Store any data in SQL Server 2008 (Katmai)

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SQL Server 2008 (aka Katmai) allows seamless transition between relational and nonrelational data, enabling users to access documents as data, encode complex XML hierarchies within XML, and query across relational and text data. So how is this achieved?

There is a new FileStream data type which allows large binary data to be stored in the file system and yet remain an integral part of the database with transactional consistency. And yes, you read correct: with transactional consistency!

This enables scale-out of large binary data to be managed by the database and yet stored on cheaper storage and file systems.

Applications can use a new storage type “VARBINARY(MAX) FILESTREAM” to define table columns and store large binary data as files in the file system instead of as a SQL BLOB. Applications can use T-SQL SELECT/INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE statements to query and modify FILESTREAM data. 

The FILESTREAM type leverages Win32 rich set of streaming APIs which is proven to be more efficient and faster the larger the data gets.

More on this and other new features of SQL Server 2008 later!

In the meantime, if you are thirsty to see more, then why not downloading the first Community Technology Preview (CTP) of SQL Server 2008 from here or here?

Oh, and if you haven’t guessed by now, Katmai is the code name for SQL Server 2008.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    July 27, 2007
    With the covers coming off the SQL Server 2008 (Katmai) I have been looking at how this may impact on

  • Anonymous
    August 05, 2007
    I guess your comment was around scale out effects of Katmai with SharePoint. As far as I know, the SharePoint team are in direct contact with the FileStream guys...

  • Anonymous
    December 12, 2007
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    April 09, 2008
    So, Rick , Jacob , Adam and Elaine have all given their impressions. I guess I should chime in. The thing

  • Anonymous
    August 17, 2009
    do you know if it's possible to implement filestream for existing sites? can we upgrade SQL turn on filestream and then configure an existing application?