Editions of SQL Server: Microsoft makes SQL Server available in multiple editions, with different feature sets and targeting different users.
Mainstream Editions
1)Parallel Computing Edition (PCE)
2)Datacenter Edition
3)Enterprise Edition
4)Standard Edition
5)Workgroup Edition
6)Web Edition
7)Business Intelligence (2012 New Edition)
8)Express Edition
Specialized Editions
1)Azure
2)Compact Edition
3)Developer Edition
4)Embedded Edition
5)Evaluation Edition
6)Fast Track
7)Parallel Data Warehouse (PDW)
Standard Edition:
Designed for small and medium businesses, the Standard edition supports up to 4 CPUs and 2TB of RAM, with unlimited database size. lacks many of the enterprise-oriented features from the Enterprise edition. It will be priced at $7,499 per processor or $1,849 per server with five CALs.
Web Edition:
This edition is designed to be run by web hosting providers. It provides support for up to 4 CPUs, 2TB of RAM, and unlimited database size. It supports Reporting Services priced at $15 per processor per month.
Workgroup Edition:
Workgroup edition is designed to provide basic relational database services for departments and branch offices. It supports a maximum of 2 CPUs, 4GB of RAM, and unlimited database size. Its only BI feature is Reporting Services. It's priced at $3,899 or $739 per server including five CALs.
Parallel Computing Edition (PCE):
It will utilize a Massively Parallel Processing (MPP) scale-out architecture to support data warehousing ranging from 10TB to 1+ PB. The Parallel Computing Edition is priced at $57,489 per processor.
Data Center Edition:
Support from up to 256 logical processors, it's designed to address the highest levels of scalability. The Datacenter edition has no memory limitation and offers support for more than 25 instances. It is approximately priced at $57,489 per processor.
Enterprise/Developer Edition:
The Enterprise edition is the one that’s targeted toward most businesses. With the advent of the new Datacenter edition, the Enterprise edition will be limited to support for 64 logical processors and 25 instances, which really isn’t much of a change. It will be priced at $28,749 per processor or $13,969 per server with 25 CALs. The Developer edition shares the same feature set and is licensed at $50 per developer.
Express Edition:
Targeted toward developers and ISVs, SQL Server Express Edition comes in three versions.
1)SQL Server 2008 R2 Express provides relational database services
2)SQL Server 2008 R2 Express with Tools Edition adds SSMS
3)SQL Server 2008 R2 Express with Advanced Services adds SSMS and a local instance of Reporting Services.
All SQL Server 2008 R2 Express editions will continue to be free downloads
Evaluation Edition:
SQL Server Evaluation Edition, also known as the Trial Edition, has all the features of the Enterprise Edition, but is limited to 180 days, after which the tools will continue to run, but the server services will stop.
Mainstream Editions
1)Parallel Computing Edition (PCE)
2)Datacenter Edition
3)Enterprise Edition
4)Standard Edition
5)Workgroup Edition
6)Web Edition
7)Business Intelligence (2012 New Edition)
8)Express Edition
Specialized Editions
1)Azure
2)Compact Edition
3)Developer Edition
4)Embedded Edition
5)Evaluation Edition
6)Fast Track
7)Parallel Data Warehouse (PDW)
Standard Edition:
Designed for small and medium businesses, the Standard edition supports up to 4 CPUs and 2TB of RAM, with unlimited database size. lacks many of the enterprise-oriented features from the Enterprise edition. It will be priced at $7,499 per processor or $1,849 per server with five CALs.
Web Edition:
This edition is designed to be run by web hosting providers. It provides support for up to 4 CPUs, 2TB of RAM, and unlimited database size. It supports Reporting Services priced at $15 per processor per month.
Workgroup Edition:
Workgroup edition is designed to provide basic relational database services for departments and branch offices. It supports a maximum of 2 CPUs, 4GB of RAM, and unlimited database size. Its only BI feature is Reporting Services. It's priced at $3,899 or $739 per server including five CALs.
Parallel Computing Edition (PCE):
It will utilize a Massively Parallel Processing (MPP) scale-out architecture to support data warehousing ranging from 10TB to 1+ PB. The Parallel Computing Edition is priced at $57,489 per processor.
Data Center Edition:
Support from up to 256 logical processors, it's designed to address the highest levels of scalability. The Datacenter edition has no memory limitation and offers support for more than 25 instances. It is approximately priced at $57,489 per processor.
Enterprise/Developer Edition:
The Enterprise edition is the one that’s targeted toward most businesses. With the advent of the new Datacenter edition, the Enterprise edition will be limited to support for 64 logical processors and 25 instances, which really isn’t much of a change. It will be priced at $28,749 per processor or $13,969 per server with 25 CALs. The Developer edition shares the same feature set and is licensed at $50 per developer.
Express Edition:
Targeted toward developers and ISVs, SQL Server Express Edition comes in three versions.
1)SQL Server 2008 R2 Express provides relational database services
2)SQL Server 2008 R2 Express with Tools Edition adds SSMS
3)SQL Server 2008 R2 Express with Advanced Services adds SSMS and a local instance of Reporting Services.
All SQL Server 2008 R2 Express editions will continue to be free downloads
Evaluation Edition:
SQL Server Evaluation Edition, also known as the Trial Edition, has all the features of the Enterprise Edition, but is limited to 180 days, after which the tools will continue to run, but the server services will stop.
