SQL Server 2014 Gives You More Advanced Features
(Out-Of-The-Box) Compared with Oracle Database
SQL Server White Paper
Published: September 2014
Applies to: SQL Server 2014
Summary:
This paper explains the different ways in which databases are packaged between Microsoft
SQL Server and Oracle database. Specifically, we will focus on the Enterprise Edition of the
products and examine which advanced features are included in the base packaging and which
ones require extra purchase through feature packs, options, or separate products. Oracle
include basic features in their base products and offer advanced features through feature packs,
options, or separate products. These extras could become very costly and sometimes could end
up costing more than the base product itself. In contrast, SQL Server 2014 Enterprise Edition
includes all the advanced features in the base products and customers do not have to pay more
for those features.
Knowing which features they are getting from the base products from each vendor is crucial for
customers in order to make better database decision depending on their needs, requirements,
and budget.
SQL Server 2014 Gives You More Advanced Features (Out-Of-The-Box) Compared with Oracle
Database
The following table shows the comparison of how advanced features based on Enterprise
Edition are packaged from each vendor; these are covered in more detail in this paper.
Features
SQL Server
Oracle Database
In-Memory
High Availability & Disaster Recovery
Advanced Security
Data Warehousing
Advanced Compression
Manageability
Non-relational
Advanced Business Intelligence
Enterprise Information Management
Complex Event Processing
Hybrid Cloud
Included in the base product (Enterprise Edition), no need to pay extra
In summary, SQL Server 2014 Enterprise Edition provides more advanced functionalities
without the need of feature packs, options, or separate products. Please go this site for more
details on SQL Server 2014 and how SQL Server can help you lower database licensing cost.
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SQL Server 2014 Gives You More Advanced Features (Out-Of-The-Box) Compared with Oracle
Database
Copyright
The information contained in this document represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation
on the issues discussed as of the date of publication. Because Microsoft must respond to
changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of
Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information presented after the
date of publication.
This white paper is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES,
EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT.
Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. Without limiting the
rights under copyright, no part of this document may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into
a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise), or for any purpose, without the express written
permission of Microsoft Corporation.
Microsoft may have patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual
property rights covering subject matter in this document. Except as expressly provided in any
written license agreement from Microsoft, the furnishing of this document does not give you any
license to these patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property.
© 2014 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Microsoft, <plus, in alphabetical order, all Microsoft trademarks used in your white paper> are
trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.
All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
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SQL Server 2014 Gives You More Advanced Features (Out-Of-The-Box) Compared with Oracle
Database
Contents
Overview .................................................................................................................................... 6
SQL Server Advanced Features ................................................................................................ 6
In-Memory .............................................................................................................................. 7
In-Memory OLTP ................................................................................................................ 7
In-Memory Columnstore...................................................................................................... 7
Buffer Pool Extension ......................................................................................................... 7
Oracle ................................................................................................................................. 7
High Availability & Disaster Recovery ..................................................................................... 7
AlwaysOn............................................................................................................................ 7
Oracle ................................................................................................................................. 7
Advanced Security.................................................................................................................. 7
Transparent Data Encryption .............................................................................................. 7
Extensible Key Management............................................................................................... 8
SQL Server Audit ................................................................................................................ 8
User-Defined Server Roles ................................................................................................. 8
Default Schema for Groups ................................................................................................. 8
Contained Database Authentication .................................................................................... 8
Backup Encryption .............................................................................................................. 8
Oracle ................................................................................................................................. 9
Data Warehousing .................................................................................................................. 9
Change Data Capture ......................................................................................................... 9
Table Partitioning ................................................................................................................ 9
Integration Services ............................................................................................................ 9
Oracle ................................................................................................................................. 9
Advanced Compression ......................................................................................................... 9
Storage Compression ......................................................................................................... 9
Backup Compression .......................................................................................................... 9
Oracle ................................................................................................................................10
Manageability ........................................................................................................................10
Resource Governor............................................................................................................10
Distributed Replay..............................................................................................................10
Control Point ......................................................................................................................10
