SQL Server Editions - II

SQL Server 2008 comes in many different editions. The edition you choose will depend on your requirements. If you are looking for a free database management system, you will need to choose one of the Express editions or the Compact edition. You could also try the Evaluation edition, which allows you to trial SQL Server 2008 for 180 days.

The Editions
Here are the different editions available for SQL Server 2008.

About SQL Server - I

Microsoft SQL Server is a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) designed to run on platforms ranging from laptops to large multiprocessor servers. SQL Server is commonly used as the backend system for websites and corporate CRMs and can support thousands of concurrent users.

SQL Server comes with a number of tools to help you with your database administration and programming tasks.

SQL Server is much more robust and scalable than a desktop database management system such as Microsoft Access. Anyone who has ever tried using Access as a backend to a website will probably be familiar with the errors that were generated when too many users tried to access the database!

Although SQL Server can also be run as a desktop database system, it is most commonly used as a server database system.