Microsoft to Release Hadoop Connectors for SQL Server, Parallel Data Warehouse
In the age of big data, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) says it is moving forward with plans to help customers better store, manage, and analyze both structured and unstructured data – in particular, data stored and managed in Hadoop environments.
A TechNet blog by Microsoft's SQL Server Team detailed the company's plans to release a community technology preview (CTP) of two new Hadoop connectors: one for SQL Server and one for the Parallel Data Warehouse (PDW) solution.
PDW is Microsoft's high-scale enterprise data warehousing solution for enabling self-service business intelligence using SQL Server. The new Hadoop connectors would provide interoperability between SQL Server, PDW and Hadoop environments.
In describing the interoperability benefits for customers, Microsoft claims the Hadoop connectors would enable customers to easily integrate Hadoop with their Microsoft Enterprise Data Warehouses and Business Intelligence (BI) solutions to gain deeper business insights from both structured and unstructured data.
Microsoft also released the second Appliance Update (AU2) to PDW – an update that the company says delivers features such as richer programmability and four new connectors for heterogeneous BI and ETL (extract, transform and load) environments. The update will refresh the full appliance with both hardware and software updates.
In the Technet blog, the SQL Server Team said the Appliance Update is Microsoft's response to the most demanding customer needs for data warehouses by including features that were requested by customers, including multi-statement batches, T-SQL variables, temporary tables, conditional logic and control flow statements.
Microsoft's SQL Server Team also said that PDW is also taking significant steps forward with a strategic alliance between Microsoft and Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) and the release of the Dell Parallel Data Warehouse appliance. The new Dell appliance scales beyond 600TB with a starting price under $12,000 per TB, and offers “white glove service” through Microsoft's Critical Advantage Program (MCAP) support service for appliances.
Parallel Data Warehouse (PDW) Appliance Update 2 also includes new connectors for SAP Business Objects and Informatica, enabling customers to use Parallel Data Warehouse seamlessly in heterogeneous BI and ETL environments.
MicroStrategy has also certified high-speed connectors for PDW, according to the Microsoft SQL Server Team blog.
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