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SQL Server 2014 Gives You More Advanced Features (Out-Of-The-Box) Compared with Oracle
Database
Database Tuning Advisor ...................................................................................................10
Performance Data Collection .............................................................................................11
Policy-Based Management ................................................................................................11
Oracle ................................................................................................................................11
Non-Relational.......................................................................................................................11
Spatial Data Support ..........................................................................................................11
FileTable ............................................................................................................................11
Oracle ................................................................................................................................11
Advanced Business Intelligence ............................................................................................11
Analysis Services ...............................................................................................................11
Reporting Services & Power View ......................................................................................12
Data Mining ........................................................................................................................12
Semantic Model .................................................................................................................12
Oracle ................................................................................................................................12
Enterprise Information Management ......................................................................................12
Master Data Services .........................................................................................................12
Data Quality Services.........................................................................................................12
Oracle ................................................................................................................................13
Complex Event Processing....................................................................................................13
StreamInsight.....................................................................................................................13
Oracle ................................................................................................................................13
Hybrid Cloud..........................................................................................................................13
Backup Database to Azure ................................................................................................13
Data Files in Azure.............................................................................................................13
AlwaysOn Disaster Recovery in Azure ...............................................................................13
Deploy Database to Azure Tool .........................................................................................13
Oracle ................................................................................................................................13
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................14
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SQL Server 2014 Gives You More Advanced Features (Out-Of-The-Box) Compared with Oracle
Database
Overview
Historically, database provides basic relational storage for client-server applications. As new
applications emerge, more capabilities (such as security, high availability, data warehouse, and
business intelligence) are needed in the applications. Database vendors are faced with an
important decision on how to package these new capabilities in their products. The choice for
these vendors on the packaging will eventually affect how customers end up paying to deploy
applications that use the product. It is important for customers to understand what they are
getting from each vendor in order to make the right decision.
SQL Server Advanced Features
SQL Server 2014 Enterprise Edition includes advanced features in the base product without the
need to purchase feature pack or options. Customers who purchase SQL Server 2014
Enterprise Edition are able to make use of all these features in their applications.
The following table outlines these features in more detail:
Features
In-Memory
High Availability & Disaster Recovery
Details
In-Memory OLTP, In-Memory Columnstore, Buffer Pool Extension
AlwaysOn
Transparent Data Encryption, Extensible Key Management, SQL Server Audit,
Advanced Security
User-Defined Server Roles, Default Schema for Groups, Contained Database
Authentication, Backup Encryption
Data Warehousing
Advanced Compression
Manageability
Non-relational
Advanced Business Intelligence
Enterprise Information Management
Complex Event Processing
Hybrid Cloud
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Change Data Capture, Table Partitioning, Integration Services
Storage and Backup Compression
Resource Governor, Distributed Replay, Control Point, Database Tuning Advisor,
Performance Data Collector, Policy Based Management
Spatial data support, FileTable
Analysis Services, Reporting Services, Data Mining, Semantic Model
Master Data Services, Data Quality Services
StreamInsight
Backup database to Azure, Data files in Azure, AlwaysOn Disaster Recovery in
Azure, Deploy database to Azure tool
SQL Server 2014 Gives You More Advanced Features (Out-Of-The-Box) Compared with Oracle
Database
In-Memory
In-Memory OLTP
New in-memory capabilities for transaction processing (OLTP) in SQL Server 2014 to scale and
transform your business with, on average, a 10x performance gain for transaction processing
while still using existing hardware.
In-Memory Columnstore
Enhanced in-memory capabilities for query processing (DW) and analytics in SQL Server 2014
with a greater-than 100x performance gain for data warehousing while allowing updates in realtime and greater compression.
Buffer Pool Extension
Provides the seamless integration of solid-state drives (SSD) as a nonvolatile random memory
access extension to the database engine memory (buffer pool) to significantly improve I/O
throughput.
Oracle
For in-memory, Oracle requires customer to purchase additional database options called
Database In-Memory for query speed enhancement (DW) and TimesTen Application-Tier
Database Cache for transaction speed enhancement (OLTP).
High Availability & Disaster Recovery
AlwaysOn
AlwaysOn is the new integrated, flexible, cost-efficient high availability and disaster recovery
solution in SQL Server 2014 that provides redundancy within/across datacenters and enables
fast application failover providing both maximum availability and data protection for mission
critical applications. New in SQL Server 2014, AlwaysOn supports redundancy in the cloud,
Microsoft Azure, allowing customers to reduce the capex for standby servers.
Oracle
For high availability, Oracle requires customer to purchase additional database options called
Real Application Clusters for local high availability and Active Data Guard for remote disaster
recovery.
Advanced Security
Transparent Data Encryption
Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) reduces the complexity of developing applications that
require encrypted data by performing all encryption transparently at the database level through
a security enhanced database encryption key (DEK). TDE enables application developers to
access encrypted data without changing existing applications.
