PolyBase: Limited functionality for querying external data.

• Enterprise Edition

  • Advanced Data Warehousing: Supports partitioned tables, indexed views, and advanced columnstore indexing for large, write-heavy data warehousing scenarios.
  • Machine Learning Services: Includes integrated machine learning support with R and Python, enabling in-database advanced analytics and model training.
  • PolyBase: Fully functional, allowing integration and querying of data from Hadoop, Oracle, and Azure Blob Storage.

6. Developer and Monitoring Tools

• Standard Edition

  • Basic Query Monitoring: Limited to essential monitoring tools for performance troubleshooting.
  • JSON and Graph Data Processing: Basic support for JSON parsing and graph data.
  • Dev/Test Environment: Suitable for lightweight development and test environments, but lacks advanced debugging.

• Enterprise Edition

  • Advanced Query Monitoring: Includes all performance monitoring tools, such as Query Store on read-only replicas and advanced telemetry.
  • Full JSON and Graph Data Processing: Enhanced support for JSON data handling and complex graph data processing, suitable for applications requiring deep relationship modeling.
  • Advanced Dev/Test Features: Suitable for comprehensive development and testing with support for complex debugging and monitoring scenarios.

7. Licensing and Cost Considerations

• Standard Edition

  • Cost: Lower cost, with flexible licensing options (Server + CAL or per-core) making it suitable for smaller businesses and limited-budget projects.
  • Use Case: Ideal for small to medium businesses with moderate workload demands and limited need for advanced features.

• Enterprise Edition

  • Cost: Higher cost, per-core licensing only, reflecting its extensive feature set and scalability.
  • Use Case: Suitable for large enterprises with critical, high-availability, and performance-intensive applications that demand maximum resource utilization and high security.

Summary Table

In Conclusion: SQL Server 2022 Standard Edition is best suited for businesses with moderate workloads, seeking core functionalities with a lower investment. In contrast, the Enterprise Edition offers extensive high-performance, scalability, and security features for large organizations requiring robust data solutions in mission-critical environments.

Microsoft SQL Server 2022 vs 2019

Microsoft SQL Server 2022 introduces several improvements and new features compared to SQL Server 2019. While both versions provide robust database management, SQL Server 2022 focuses on enhancing hybrid capabilities, cloud integration, performance optimization, and security features. Here’s a detailed comparison between the two versions:

1. Hybrid Cloud Integration

• SQL Server 2022

  • Azure Synapse Link: Allows near-real-time analytics on SQL Server data by connecting directly to Azure Synapse, reducing the need for ETL processes.
  • Azure SQL Managed Instance Link: Enables bidirectional data replication between on-premises SQL Server and Azure SQL Managed Instance, enhancing hybrid disaster recovery options.
  • Azure Active Directory (AAD) Integration: Native support for AAD authentication simplifies security in hybrid cloud scenarios.

• SQL Server 2019

  • Big Data Clusters: Introduced support for Big Data Clusters, allowing data virtualization, big data analytics, and integration with Spark and HDFS. However, Big Data Clusters are not a fully hybrid feature, and data movement to Azure isn’t as streamlined.
  • Azure Arc Integration: Added support for deploying SQL Server instances on Azure Arc for hybrid and multi-cloud environments but with fewer native integration features than SQL Server 2022.

2. Intelligent Query Processing (IQP) Enhancements

• SQL Server 2022

  • Parameter Sensitive Plan (PSP) Optimization: Creates multiple execution plans for queries with sensitive parameters, significantly improving query performance and flexibility.
  • Memory Grant Feedback (Row Mode): Dynamically adjusts memory grants based on runtime statistics, optimizing resource usage for better performance.
  • Degree of Parallelism (DOP) Feedback: Adjusts the DOP based on feedback from previous query executions, providing better performance consistency in query processing.

• SQL Server 2019

  • Intelligent Query Processing (IQP): Introduced several query processing optimizations, including scalar UDF inlining, approximate query processing, and table variable deferred compilation, but lacks the advanced memory and DOP feedback introduced in SQL Server 2022.

