Best solution to test as a trial

  • I've got SQL Server 2008R2 Developer edition. I am ultimately looking for a cloud based database solution with full front end and BI options.

    I absolutely won't give my card details to test Azure as a trial so is there any facility to do this within 2008R2 Developer? Are there any other alternatives to do this through SQL Server 2012 upwards. I am using XP but could use another computer with Win 7 if absolutely necessary.

  • meridius10 (2/13/2014)


    I've got SQL Server 2008R2 Developer edition. I am ultimately looking for a cloud based database solution with full front end and BI options.

    I absolutely won't give my card details to test Azure as a trial so is there any facility to do this within 2008R2 Developer? Are there any other alternatives to do this through SQL Server 2012 upwards. I am using XP but could use another computer with Win 7 if absolutely necessary.

    What's the question here? Are you just asking for how to generate a wad of test data that looks like "card details"?

    --Jeff Moden


    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

    Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.


    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

  • Basically I'd like to test a cloud based database but don't want to have to hand over my credit card details in order to be able to do so.

  • I like prepaid credit cards for this sort of thing.

  • Microsoft are just making it difficult for us. It should be try first, pay later.

  • meridius10 (2/13/2014)


    Basically I'd like to test a cloud based database but don't want to have to hand over my credit card details in order to be able to do so.

    Ah... got it. I agree with Patrick. If you really, really want to try it, get a cheap pre-paid credit card from the gas station. They can only hit that so much and it can't be overdrawn if you get the right type.

    --Jeff Moden


    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

    Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.


    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

  • That's one idea.

    Doesn't SQL Server 2012 have an evaluation edition where I could at least test a potential cloud based SQL Server back end Visual Studio front end?

  • How do you plan to access your database engine in the cloud?

    If you go down the IaaS route then you install SQL on a VM and everything is just the same as running in your own data centre. This applies to just about any IaaS vendor. However, each vendor has its own set of pre-defined server configurations so the main thing you need to review is how your workload fits in to their offering.

    If you use the PaaS route then there may be some limitations on the features you can use. For example Replication and AlwaysOn are not often supported. Different PaaS vendors offer different capabilities, so your first step should be to match your organisation's needs against the various PaaS offerings.

    Both IaaS and PaaS are mature offerings. You should have no more concerns about using these than you would have about any move to a new data centre. If your organisation is seriously considering going to the cloud then talk to the potential vendors as there is often pre-sales support (just as there would be if you were thinking about a different data centre).

    My employer moved all their production systems to AWS IaaS in 2012, and currently serve over 4m page impressions per day out of AWS. The greatest business gain for us is flexibility - no matter what we want to do we only have to consider the marginal costs which means we can get new stuff to the market faster. We also saved about 25% of our hosting costs and have a more stable service but for us the flexibility is what we mostly talk about.

    Original author: https://github.com/SQL-FineBuild/Common/wiki/ 1-click install and best practice configuration of SQL Server 2019, 2017 2016, 2014, 2012, 2008 R2, 2008 and 2005.

    When I give food to the poor they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor they call me a communist - Archbishop Hélder Câmara

  • Thanks a lot for all that information. There's so much more to think about than I originally thought of as well as AWS as an option.

    On the Microsoft side, if I wanted to set up an archaeological database which is cloud based and could be accessed by multiple users (all data is stored in the cloud) I wonder if I would be better off with SQL Server 2012/14 or Azure. Then there is also the question of PaaS or IaaS. I'm not sure how Visual Studio works with 2012/14 or Azure.

  • Visual Studio is quite happy with SQL 2012 / 2014 and with Azure.

    Your choice of IaaS or PaaS is likely to be influenced by your current infrastructure and plans. If you are starting up, then PaaS gives you less work to do than IaaS. If you have a lot already set up, then IaaS may be easier to integrate into your current working practices.

    Original author: https://github.com/SQL-FineBuild/Common/wiki/ 1-click install and best practice configuration of SQL Server 2019, 2017 2016, 2014, 2012, 2008 R2, 2008 and 2005.

    When I give food to the poor they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor they call me a communist - Archbishop Hélder Câmara

  • Many thanks for the detailed feedback. I will find some time for testing and get back to the forum again once I have had a chance to go through things in more detail.

Viewing 11 posts - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply