Try Microsoft SQL Server

Download SQL Server 2012

CTP3 capabilities and highlights are as follows:

• Greater availability.Deliver the required 9s and data protection with AlwaysOn, delivering added functionality over CTP1 that allows customers to experience even more of the flexibility and value.
• Breakthrough insight.Unlock new insights with rapid data exploration across the organization with Power View, available to customers for the first time.
• Credible, consistent data.Provide a consistent view across heterogeneous data sources with the BI Semantic Model (BISM) a single model for Business Intelligence applications. Make data quality apart of everyday life with the Master Data Services add-in for Excel and new Data Quality Services that is integrated with 3rd party data providers through Windows Azure Marketplace Datamarket. Customers can test this functionality for the first time.
• Productive development experience.Optimize IT and developer productivity across server and cloud with Data-tier Application Component (DAC) parity with SQL Azure and SQL Server Data Tools for a unified and modern development experience across database, BI, and cloud functions. Additionally, Express customers can test a new LocalDB version for fast, zero-configuration installation.

• Download CTP3
• CTP3 Feature Pack

Download SQL Server Data Tools CTP3

SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) is a tool for on and off-premise database development within Visual Studio. The Server Explorer in VS gives you an SSMS-like view of your live database objects. SSDT also provides database developers with code navigation, IntelliSense, language support that parallels what is available for C# and VB, platform specific validation, debugging and declarative editing in the TSQL Editor, as well as a visual Table Designer for both database projects and online database instances. You can also integrate your database projects with Entity Framework projects. When it's time to deploy your project, you can choose to publish to all available SQL platforms, including SQL Azure and SQL Server 2012.

• Download SQL Server Data Tools CTP3

180-Day Evaluation

Easy to install and free to try, the 180-day evaluation of SQL Server 2008 R2 lets you explore scalability, security, manageability, and developer productivity features at no cost. Choose the evaluation experience most relevant to your needs.

• Intel 64-bit, English (1.47 GB)
• Intel 32-bit, English (1.31 GB)

SQL Server 2008 R2 Express

Start small and seamlessly upgrade as your application requirements grow with SQL Server 2008 R2 Express, a free edition of SQL Server that is ideal for learning and building applications for desktops, servers, and the web.

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International versions also available

SQL Server Compact 4.0

Microsoft SQL Server Compact 4.0 is a free embedded database for building Windows desktop and ASP.NET web applications on desktops and web servers. Enjoy easy application development and management, enterprise security, and seamless upgrade to other editions of SQL Server.

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International versions also available

Get Your SQL Azure Trial Now!

For a limited time, new customers can sign up for SQL Azure and get a 1GB Web Edition Database for 3 months, for no charge...and no commitment. We do ask for your credit card information when you accept this offer, as any additional usage per month will be billed at the standard rate. This is a great way to try SQL Azure - and the Windows Azure platform - without the risk.

• Try SQL Azure

Additional Functionality

Enhance SQL Server 2008 R2 with a collection of stand-alone install packages that provide additional value, including the latest versions of redistributable components, add-in providers, and backward-compatibility components for SQL Server 2008 R2.

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180-Day Evaluation

Gain a fully functional, free-to-try, 180-day evaluation of SQL Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-based systems, which lets you explore scalability, security, manageability, and developer productivity features at no cost.

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Analysis at Your Fingertips

PowerPivot helps users create compelling self-service BI solutions and collaborate in Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 and helps IT teams manage BI solutions more efficiently with tools built into SQL Server 2008 R2.

Learn more

• Download 32-Bit (81.5 MB)
• Download 64-Bit (112 MB)

Powerful self-service BI

SharePoint Server 2010 integrated with SQL Server 2008 R2 enables people to collaborate on analytical applications by using PowerPivot for Excel 2010. Administrators can manage and monitor access and utilization of these applications from a central location by using the PowerPivot for SharePoint operations dashboard.

• Required download: SQL Server 2008 R2
• Register to download

Computational power with Excel

With Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010 and the PowerPivot for Excel 2010 add-in, people can perform powerful analytics by quickly and securely manipulating millions of rows of data in real time, within a single Microsoft Excel workbook. They can easily share newly created analytical workbooks and collaborate with others by publishing them to SharePoint Server 2010.

• Register to download

SQL SERVER 2008 R2 EXPRESS

Simplify the migration to SQL Server 2008 R2 from previous versions with the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit, an agentless tool designed to streamline the IT infrastructure planning process through automated discovery and assessment of your installed base of SQL Server instances.

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SQL SERVER 2008 R2 EXPRESS

Considering migrating to SQL Server from another data platform? Reduce the effort, cost, and risk of migrating with SQL Server Migration Assistant, a complete suite of tools that automates almost every aspect of the migration process, including assessment, schema and data migration, business logic conversion, and validation.

• Download

180-Day Evaluation

Gain a fully functional, free-to-try, 180-day evaluation of SQL Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-based systems, which lets you explore scalability, security, manageability, and developer productivity features at no cost.

• Download

Analyze data in near real time

Effectively analyze large amounts of event data streaming in from multiple sources. Derive insights from critical information in near real time by using StreamInsight. Monitor, analyze, and act on data in motion and make informed decisions almost instantaneously.

• Download the 64-bit version.
• Download the 32-bit version.

Install the StreamInsight client

Gain a platform for the continuous and incremental processing of unending sequences of events from multiple sources with near-zero latency. Install the StreamInsight client package, which installs a subset of StreamInsight and lets you implement only the client-side functionality: Connecting to an existing StreamInsight server, managing queries, and using the debugger tool.

• Download the 64-bit version.
• Download the 32-bit version.