3. Security and Compliance

• SQL Server 2022

  • Ledger: Introduces blockchain-like capabilities with a tamper-evident ledger feature that provides immutable records, ideal for auditing and compliance.
  • Enhanced Always Encrypted: Adds Secure Enclaves, allowing for complex computations on encrypted data, enhancing data security without compromising functionality.
  • Row-Level Security and Dynamic Data Masking: Enhanced, with additional configuration options for fine-grained data protection.

• SQL Server 2019

  • Always Encrypted: Provides basic Always Encrypted support, securing sensitive data but without the ability to compute on encrypted data.
  • Row-Level Security and Dynamic Data Masking: Available, but with fewer customization options compared to SQL Server 2022.
  • Audit and Compliance Features: Standard data encryption and compliance tools, without tamper-evident ledger functionality.

4. Data Analytics and Machine Learning

• SQL Server 2022

  • Machine Learning Integration: Full support for in-database machine learning with R and Python. Also integrates with Azure Machine Learning for hybrid machine learning workflows, enabling SQL Server data to be used directly in Azure ML.
  • Azure Synapse Link: Direct integration with Azure Synapse enhances analytics capabilities, facilitating near-real-time reporting and hybrid analytics.

• SQL Server 2019

  • Big Data Clusters: Introduced Big Data Clusters for large-scale data analytics and integration with Apache Spark and HDFS, allowing SQL Server to manage and process big data within the database environment.
  • Machine Learning Services: Supports Python and R in-database processing but lacks integration with Azure ML for hybrid machine learning.

5. Availability and Disaster Recovery

• SQL Server 2022

  • Distributed Availability Groups: Supports advanced disaster recovery options with distributed availability groups, allowing multiple clusters to participate in data replication for higher fault tolerance.
  • Backup to Azure Blob Storage: SQL Server 2022 enhances backup flexibility with direct backup to Azure Blob Storage, simplifying cloud-based backup and recovery.
  • Advanced Always On Availability Groups: Improved failover configurations with multi-database failover and cross-database transactions.

• SQL Server 2019

  • Basic Always On Availability Groups: Available with multi-node support, but lacks the advanced configurations available in SQL Server 2022.
  • Distributed Availability Groups: Supported, but without the same seamless integration for hybrid disaster recovery.
  • Azure Storage for Backup: Supports backups to Azure, but without direct management and streamlined integration like SQL Server 2022.

6. Performance and Scalability

• SQL Server 2022

  • Enhanced Query Store: Extends Query Store to read-only replicas, allowing performance tracking across all availability group replicas.
  • TempDB Enhancements: Reduces contention in TempDB with memory-optimized metadata, enhancing performance for high-concurrency environments.
  • Unlimited Degree of Parallelism: Improvements to DOP for parallel query processing, enhancing CPU utilization and query performance.

• SQL Server 2019

  • Intelligent Query Processing (IQP): Enhanced query processing but lacks memory grant and DOP feedback improvements.
  • Improved Memory Usage for Workloads: Memory optimizations for improved query processing but without the latest TempDB enhancements available in SQL Server 2022.

7. Developer and Data Management Tools

• SQL Server 2022

  • Enhanced JSON and Graph Data Processing: Expands JSON functions and graph processing features, making it easier to manage semi-structured data and complex data relationships.
  • New T-SQL Capabilities: New T-SQL functions provide developers with enhanced capabilities for managing and manipulating data.
  • Query Store on Read-Only Replicas: Allows Query Store to run on read-only replicas, providing insights and tracking on all replicas in Always On configurations.

• SQL Server 2019

  • Basic JSON and Graph Processing: Introduced JSON functions and graph processing but with fewer advanced functions compared to SQL Server 2022.
  • Query Store: Available on primary replicas only, without the ability to track performance metrics on read-only replicas.

8. Licensing and Cost Considerations

• SQL Server 2022

  • Similar licensing model as SQL Server 2019, with Standard and Enterprise editions and per-core licensing. New features like Ledger and enhanced Azure integration may increase costs in hybrid scenarios.
  • Per-core Licensing Only for Enterprise: No Server + CAL (Client Access License) option for Enterprise edition, which remains core-based.

