SQL Server Data Services - what's new, basics and dig deeper
In continuation to my post about best learnings in Tech-Ed conference on SQL Server Data Services (SSDS), I'm kind of more interested to know about this new 'cloud based' data management solution for the Data Platform.
So the first question will be, what is this SSDS?
As per Microsoft documentation '... a highly scalable and cost-effective on-demand data storage and query processing web service. It is built on robust SQL Server technologies and helps guarantees a business-ready service level agreement covering high availability, performance and security features'. In simple terms, this helps the Enterprise to host the mission critical applications as a 'data platform', having the capability of presenting Data As A Service (DAAS) as cloud based application to build/get data quickly within LAN & WAN (internet). Documentation also refers that SSDS is accessible using standards based protocols (SOAP, REST) for quick provisioning of on-demand data-driven & mashup applications.
What will be data size limit on cloud?
Virtually there is no limit to store the data in the cloud, it depends on the business situation that you need to present data for your application. Rich features of XML with software standards such as SOAP interface can be used to design on-live applications that will help developers and service providers quickly run on-demand applications with ease.
You are talking Virtual storage of data, which simulates VIEW kind of provision. If so is it possible to get data dynamically or modify the data?
Yes, the schema accessibility is flexible and can be modified dynamically from/by the application, this is what gives 99.999% of high availability to the application and reliability for the database .... data any place.. any time!
What kind of application baseline can be formed/targeted?
Process high volume of data for on-demand applications without compromising high availability, also with data-archiving facility and storage for large data types (structured or semi-structured data with a flexible schema definition or unstructured data with related structured metadata). Also the ability to associate entities with large unstructured data objects (blobs) which could be accessed as URL addressable resources.
What kind of pricing & licensing is defined?
Still awaiting confirmation from Microsoft on the licensing/pricing model.
So what is this mode of virtual cloud data?
Cloud - virtual storage gives access to store on-demand data, process data for mission critical business applications. With the expertise of .NET (ASP.NET) & Biztalk services you can develop rich-content application with better performance.
To continue the discussion I would like to refer the following links such as webcasts & demos:
I was able to obtain most of the above subject answers from this SQL Server Data Services (SSDS) Primer link and finally excellent reference by Dave on Best Practice - Data Partitioning taking advantage of SSDS.