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SQL Server 2014 Gives You More Advanced Features (Out-Of-The-Box) Compared with Oracle
Database
Extensible Key Management
Consolidate enterprise encryption by using an Extensible Key Management (EKM) system.
EKM can separate data from the keys using Hardware Security Modules to store the keys in
separate hardware. Simplify key management by using specialist systems.
SQL Server Audit
SQL Server Audit enables companies to ensure compliance with company policies and/or
government regulations. Audit Resilience delivers the ability to recover auditing data from
temporary file and network issues. User-Defined Audit allows application to write custom events
into the audit log to allow more flexibility to store audit information. Audit Filtering provides
greater flexibility to filter unwanted events into an audit log.
User-Defined Server Roles
User-Defined Server Roles increase flexibility, manageability, and facilitate compliance towards
better separation of duties. It allows creation of new server roles to suit different organizations
that separate multiple administrators according to roles. Roles can also be nested to allow more
flexibility in mapping to hierarchical structures in organizations. It also helps prevent
organizations having to use system administrator for all database administration. New
permissions in SQL Server 2014 further enhances the ability to realize separation of duties
among multiple database administrators.
Default Schema for Groups
Database schema can now be tied to Windows Group rather than individual users to increase
database compliance. It eases administration of database schema, decreases the complexity of
database schema management through individual Windows users, prevent errors of assigning
schema to the wrong users when users changes groups, avoids unnecessary implicit schema
creation, and greatly reduces the chance of query errors when wrong schema being used.
Contained Database Authentication
Contained Database Authentication increases compliance by allowing users to be authenticated
directly into user databases without logins. User information for login (username and password)
is not stored inside master database but user databases directly. It is very secure because
users can only perform DML operations inside the user databases and not database instance
level operations. It also reduces the need to login to the database instance and avoid orphaned
or unused logins in the database instance. This feature is used in AlwaysOn to facilitate better
portability of user databases among servers in the case of server failover without the need to
configure logins for all database servers in the cluster.
Backup Encryption
Customers can now choose to encrypt the backup file during a backup operation in SQL Server
2014. It supports several encryption algorithms including AES 128, AES 192, AES 256, and
Triple DES. Either a certificate or an asymmetric key can be used to perform encryption during
backup.
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SQL Server 2014 Gives You More Advanced Features (Out-Of-The-Box) Compared with Oracle
Database
Oracle
For advanced security, Oracle requires customer to purchase additional database options called
Advanced Security, Label Security, and Database Vault.
Data Warehousing
Change Data Capture
Change data capture is designed to capture insert, update, and delete activity applied to SQL
Server tables, and to make the details of the changes available in an easily consumed relational
format. The change tables used by change data capture contain columns that mirror the column
structure of a tracked source table, along with the metadata needed to understand the changes
that have occurred.
Table Partitioning
Partitioning a large table divides the table and its indexes into smaller partitions, so that
maintenance operations can be applied on a partition-by-partition basis, rather than on the
entire table. In addition, the SQL Server optimizer can direct properly filtered queries to
appropriate partitions rather than the entire table. SQL Server 2014 supports up to 15K
partitions per table.
Integration Services
SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) is an effective enterprise ETL toolset for both the
traditional demands of ETL operations, as well as for the evolving needs of general-purpose
data integration.
Oracle
Oracle requires customer to purchase additional product for ETL called Oracle Data Integrator
and GoldenGate.
Advanced Compression
Storage Compression
The data compression feature in SQL Server reduces the size of tables, indexes or a subset of
their partitions by storing fixed-length data types in variable length storage format and by
reducing the redundant data. The space savings achieved depends on the schema and the data
distribution. Based on testing with various data warehouse databases, we have seen a
reduction in the size of real user databases up to 87% (a 7 to 1 compression ratio).
Backup Compression
Backup compression helps in multiple ways. By reducing the size of SQL backups, customers
save significantly on disk media for SQL backups. Results of 50% are not uncommon, and
greater compression is possible. This enables customers to use less storage for keeping
backups online, or to keep more cycles of backups online using the same storage. Backup
compression also saves time. Traditional SQL backups are almost entirely limited by I/O
performance. By reducing the I/O load of the backup process, we actually speed up both
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SQL Server 2014 Gives You More Advanced Features (Out-Of-The-Box) Compared with Oracle
Database
backups and restores. New in SQL Server 2014, archival data compression option further
compresses the specified partitions of a columnstore index.
Oracle
Oracle requires customer to purchase additional database option called Advanced
Compression.