• SQL Server 2019

  • Available in Standard, Enterprise, and Developer editions, with the same licensing structure (per-core for Enterprise; per-core and Server + CAL for Standard).
  • Lower overall cost for on-premises environments, but fewer hybrid benefits compared to SQL Server 2022.

Summary Table

In Conclusion:

SQL Server 2022 is ideal for organizations leveraging a hybrid environment, with seamless Azure integration, enhanced query processing, and advanced security features. It’s best suited for large-scale, complex workloads and compliance-driven applications.

SQL Server 2019, meanwhile, remains a robust choice for on-premises or less cloud-dependent deployments, offering Big Data Clusters, intelligent query processing, and solid security features but without the hybrid and advanced query processing capabilities of SQL Server 2022.

Key milestone: Microsoft SQL Server 2022

Microsoft SQL Server 2022 marks a significant milestone in SQL Server’s evolution with a focus on hybrid capabilities, cloud integration, enhanced performance, and advanced security. Here are some of the key milestones and advancements that define SQL Server 2022:

1. Deep Azure Integration for Hybrid Cloud Scenarios

• Azure Synapse Link for SQL Server: For the first time, SQL Server integrates directly with Azure Synapse, enabling near-real-time analytics on SQL Server data without complex ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes. This hybrid capability is a game-changer, providing seamless operational and analytical processing.
• Azure SQL Managed Instance Link: SQL Server 2022 introduces real-time replication to Azure SQL Managed Instance, enabling hybrid disaster recovery and scalability, allowing businesses to keep their on-premises SQL Server and replicate workloads to the cloud.

2. Enhanced Intelligent Query Processing (IQP)

• Parameter Sensitive Plan Optimization: SQL Server 2022 introduces a major improvement in query performance by allowing the creation of multiple cached execution plans for queries with parameter sensitivity, a first in SQL Server’s history.
• Adaptive Query Processing Enhancements: New enhancements like row mode memory grant feedback, adaptive joins, and DOP feedback provide SQL Server 2022 with the most advanced and adaptable query processing capabilities to date.

3. New Ledger Feature for Blockchain-Like Data Integrity

• Ledger: SQL Server 2022 introduces an innovative ledger feature, a blockchain-inspired capability, allowing businesses to create tamper-evident databases to ensure data integrity. This feature is especially useful for businesses with strict compliance needs, providing immutable records for audit trails and regulatory requirements.

4. Advanced Data Security Features

• Always Encrypted with Secure Enclaves: SQL Server 2022 expands the Always Encrypted feature to include Secure Enclaves, allowing computations on encrypted data. This is the first SQL Server version to support complex operations on encrypted data, enhancing security without compromising functionality.

5. Improved High Availability and Disaster Recovery

• Distributed Availability Groups: Expands SQL Server’s availability group capabilities with support for distributed availability groups, which improves disaster recovery by allowing data replication across multiple clusters.
• Backup to Azure Blob Storage: SQL Server 2022 enhances backup and disaster recovery by allowing direct, managed backups to Azure Blob Storage, simplifying cloud-based disaster recovery.

6. Enhanced Developer and Performance Features

• Increased JSON and Graph Data Capabilities: SQL Server 2022 builds on JSON and graph data capabilities, providing enhanced support for managing semi-structured data and complex relationships directly in SQL.
• New Transact-SQL (T-SQL) Features: SQL Server 2022 introduces new T-SQL functions, making it easier for developers to handle complex queries and data manipulation.

7. Built-in Machine Learning and Integration with Azure Machine Learning

• In-Database Machine Learning: Supports Python and R for in-database machine learning directly within SQL Server, expanding its data science capabilities.
• Azure Machine Learning Integration: SQL Server 2022 enables seamless integration with Azure ML, making it easier to use SQL Server data for model training and deployment in the cloud.

8. Full Compatibility Across Operating Systems

• Linux Support: Microsoft continues its commitment to making SQL Server cross-platform with full compatibility on Linux, providing nearly identical functionality across Windows and Linux.

