SQL Server 2025: An Overview of New Features
Flávio Germano
Senior Database Administrator | Data Analysis | Business Intelligence | Data Visualization | ETL | SQL | Python | Cloud Computing | MCP SQL Server | DB2 Associate Database Administrator| Oracle | Sybase | MySQL
Abstract
SQL Server 2025 introduces various new features to enhance performance, security, and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. This paper explores these features and their potential impact on database management.
Introduction
Announced at Microsoft Ignite 2024, SQL Server 2025 represents a significant advancement in database technology, integrating robust AI functionalities and numerous performance enhancements. This paper provides an overview of the key features introduced in this latest release.
AI Integration
SQL Server 2025 incorporates several AI-driven features designed to streamline the development and management of AI applications:
Native Vector Support: Facilitates efficient storage and querying of vector data, enhancing AI application performance.
AI Model Management: Offers tools to deploy, manage, and secure AI models using REST APIs, simplifying the integration with Azure OpenAI.
T-SQL Integration: Allows direct interaction with AI models through T-SQL commands such as sp_invoke_external_rest_endpoint.
Performance Enhancements
The new version brings substantial performance improvements, including:
Optimized Locking: Enhances concurrency and reduces contention through improved locking mechanisms.
Optional Parameter Plan Optimization (OPPO): Improves query performance by optimizing parameter plans.
Faster Batch Mode: Speeds up data loading and analytics through enhanced batch mode processing.
Enhanced Columnstore Indexing: Provides better performance for analytical workloads via improved columnstore indexing.
Security Features
SQL Server 2025 offers enhanced security measures:
Managed Identity Support: Facilitates credential management and compliance through Entra managed identities.
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Enhanced Encryption: Strengthens data protection with advanced encryption features.
Improved Failover Reliability: Ensures high availability through enhanced failover mechanisms.
Developer Tools
New tools and features for developers include:
Change Streaming: Enables real-time analytics by consuming change data from the transaction log and integrating with event streaming systems like Kafka.
Regular Expression Support: Simplifies handling complex data patterns with new T-SQL regular expression support.
Fabric Mirroring: Enhances data replication between SQL Server and Microsoft’s OneLake data lake for seamless analytics.
Licensing and Deployment
SQL Server 2025 introduces flexible deployment options:
Pay-As-You-Go Licensing: Offers a subscription-based licensing model in addition to traditional perpetual licenses.
Azure Private Servers: Supports hybrid cloud management by running SQL Server on dedicated Azure servers.
Conclusion
SQL Server 2025 is a comprehensive update that brings significant advancements in AI capabilities, performance optimization, security, and developer tools. These enhancements make SQL Server 2025 a powerful platform for managing modern, AI-powered applications.
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