Microsoft on Wednesday announced the release of SQL Server 2019 release candidate (RC).

Microsoft debuted SQL Server 2019 at Ignite, but a more technically detailed picture of the next-gen database platform emerged only later at the PASS Summit.

The move of Microsoft's 2019 version of its database into Redmond's equivalent of a software care home means only SQL Server 2022 remains in mainstream support, which is due to end on January 11 ...

With CU5, Microsoft has focused on key capabilities to the SQL Server, along with Big Data Clusters. One of the main improvements is deployment for BDC on the Red Hat OpenShift Kubernetes platform.

Microsoft's database releases from 2008 and 2010 reach end of extended support. In response, Redmond says, that for many customers, the time for cloud migration has arrived.

Ignite, Microsoft's annual IT Pro and Developer confab kicks off today, with a slew of news in the data, analytics and AI areas of the company's stack, both in-cloud and on-premises.

Global software house Microsoft is making big data the focus of SQL Server 2019, set for release later this year. A key part is data virtualisation, eliminating complex ETL processes.