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Unit 1: SQL Server RDBMS

5. Data sharing: SQL is used to coordinate data sharing by concurrent users, ensuring that Notes
they do not interfere with one another.
6. Data integrity: SQL defines integrity constraints in the database, protecting it from
corruption due to inconsistent updates or system failures.
SQL is thus a comprehensive language for controlling and interacting with a database
management system.
Second, SQL is not really a complete computer language like COBOL, C, C++, or Java. SQL
contains no IF statement for testing conditions, and no GOTO, DO, or FOR statements for program
flow control. Instead, SQL is a database sub-language, consisting of about 40 statements specialized
for database management tasks. These SQL statements can be embedded into another language,
such as COBOL or C, to extend that language for use in database access. Alternatively, they can
be explicitly sent to a database management system for processing, via a call-level interface
from a language such as C, C++, or Java, or via messages sent over a computer network.
Finally, SQL is not a particularly structured language, especially when compared to highly
structured languages such as C, Pascal, or Java. Instead, SQL statements resemble English sentences,
complete with “noise words” that don’t add to the meaning of the statement but make it read
more naturally. There are quite a few inconsistencies in the SQL language, and there are also
some special rules to prevent you from constructing SQL statements that look perfectly legal,
but don’t make sense.

Did u know? Despite the inaccuracy of its name, SQL has emerged as the standard language
for using relational databases. SQL is both a powerful language and one that is relatively
easy to learn.

1.2 What is SQL Server?

Microsoft SQL Server is a database management and analysis system for e-commerce, line-of-
business, and data warehousing solutions. In this section you will find information for several
versions of SQL Server. You will find articles on database and database application design, as
well as examples of the uses that SQL Server can be put to.
SQL Server 2008, the latest version, includes enhanced XML support, integration of .NET
Framework objects in databases, improved integration with Microsoft Visual Studio and the
Microsoft Office System, as well as improved analysis, reporting, and data integration services.

1.3 Different Editions of SQL Server

Microsoft makes SQL Server available in multiple editions, with different feature sets and
targeting different users. These editions are:

Mainstream Editions

Datacenter

SQL Server 2008 R2 Datacenter is the full-featured edition of SQL Server and is designed for
datacenters that need the high levels of application support and scalability. It supports 256
logical processors and virtually unlimited memory. Comes with StreamInsight Premium edition.

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