Microsoft SQL Server 2022 - Update & Price Increase
SQL Server Price Increase for 2023
Moving into a new year always brings about changes to business and technology, with pricing increases and adjustments often playing a significant part. The start of 2023 is no different. With the calendar turning to January 1st, Microsoft introduced a pricing increase for SQL Server and implementation a global US Dollar price list for its Microsoft Cloud offerings.
As of January, Microsoft has increased the price of all Microsoft SQL Server on-premises licenses by 10%. The first increase in nearly a decade is across all licensing programs. It is also worth noting that these increases impact the cost of Software Assurance – which is a fixed 25% of the licensing price.
Microsoft Cloud and SPLA Service Providers are the notable exceptions to this new pricing structure. Providers saw matching 10% price increases on Standard and Web editions but face a slightly reduced rise of 8% on Enterprise editions. Currently, prices for SQL Server on Azure (Azure SQL Managed Instance, SQL Server IaaS and Azure SQL Database) remain unchanged.
Customers with existing subscriptions will see price changes once their current subscription has ended. At renewal, prices will be adjusted to the current US Dollar rate and locked in for the subscription duration. Updates for classic on-premises licensing reflect this new methodology.
SQL Server 2022 New Features
While an increase in pricing is seldom met with cheers by consumers, SQL Server customers are gaining several new features with SQL Server 2022 (16. x). Microsoft has introduced numerous new and improved functionalities, including noteworthy additions to performance, security and availability.
SQL Server 2022 enhances performance via a new feature known as Intelligent Query Processing. Customers can use this new feature not only to build better execution plans but also to perform multiple execution plans based on the parameters stipulated at runtime. Additionally, Query Store is now enabled for all new databases and now supports availability group read-only replicas and allows query hints within the Query Store, thus improving queries without needing to make code modifications.
Availability and continuity also saw improvements with the full integration of Managed Instance link into SQL Server 2022, enabling near real-time data replication from SQL Server to Azure SQL Managed Instance. This link provides hybrid flexibility and database mobility while allowing for features such as scaling read-only workloads, offloading analytics and reporting to Azure and migrating to the cloud. Furthermore, with SQL Server 2022 comes the addition of disaster recovery. Via the link feature, users can replicate data from SQL Server 2022 to Azure SQL Managed Instance, manually fail over to SQL MI during a disaster and back to SQL Server upon mitigation. This link runs as long as needed, potentially even for years.
“Microsoft SQL Server 2022 is a game changer when it comes to modern hybrid data systems,” says Lee Grant, Principal Application Architect and Certified Azure Data Engineer. “It is a key non-Azure component of the Microsoft Intelligent Data System. The inclusion of Azure Synapse Link to SQL 2022 makes getting on-premises data into Azure Synapse Analytics Dedicated SQL Pools a breeze. This and Managed Instance Link will help enterprises modernize their data systems to leverage advanced data services in Microsoft Azure.”
Security upgrades considerably in SQL Server 2022 via the Defender for SQL plan. Defender for SQL protects database estate wherever they live: on-premises, hybrid, or multi-cloud environments. Included functionalities are the ability to discover and mitigate potential database vulnerabilities and deliver the capacity to detect anomalous activities that indicate threats to your databases. (SQL Server Extension for Azure must be enabled.)
Another significant security addition is the new Ledger feature which provides tamper-evidence capabilities in your database. Ledger provides a detailed history of data modifications, which can be used internally or externally for reviews with auditors, business partners and clients.
With the aforementioned updates and the inclusion of several additional new and enhanced features, SQL Server 2022 delivers significant improvements over previous versions and supplies plenty of rationale for making the switch.
OneNeck – A Trusted Partner
Whether you are a current SQL Server subscriber or considering the switch, OneNeck can help you find the right fit for your organization. Ready to update to SQL Server 2022? Our experienced team will ensure that the upgrade is performed efficiently and that your data is securely protected. Contact us for more information.
Frequently asked questions…
What is SPLA Microsoft?
The Services Provider License Agreement (SPLA) is a licensing program offered by Microsoft that allows service providers to offer Microsoft software to their customers as a service. SPLA licenses are designed for hosting service providers who want to offer Microsoft software applications and services on a rental basis to their customers, rather than selling licenses directly to end-users.
What is the difference between Microsoft CSP and SPLA?
The Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program and the Services Provider License Agreement (SPLA) are both licensing programs offered by Microsoft, but they differ in their target audience and licensing models. The CSP program is designed for partners who want to resell and manage Microsoft cloud services for their customers on a subscription basis, while the SPLA program is designed for hosting service providers who want to offer Microsoft software applications and services on a rental basis to their customers.
What is query store?
Query Store automatically captures a history of executed queries, their performance metrics, execution plans and runtime statistics. It allows database administrators to separate data by time windows in order to see database usage patterns and understand when query plan changes happened on the server.
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