9. Expansion of Intelligent Database Capabilities

• Query Store Enhancements: SQL Server 2022 enhances Query Store by enabling it on read-only replicas, providing richer insights for troubleshooting and optimizing queries across all availability groups.
• TempDB Enhancements: Performance improvements for TempDB reduce contention and allow SQL Server to handle high concurrency workloads more effectively.

Summary of Key Milestones

SQL Server 2022 introduces landmark improvements focused on:

• Hybrid and Cloud-Connected Solutions: Deep integration with Azure for hybrid workloads.
• Security and Compliance: Ledger and Secure Enclaves offer advanced data integrity and protection.
• Advanced Query and Performance Processing: Expanded IQP, Query Store, and in-memory optimizations.
• Data Analytics and Machine Learning: Built-in Python/R support, Azure Machine Learning integration.
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Full feature support for Linux environments.

This release establishes SQL Server 2022 as a powerful solution for organizations looking to balance on-premises and cloud infrastructures, maximize performance, and meet advanced security and compliance needs.

SQL Server 2022 builds on previous releases to grow SQL Server as a platform that gives you choices of development languages, data types, on-premises or cloud environments, and operating systems.

Feature highlights

The following sections identify features that are improved our introduced in SQL Server 2022:

• Analytics
• Avaliability
• Security
• Performance
• Query Store and intelligent query processing
• Management
• Platform

Analytics

Azure Synapse Link for SQL
Get near real time analytics over operational data in SQL Server 2022 (16.x). With a seamless integration between operational stores in SQL Server 2022 and Azure Synapse Analytics dedicated SQL pools, Azure Synapse Link for SQL enables you to run analytics, business intelligence and machine learning scenarios on your operational data with minimum impact on source databases with a new change feed technology.

Object storage integration
SQL Server 2022 introduces new object storage integration to the data platform, enabling you to integrate SQL Server with S3-compatible object storage, in addition to Azure Storage. The first is backup to URL and the second is Data Lake Virtualization.

Data Virtualization
Query different types of data on different types of data sources from SQL Server.

Availability

Link to Azure SQL Managed Instance
Connect your SQL Server instance to Azure SQL Managed Instance.

Contained availability group
Create an Always On availability group that:
- Manages its own metadata objects (users, logins, permissions, SQL Agent jobs etc.) at the availability group level in addition to the instance level.
- Includes specialized contained system databases within the availability group.

Distributed availability group
Now using multiple TCP connections for better network bandwidth utilization across a remote link with long tcp latencies.

Security

Microsoft Defender for Cloud integration
Protect your SQL servers using the Defender for SQL plan. Defender for SQL plan requires that SQL Server Extension for Azure is enabled and includes functionalities for discovering and mitigating potential database vulnerabilities and detecting anomalous activities that could indicate a threat to your databases. Learn more on how Defender for SQL can protect your entire database estate anywhere: on-premises, hybrid, and multicloud environments.

Microsoft Purview integration
Apply Microsoft Purview access policies to any SQL Server instance that is enrolled in both Azure Arc and the Microsoft Purview Data Use Management.
- Newly introduced SQL Performance Monitor, and SQL Security Auditor roles align with the principle of least privilege using Microsoft Purview access policies.

Ledger
The ledger feature provides tamper-evidence capabilities in your database. You can cryptographically attest to other parties, such as auditors or other business parties, that your data hasn't been tampered with

Azure Active Directory authentication
Use Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) authentication to connect to SQL Server.

Always encrypted with secure enclaves
Support for JOIN, GROUP BY, and ORDER BY, and for text columns using UTF-8 collations in confidential queries using enclaves. Improved performance.

Access Control: Permissions
New granular permissions improve adherence with the Principle of Least Privilege

Access Control: Server-level Roles
New built-in server-level roles enable least privileged access for administrative tasks that apply to the whole SQL Server Instance

Dynamic data masking
Granular UNMASK permissions for Dynamic Data Masking.

Support for PFX certificates, and other cryptographic improvements
New support for import and export of PFX file formatted certificates and private keys. Ability to backup and restore master keys to Azure Blob Storage. SQL Server-generated certificates now have a default RSA key size of 3072-bits.