Manageability
Resource Governor
The Resource Governor enables you to specify limits on the amount of CPU, physical IO, and
memory that incoming application requests can use within a resource pool. In SQL Server 2014,
you can use the new settings to control the physical IOs issued for user threads for a given
resource pool and set the maximum outstanding I/O operations per disk volume. You can tune
IO resource governance to the IO characteristics of a disk volume and can be used to limit the
number of IOs issued at the SQL Server instance boundary.
Distributed Replay
Distributed Replay helps allow customers to simplify application testing and minimize errors with
application changes, configuration changes, and upgrades. This multi-threaded replay utility
provides the ability to simulate production workload scenarios testing after upgrade or
configuration changes ultimately leading to protected performance during changes.
Control Point
Customers have an increasingly important requirement to manage their SQL Server
environment as a whole and less on managing individual computers and instances of SQL
Server. SQL Server addresses this requirement through the concept of the SQL Server
managed server group. The managed server group is managed through a Utility Control Point
using the new Utility Explorer in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). The Control Point is
configured on a SQL Server instance and provides the central reasoning point for a managed
server group. It contains configuration and performance information collected by managed
instances of SQL Server, and it stores this information in a central management repository. SQL
Server configuration settings and performance data are collected and then compared to policy
evaluation results on the Control Point to help administrators identify resource utilization
bottlenecks and consolidation opportunities. The Control Point also contains data used for
impact analysis and what-if scenarios.
Database Tuning Advisor
Database Engine Tuning Advisor (DTA) can be used to gain insight into the existing indexing
and partitioning structure of SQL Server databases, and to get recommendations for how to
improve database performance by creating appropriate indexing and partitioning structures. In
addition to optimizing indexing structure, DTA can also recommend new physical data
structures, including partitioning. DTA also has the ability to tune across multiple servers and
limit the amount of time the tuning algorithms run. DTA is available as both a command-line and
graphical utility. The command-line utility enables advanced scripting options.
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SQL Server 2014 Gives You More Advanced Features (Out-Of-The-Box) Compared with Oracle
Database
Performance Data Collection
SQL Server provides Performance Data Collection that enables customers to collect, analyze,
troubleshoot, and store SQL Server diagnostics information. Performance Data Collection
provides an end-to-end solution for performance monitoring that includes low overhead
collection, centralized storage, and analytical reporting of performance data. Customers can use
SQL Server Management Studio to manage collection tasks, such as enabling the data
collector, starting a collection set, and viewing system collection set reports as a performance
dashboard. Customers can also use system-stored procedures and the Performance Studio API
to build your own performance management utilities based on Performance Data Collection.
Policy-Based Management
The Policy-Based Management framework provides the ability to define policies that apply to
servers, databases, and other objects in data environment. Well-defined policies can help
administrators to control and manage change proactively within the data services environment.
Oracle
For manageability, Oracle requires customer to purchase additional database option called
Diagnostic, Tuning, and Database Lifecycle Management.
Non-Relational
Spatial Data Support
SQL Server provides support for geographical data through the inclusion of spatial data types,
which customers can use to store and manipulate location-based information. The spatial
support in SQL Server can help customers to make better decisions through analysis of location
data.
FileTable
FileTable builds on FILESTREAM to bring Win32 namespace support and application
compatibility to the file data stored in SQL Server. Countless applications maintain their data in
two worlds – documents, media files and other unstructured data in file servers and related
Structured Metadata in relational systems. FileTable helps the barrier to entry for customers
who have files on servers which currently run Win32 applications while removing the issues
caused by maintaining two disparate systems and keeping them in sync.
Oracle
For spatial data, Oracle requires customer to purchase additional database option called Spatial
and Graph.
Advanced Business Intelligence
Analysis Services
SQL Server Analysis Services is designed to provide exceptional performance and scales to
support applications with millions of records, terabytes in size, and thousands of users.
Innovative, consolidated tools help improve developer productivity through cube, dimension,
and attribute designers that produce results in better design and faster implementation.
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SQL Server 2014 Gives You More Advanced Features (Out-Of-The-Box) Compared with Oracle
Database
Reporting Services & Power View
SQL Server Reporting Services provides a complete server-based platform that is designed to
support a wide variety of reporting needs including managed enterprise reporting, ad-hoc
reporting, embedded reporting, and web based reporting to enable organizations to deliver
relevant information where needed across the entire enterprise. Power View is an interactive
data exploration and visual presentation experience targeted at Information Workers who need
access to their business data but don’t have the technical knowledge to write their own queries
or specialized knowledge around reporting. Built on top of the BI Semantic Model, which
provides a user friendly view of the data, Power View gives the user a powerful yet simple to
use experience for telling stories with their data.
