Microsoft (Finally) Announces SQL Server on Linux

Microsoft's SQL Server 2016 is set to launch later this year, and it will finally be available on Linux. The latest incarnation of Microsoft's flagship relational database system comes with a host of new features including end-to-end encryption, in-memory support, and far more advanced business intelligence (BI) capabilities. But the biggest news is its long-awaited Linux compatibility.

Scott Guthrie, Executive Vice President of Microsoft's Cloud and Enterprise Group, announced the news in a blog post heralding SQL Server as a consistent data platform both on-premises and in the cloud, across Windows Server 2016 and Linux. The news comes a week after Microsoft's Xamarin acquisition for cross-platform mobile application development.

"SQL Server on Linux will provide customers with even more flexibility in their data solution," wrote Guthrie. "Bringing SQL Server to Linux is another way we are making our products and new innovations more accessible to a broader set of users and meeting them where they are."

Microsoft's complicated relationship with Linux (and open-source software in general) dates back decades. Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, in particular, made a habit of insulting the open operating system (OS) kernel, calling it "communism," and threatening patent litigation over the years.

The company's philosophy has changed dramatically under CEO Satya Nadella. Under Nadella's "Microsoft Loves Linux" mantra, the company has enabled support for Linux on Microsoft Azure, partnered with companies such as Hortonworks and Ubuntu on Linux support, and launched open-source efforts including open-sourcing ASP.NET and moving the lion's share of Microsoft's code off of CodePlex and onto GitHub.

SQL Server for Linux is currently available in a private beta, and is planned for wide rollout in 2017.