Added BACKUP SYMMETRIC KEY and RESTORE SYMMETRIC KEY.

Support MS-TDS 8.0 protocol
New MS-TDS protocol iteration:
- Makes encryption mandatory
- Aligns MS-TDS with HTTPS making it manageable by network appliances for additional security
- Removes MS-TDS / TLS custom interleaving and enables usage of TLS 1.3 and subsequent TLS protocol versions.

Performance

System page latch concurrency enhancements
Concurrent updates to global allocation map (GAM) pages and shared global allocation map (SGAM) pages reduce page latch contention while allocating/deallocating data pages and extents. These enhancements apply to all user databases and especially benefit tempdb heavy workloads.

Buffer pool parallel scan
Improves the performance of buffer pool scan operations on large-memory machines by utilizing multiple CPU cores. Learn more about Operations that trigger a buffer pool scan may run slowly on large-memory computers.

Ordered clustered columnstore index
Ordered clustered columnstore index (CCI) sorts the existing data in memory before the index builder compresses the data into index segments. This has the potential of more efficient segment elimination, resulting in better performance as the number of segments to read from disk is reduced.

Improved columnstore segment elimination
All columnstore indexes benefit from enhanced segment elimination by data type. Data type choices may have a significant impact on query performance based common filter predicates for queries on the columnstore index. This segment elimination applied to numeric, date, and time data types, and the datetimeoffset data type with scale less than or equal to two. Beginning in SQL Server 2022 (16.x), segment elimination capabilities extend to string, binary, guid data types, and the datetimeoffset data type for scale greater than two.

In-memory OLTP management
Improve memory management in large memory servers to reduce out-of-memory conditions.

Virtual log file growth
In previous versions of SQL Server, if the next growth is more than 1/8 of the current log size, and the growth is less than 64MB, four VLFs were created. In SQL Server 2022 (16.x), this behavior is slightly different. Only one VLF is created if the growth is less than or equal to 64 MB and more than 1/8 of the current log size.

Thread management
- ParallelRedoThreadPool : Instance level thread pool shared with all databases having redo work. With this, each database can take the benefit of parallel redo. Limited to max 100 thread earlier.
- Parallel redo batch redo - Redo of log records are batched under one latch improving speed. This improves recovery, catchup redo, and crash recovery redo.

Reduced buffer pool I/O promotions
Reduced the incidents of a single page being promoted to eight pages when populating the buffer pool from storage, causing unnecessary I/O. The buffer pool can be populated more efficiently by the read-ahead mechanism. This change was introduced in SQL Server 2022 (all editions) and included in Azure SQL Database and Azure SQL Managed Instance.

Enhanced spinlock algorithms
Spinlocks are a huge part of the consistency inside the engine for multiple threads. Internal adjustments to the Database Engine make spinlocks more efficient. This change was introduced in SQL Server 2022 (all editions) and included in Azure SQL Database and Azure SQL Managed Instance.

Improved virtual log file (VLF) algorithms
Virtual File Log (VLF) is an abstraction of the physical transaction log. Having a large number of small VLFs based on log growth can affect performance of operations like recovery. We changed the algorithm for how many VLF files we create during certain log grow scenarios.

Instant file initialization for transaction log file growth events
In general, transaction log files cannot benefit from instant file initialization (IFI). Starting with SQL Server 2022 (all editions) and in Azure SQL Database, instant file initialization can benefit transaction log growth events up to 64 MB. The default auto growth size increment for new databases is 64 MB. Transaction log file autogrowth events larger than 64 MB cannot benefit from instant file initialization.

Query Store and intelligent query processing

The intelligent query processing (IQP) feature family includes features that improve the performance of existing workloads with minimal implementation effort.

Query Store on secondary replicas
Query Store on secondary replicas enables the same Query Store functionality on secondary replica workloads that is available for primary replicas. Learn more in Query Store for secondary replicas.

