Microsoft SQL Server 2014

Microsoft SQL Server 2014 brings to market lots of new features and enhancements over prior versions. SQL Server 2014 delivers mission critical performance across all workloads with in-memory built-in, faster insights from any data with familiar tools, and a platform for hybrid cloud enabling organizations to easily build, deploy, and manage solutions that span on-permises and cloud.

SQL Server 2014 delivers new in-memory capabilities built into the core database for OLTP and data warehousing, which complement our existing in-memory data warehousing and BI capabilities for the most comprehensive in-memory database solution in the market.

The Power of SQL Server 2014 includes:

Performance Enhancements:

• In-Memory OLTP: Average 10x and up to 50x performance gains
• Enhanced In-Memory ColumnStore for DW: Updatable, faster, better compression
• In-Memory BI with PowerPivot: Fast insights
• Buffer Pool Extension to SSDs: Faster paging
• Enhanced Query Processing: Faster performance without any app changes

Data Retrieval Enhancements:

• Power Query (codename “Data Explorer”): Easy access to internal and external data
• Power Map (codename “Geo Flow”): Richer insights with 3D visualization
• Parallel Data Warehouse with Polybase: Query big data with T-SQL
• Data Mining Add-ins for Excel: Predictive analytics

Cloud based Enhancements:

• Simplified cloud Backup: Reduce CAPEX & OPEX
• Windows Azure SQL Database service: Develop new variable demand cloud apps quickly with HA built-in
• HA/Always On in Azure: Helps to handle disaster recovery
• Extend on-premises apps to the cloud: Gain cloud scale on demand

You can download  Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Community Technology Preview 1 (CTP1) at below location:  

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/dn205290%28v=msdn.10%29.aspx

More information: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sqlserver/sql-server-2014.aspx