Today at Microsoft Ignite, Microsoft announced SQL Server 2025. The biggest new features focus on AI and bringing the latest Azure SQL DB features down to your own servers. Here are the top features:
- Call AI services like ChatGPT directly from T-SQL – using T-SQL commands and sp_invoke_external_rest_endpoint
- Vector searches, a native vector data type, and vector indexes with DiskANN – more information in the documentation
- Fabric mirroring – so your data warehouse in Fabric can more easily have a near-real-time copy of your OLTP data sources – similar to how it works in Azure SQL DB
- Regular expression support in T-SQL – to learn more about that, read how it works in Azure
- Optimized locking – like how it works in Azure SQL DB, and you might have noticed a theme here
As you run your dirty finger down your screen, reading my words aloud, you’re probably thinking to yourself, “Wait a minute – this is all stuff that’s currently in preview in Azure SQL DB.” That’s true – there aren’t any surprises here, and I think that’s fine! Microsoft can and should use Azure SQL DB as a testing ground for new things they wanna build into the boxed SQL Server product. Work the kinks out first while it’s all still managed by Microsoft’s own staff before they deploy it down on premises.
You’re gonna laugh at this, but I’m actually excited for the ability to call ChatGPT from T-SQL. I kid you not, I am gonna build support for it into the First Responder Kit! Why not add a parameter for @AskAI = 1 where your metadata is sent up to ChatGPT and ask for advice on particular problems? (You would have to have your OpenAI or Azure account already set up – I’m not paying for your advice myself, hahaha – and it’s up to you to decide whether you want to send that metadata up to the cloud. But if you wanna do it, go for it.)
You can read more on Microsoft’s blog post, Bob Ward’s post on LinkedIn, and Ignite attendees can watch this session tomorrow.
There’s no release date yet, and it’s not even in public preview yet, but you can sign up for the private preview here. Be aware that private previews typically involve a commitment to running the new version in production and having regular calls with Microsoft to talk about how it’s working in your environment.
Update: I had to laugh that 2025 also includes a rename for the feature formerly known as PSPO (pronounced piss-poor.) It’s now named Optional Parameter Plan Optimization, OPPO.