Query Store hints
Query Store hints leverage the Query Store to provide a method to shape query plans without changing application code. Previously only available on Azure SQL Database and Azure SQL Managed Instance, Query Store hints are now available in SQL Server 2022 (16.x). Requires the Query Store to be enabled and in "Read write" mode.

Memory grant feedback
Memory grant feedback adjusts the size of the memory allocated for a query based on past performance. SQL Server 2022 introduces Percentile and Persistence mode memory grant feedback. Requires enabling Query Store.
- Persistence: A capability that allows the memory grant feedback for a given cached plan to be persisted in the Query Store so that feedback can be reused after cache evictions. Persistence benefits memory grant feedback as well as the new DOP and CE feedback features.
- Percentile: A new algorithm improves performance of queries with widely oscillating memory requirements, using memory grant information from several previous query executions over, instead of just the memory grant from the immediately preceding query execution. Requires enabling Query Store. Query Store is enabled by default for newly created databases as of SQL Server 2022 CTP 2.1.

Parameter sensitive plan optimization
Automatically enables multiple, active cached plans for a single parameterized statement. Cached execution plans accommodate largely different data sizes based on the customer-provided runtime parameter value(s).

Degree of parallelism (DOP) feedback
A new database scoped configuration option DOP_FEEDBACK automatically adjusts degree of parallelism for repeating queries to optimize for workloads where inefficient parallelism can cause performance issues. Similar to optimizations in Azure SQL Database. Requires the Query Store to be enabled and in "Read write" mode.

Cardinality estimation feedback
Identifies and corrects suboptimal query execution plans for repeating queries, when these issues are caused by incorrect estimation model assumptions. Requires the Query Store to be enabled and in "Read write" mode.

Optimized plan forcing
Uses compilation replay to improve the compilation time for forced plan generation by pre-caching non-repeatable plan compilation steps. Learn more in Optimized plan forcing with Query Store.

Management

Integrated setup experience for the Azure extension for SQL Server
Install the Azure extension for SQL Server at setup. Required for Azure integration features.

Manage Azure extension for SQL Server
Use SQL Server Configuration Manager to manage Azure extension for SQL Server service. Required to create Azure Arc-enabled SQL Server instance, and for other Azure connected features.

Max server memory calculations
During setup, SQL Setup recommends a value for max server memory to align with documented recommendations. The underlying calculation is different in SQL Server 2022 to reflect recommended server memory configuration options.

Accelerated Database Recovery (ADR) improvements
There are several improvements to address persistent version store (PVS) storage and improve overall scalability. SQL Server 2022 implements a persistent version store cleaner thread per database instead of per instance and the memory footprint for PVS page tracker has been improved. There are also several ADR efficiency improvements, such as concurrency improvements that help the cleanup process to work more efficiently. ADR cleans pages that couldn't previously be cleaned due to locking.

Improved snapshot backup support
Adds Transact-SQL support for freezing and thawing I/O without requiring a VDI client. Create a Transact-SQL snapshot backup.

Shrink database WAIT_AT_LOW_PRIORITY
In previous releases, shrinking databases and database files to reclaim space often leads to concurrency issues. SQL Server 2022 adds WAIT_AT_LOW_PRIORITY as an additional option for shrink operations (DBCC SHRINKDATABASE and DBCC SHRINKFILE). When you specify WAIT_AT_LOW_PRIORITY, new queries requiring Sch-S or Sch-M locks aren't blocked by the waiting shrink operation, until the shrink operation stops waiting and begins executing.

XML compression
XML compression provides a method to compress off-row XML data for both XML columns and indexes, improving capacity requirements.

Asynchronous auto update statistics concurrency
Avoid potential concurrency issues using asynchronous statistics update if you enable the ASYNC_STATS_UPDATE_WAIT_AT_LOW_PRIORITY database-scoped configuration.

Backup and restore to S3-compatible object storage
SQL Server 2022 extends the BACKUP/RESTORE TO/FROM URL syntax by adding support for a new S3 connector using the REST API.

