What’s new in SQL Server 2014

Microsoft released SQL Server 2014 in April 2014. The new release includes an in-memory database engine (code named Hekaton) called in-memory OLTP, which also includes stored procedures compiled to native code.

This can greatly speed performance, though compatibility issues mean it requires some porting work to take advantage. There is also new integration with Azure, Microsoft’s cloud platform, which offers small businesses easy backup and large businesses new options for high availability and scaling. Data warehouse users benefit from new updateable columnstore indexes.

The rest of SQL Server is little changed, a fact which does not lessen the significance of the new database engine features, but which does suggest that those who cannot use them will be in no hurry to upgrade.