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Microsoft has made its SQL Server 2019 available as Windows-based container images, writes The Register. This is a preview version of the Early Adopter Program. Previously, only Linux-based container images were available.

The SQL Server 2019 was unveiled last year. With the preview of that time, Microsoft tried to make the use of Linux containers from the database software less challenging. The SQL Server 2019 then became available on Red Hat Enterprise Linux as a Red Hat Certified Container Image.

Preview

However, the SQL Server 2019 Windows-based image was not forthcoming. In May, however, Windows Server containers appeared as a preview on Microsoft’s Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS).

Now SQL Server 2019 Windows-based images will also be made available as a preview for Early Adopters. Microsoft itself believes that this tech can be useful in CI/CD situations, where a new SQL Server instance may be needed on demand to build and test it, and then can be turned off when not needed. In this way, the continuous use of CPU, memory and storage is prevented.

Other advantages are of course that engineers do not have to worry about the deployment and installation of SQL Server instances. It is possible to turn on a standardized container image. However, that is an advantage that comes with all the containers.

End Extended Support

The preview also comes a week before Microsoft stops it’s Extended Support for SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2. The support for this will stop on 9 July.

Last year, however, Microsoft announced that it would be giving free three-year extra support if the workloads were to be moved to Azure. This extra support is valid for Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 and for SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2. Users who are already on Azure for their workloads are automatically eligible for the three year security updates.

However, the extension is a one-off event. After three years, companies still have to switch to a new version, pay Microsoft for a separate maintenance contract to receive security updates, or use the software without security updates.

This news article was automatically translated from Dutch to give Techzine.eu a head start. All news articles after September 1, 2019 are written in native English and NOT translated. All our background stories are written in native English as well. For more information read our launch article.