Platform

SQL Server Native Client (SNAC) has been removed
The SQL Server Native Client (often abbreviated SNAC) has been removed from SQL Server 2022 and SQL Server Management Studio 19 (SSMS). The SQL Server Native Client (SQLNCLI or SQLNCLI11) and the legacy Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server (SQLOLEDB) are not recommended for new development. Switch to the new Microsoft OLE DB Driver (MSOLEDBSQL) for SQL Server or the latest Microsoft ODBC Driver for SQL Server going forward.

Hybrid buffer pool with direct write
Reduces the number of memcpy commands that need to be performed on modified data or index pages residing on PMEM devices. This enlightenment is now available for Window 2022 as well as Linux.

Integrated acceleration & offloading
SQL Server 2022 leverages acceleration technologies from partners such as Intel to provide extended capabilities. At release, Intel® QuickAssist Technology (QAT) provides backup compression and hardware offloading.

Improved optimization
SQL Server 2022 leverages new hardware capabilities, including the Advanced Vector Extension (AVX) 512 extension to improve batch mode operations.

System requirements: Microsoft SQL Server 2022.

To install and run Microsoft SQL Server 2022, it is essential to meet specific system requirements in terms of hardware, software, and operating system compatibility. Here’s a detailed look at the requirements:

1. Supported Operating Systems

Windows

• Server Editions: Windows Server 2022, Windows Server 2019, and Windows Server 2016 (64-bit versions only)
• Client Editions: Windows 11 and Windows 10 (64-bit only), Professional, Enterprise, and Education editions

Linux

• Distributions:
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL): 8.x, 9.x
  • Ubuntu: 20.04 LTS, 22.04 LTS
  • SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES): 15 SP3 or later
  • Docker Containers: SQL Server 2022 is supported in Docker containers based on supported Linux distributions.

Note: SQL Server 2022 only supports 64-bit operating systems and does not run on 32-bit architectures.

2. Hardware Requirements

Processor (CPU)

• Minimum: 1.4 GHz 64-bit processor
• Recommended: 2.0 GHz or faster
• Supported Instruction Sets: x64 processor with SSE2 support

SQL Server 2022 is optimized for multi-core processors and will perform better with higher core counts.

Memory (RAM)

• Minimum for Standard Edition: 2 GB
• Minimum for Enterprise Edition: 4 GB
• Recommended: At least 8 GB for standard workloads; more for high-performance or large-scale deployments.

Storage

• Minimum: 6 GB of available hard disk space is required for the installation.
• Additional Requirements: Storage needs vary based on workload size, with enterprise deployments typically needing high-speed storage solutions like SSDs or NVMe drives for best performance.

3. Network Requirements

• Network Adapter: Required; must be compatible with the operating system and support TCP/IP.
• Internet: Internet access is needed for updates and some cloud-based features (like integration with Azure services).
• .NET Framework: SQL Server 2022 requires .NET Framework 4.8 or later on Windows.

4. Software Requirements

Windows Software Requirements

• .NET Framework: Version 4.8 or later (required during installation).
• PowerShell: Version 7.0 or later is recommended for advanced management scripts.

Linux Software Requirements

• GCC: GCC 8.3 or higher is recommended.
• OpenSSL: Version 1.1.1 or later for secure connections.

5. Additional Requirements for SQL Server Features

• PolyBase: Requires at least 4 GB of RAM. Additionally, PolyBase requires Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 8 or 11 if connecting to Hadoop or Azure Blob Storage.
• Machine Learning Services: Requires Python and/or R packages installed for in-database analytics.
• SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS): SSRS must be installed separately and has its own set of requirements.

6. Recommended Hardware for Optimal Performance

For SQL Server 2022, recommended hardware will depend on workload size and performance requirements:

• Standard Workloads: 4 CPU cores and 8 GB RAM (suitable for most business applications)
• High-Performance/Enterprise Workloads: 8+ CPU cores, 32 GB RAM, and high-speed storage such as NVMe SSDs or storage arrays for intensive data operations and large-scale deployments.

Summary of Minimum and Recommended Requirements

These requirements help ensure SQL Server 2022 operates efficiently, but performance may vary based on workload complexity, data volume, and server configuration. For optimal results, especially in production environments, use high-performance hardware above the minimums listed.