SQL Data Sync has served customers well for many years, and we recognize that many teams rely on it. As operational, security, and compliance requirements...

Why eligible customers should move to pay-as-you-go licensing (PAYG) For eligible SQL Server workloads, PAYG should be the preferred licensing approach when...

Learn how to make SQL schema changes without downtime using a phased expand-and-contract approach that preserves compatibility and data integrity.

Learn how Azure Multicloud Interconnect helps organizations simplify Azure and AWS connectivity, support AI workloads, and build scalable multicloud architectures through an open, cloud-native…

When you need to move an entire database or move the objects in a database, bacpac and dacpac files often come up because of all of the tooling options to

mssql-python 1.14.0 is now available on PyPI. This release moves the standard parameter detection and execution path into native C++, improving...

Learn how Microsoft.Data.SqlClient configurable retry logic handles transient SQL Server failures with built-in retry policies, without requiring Polly.

Why production AI retrieval depends on more than vector index performance.  It's easy to think of AI retrieval as a vector search problem. For many

We are pleased to announce improvements to regional subscription limits for Azure SQL Managed Instance. These changes simplify subnet management and provide...

Upgrade from SQL Server Express to Azure SQL Database. You can build locally for free with Azure SQL Developer (a free container image of the Azure SQL Database engine, in preview) or deploy directly…

Explore the MSSQL Extension for VS Code v1.45 | What's New with SQL Formatter and Azure SQL Database features.

If you run SQL Server on a Linux virtual machine in Azure, the SQL Server IaaS Agent extension is the piece that connects your SQL Server instance to...

Hybrid search is usually described as combining keyword search with vector search. Microsoft SQL does that, for sure, but we do quite a bit more right out

Zone redundancy for Azure SQL Managed Instance Next-Gen GP is now in public preview, delivering a 99.995% availability SLA with Availability Zones.

Join Microsoft Fabric and SQL Community Conference 2026 to explore SQL Server, Azure SQL, AI innovation, and modern data solutions.

Today we released SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) 22.9.0, with updates to GitHub Copilot, the connection experience, Database DevOps, SQL formatting, and...

Azure SQL Managed Instance is changing how TLS certificates are stored and handled in managed instances. One of those certificates was specifically tailored...

Built-in protection for your most recent backups - enabled automatically Today, we're excited to announce General Availability of automatic backup...

SQL database projects are a fundamental tool for keeping your database in source control, tracking changes and collaborating on quickly evolving database

Azure SQL Database introduces Regex-based dynamic data masking, a new capability that enables flexible, pattern-driven masking for string-based columns using...

Explore Azure SQL Developer, now in private preview, for seamless development using the Azure SQL Database engine locally.

The sp_configure_automatic_tuning stored procedure gives you the option exclude queries, or add an additional check, when using Automatic Plan Correction.

Learn what a covering index is, how predicates and projections shape it, and when to use one to speed up important SQL Server queries.

Your database should be part of the same development process as the rest of your application, with source control and automation for validation and...

Explore the MSSQL Extension VS Code v1.44 with new features like Shortcuts Configuration and an enhanced Results Grid.

Learn how to programmatically determine the optimal hint for a query using a PowerShell script and the Query Hint Recommendation Tool, available in SSMS 22.

See what changes as SQL Server 2016 reaches end of support. Choose between cloud migration, upgrading SQL Server, and Extended Security Updates (ESU).

One Migration Experience, More Flexibility Modernizing SQL Server estates is rarely a single-step journey. Organizations often operate across on-premises,...

Claude in Microsoft Foundry is now generally available, giving teams a faster path from agent experimentation to production.

Building automated pipelines with your SQL database projects enables you to build a rich CI/CD ecosystem to ensure that your application is being deployed

Learn how SQL MCP Server uses OBO authentication to preserve user identity, enforce Data API builder permissions, and audit AI agent activity in Azure SQL.

We’re halfway through 2026, and Microsoft SQL has not slowed down. Since SQLCon/FabCon in March (where we released a ton of things, and those updates can

Summary Many of Enterprises around the globe have relied on SQL Server for over 3 decades to run their mission critical business applications. Their SQL...

We have released mssql-python 1.10.0 with improvements focused on authentication flexibility, cross-platform text reliability, and bulk load...

SQL Server 2016 reaches the end of extended support on July 14, 2026. After that date, instances that remain on SQL Server 2016 no longer receive regular...

The problem we're solving Previously, Microsoft Entra identities in Azure SQL Database could only be created as contained database users - principals scoped...

Introducing execution context for GitHub Copilot in SSMS, which allows you to specify a database user or SQL login for the execution of queries.

Today we shipped SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) 22.7.0, and this is one of the bigger releases we've had in a while. The headline items are we’ve...

Ever ran DBCC SHRINKFILE, watched it finish without a single error… and then discovered that your file is exactly the… Read More »One Regrow Back, Two Shrinks Forward

For teams thinking about long-term cryptographic resilience, this preview is especially relevant. TDE with customer-managed keys has traditionally used...

The MSSQL extension for VS Code v1.43 expands what’s possible inside Visual Studio Code with the General Availability of Schema Designer with GitHub

We just shipped mssql-python 1.8.0, the official Microsoft SQL Server driver for Python. This release focuses on day-to-day ergonomics, a long-requested...

Unlock the potential of AI in your apps with SQL. Join our free workshops to enhance your existing projects effortlessly.

At a glance — Native regular expression (regex) functions in T-SQL now accept varchar(max) and nvarchar(max) inputs of up to 2 MB across all seven regex functions, including the two table-valued…

We are excited to announce the General Availability (GA) of AI_GENERATE_EMBEDDINGS and CREATE EXTERNAL MODEL in Azure SQL Database and Azure SQL Managed Instance. These two T-SQL features — CREATE…

Host SQL MCP Server on Azure App Service without containers using Data API builder. Configure DAB, expose MCP, REST, and GraphQL, and deploy as code.

Automatic Plan Correction (APC) is one of the features that I find myself talking about quite a bit with customers, support engineers, and the broader SQL...

Azure Data Studio (ADS) retired on February 6, 2025, and support ended on February 28, 2026. The recommended path forward is Visual Studio Code with the MSSQL extension. If you used ADS daily, this…