Software Update: Microsoft SQL Server 2019 CTP 2.5

Microsoft has released a new community technology preview of SQL Server 2019 with version number 2.5. SQL Server is a relational database management system that supports T-SQL, a dialect of SQL. It is available in different flavors and can therefore be used for small, medium and large databases. It runs on the Windows platform of course, but also on Linux, such as Red Hat Enterprise Server and Ubuntu. For the 2019 edition, a lot of work done to improve big data clusters and the database engine. The SQL Server 2019 CTP 2.5 announcement looks like this:

SQL Server 2019 community technology preview 2.5 is now available

We’re excited to announce the monthly release of SQL Server 2019 community technology preview (CTP) 2.5. SQL Server 2019 is the first release of SQL Server to closely integrate Apache Spark™ and the Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) with SQL Server in a unified data platform. The CTP 2.5 preview brings the following new features and capabilities to SQL Server 2019:

Big data clusters

• For more control and flexibility over the big data cluster layout and configuration settings, we’re introducing a new deployment mechanism that uses configuration files to deploy your cluster. You can start from the built-in configurations that come with the mssqlctl utility and customize them to accommodate the platform you want to run the big data cluster on.
• To streamline the deployment process, mssqlctl utility enables an interactive deployment experience that guides you through the steps to initiate the deployment with prompts for required inputs. You can also automate the entire process using mssqlctl configuration commands available to list, customize, or deploy using configuration files.
• To avoid incompatibilities between client utility and big data cluster server versions, you can now verify you installed the right version of the utility by using mssqlctl –version command.
• The new MSSQL Spark connector that uses SQL Server bulk write APIs to provide high performance Spark to SQL Server writes for high volume data.

database engine

• PolyBase enables you to run a T-SQL query inside SQL Server to pull data from Cloudera or Hortonworks and return it in a structured format—all without moving or copying the data. As part of CTP 2.5, we are now introducing the ability to install PolyBase on Linux for the first time. This includes the new connectors in SQL Server 2019 for additional data sources such as Oracle, Teradata, other SQL Servers, and MongoDB.
• The new Java language SDK for SQL Server can be used to simplify the development of Java programs that can be run inside of SQL Server.

Ready to learn more?

• To get started with SQL Server 2019 CTP 2.5, you can find the download instructions on the SQL Server 2019 web page or use a SQL Server 2019 CTP virtual machine in Microsoft Azure
• join the SQL Server 2019 Early Adopter Program for access to SQL Server big data clusters
• Check out what features were introduced in SQL CTP 2.4
• Register for our upcoming webinar on May 16th on Run SQL Server on Linux and Kubernetes
• Watch this free on demand webinar to discover how SQL Server 2019 big data clusters can help you gain business insight.