Data Mining
SQL Server offers predictive analysis through a complete and intuitive set of data mining tools.
Business users gain advanced data mining within the simplicity and familiarity of Microsoft Excel
with SQL Server Data Mining Add-ins for Microsoft Office. Developers appreciate familiar tools
and a comprehensive development environment for building sophisticated data-mining
solutions.
Semantic Model
BI Semantic Model is a single model for users with multiple ways of building business
intelligence (BI) solutions. With the BI Sematic Model organizations can scale from small
personal BI solutions to the largest organizational BI needs. BI Semantic Model is one model for
all end user experiences – reporting, analytics, scorecards, dashboards, and custom
applications and offers developers flexibility of modeling experiences, richness to build
sophisticated business logics and scalability for your most demanding enterprise needs.
Oracle
For business intelligence, Oracle requires customer to purchase additional database options
called OLAP and Advanced Analytics or separate products called Oracle Business Intelligence
or Hyperion Business Intelligence.
Enterprise Information Management
Master Data Services
Master Data Services helps enterprises standardize the data people rely on to make critical
business decisions. With Master Data Services, IT organizations can centrally manage critical
data assets companywide and across diverse systems, enable more people to securely manage
master data directly, and ensure the integrity of information over time.
Data Quality Services
Data Quality Services (DQS), helps round out end-to-end data management for organizations.
DQS provides knowledge-driven tools customers can use allow data stewards to create and
maintain a Data Quality Knowledge Base which helps improve data quality and ease data
management. Specifically, customers can gain confidence in data quality by using
organizational knowledge to profile, cleanse, and match data. Data Quality Services can be run
as a standalone tool or integrated with Integration Services (SSIS).
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SQL Server 2014 Gives You More Advanced Features (Out-Of-The-Box) Compared with Oracle
Database
Oracle
For enterprise information management, Oracle requires customer to purchase separate
products in a package called Oracle Master Data Management suite and Oracle Enterprise Data
Quality.
Complex Event Processing
StreamInsight
SQL Server StreamInsight is a powerful platform for developing and deploying complex event
processing (CEP) applications. Its high-throughput stream processing architecture and .NETbased development platform enable developers to quickly implement robust and highly efficient
event processing applications.
Oracle
For complex event processing, Oracle requires customer to purchase separate products called
Oracle Complex Event Processing.
Hybrid Cloud
Backup Database to Azure
In SQL Server 2014 you can use SQL Server Management Studio to backup to or restore from
Microsoft Azure storage service. The new option is available both for the Backup task, and
maintenance plans. Built on SQL Server Backup to Azure, SQL Server Managed Backup to
Microsoft Azure is a service that SQL Server provides to manage and schedule database and
log backups to Microsoft Azure storage. SQL Server Managed Backup to Microsoft Azure can
be configured both at the database and at instance level allowing for both granular control at the
database level and automating at the instance level.
Data Files in Azure
SQL Server 2014 Data Files in Microsoft Azure enables native support for SQL Server database
files stored as Microsoft Azure storage. This feature allows you to create a database in SQL
Server running in on-premises with a dedicated storage location for your data in Microsoft Azure
Blob Storage.
AlwaysOn Disaster Recovery in Azure
SQL Server 2014 AlwaysOn can use the new Add Azure Replica Wizard to help create a new
Microsoft Azure VM in hybrid cloud environment and configure it as a secondary replica for a
new or existing AlwaysOn availability group.
Deploy Database to Azure Tool
SQL Server 2014 has a new tool to deploy SQL Server databases to Microsoft Azure Virtual
Machine. The wizard utilizes a full database backup operation, so it always copies the complete
database schema and the data from a SQL Server user database. The wizard also does all of
the Azure VM configuration for you, so no pre-configuration of the VM is required.
Oracle
Oracle does not provide cloud functionalities in their database product at this point.
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SQL Server 2014 Gives You More Advanced Features (Out-Of-The-Box) Compared with Oracle
Database
Conclusion
Understanding which features come with the base product and which features requires
additional purchase allows customers to make a more informed decision when deciding which
database is best for their organization. SQL Server has taken the approach to simplify
packaging by including advanced features in the base product without extra cost.
For more information:


http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/
http://www.oracle.com
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