This article is part of the series on How To Install Microsoft SQL Server 2022; I do not claim to be an expert on SQL Server and this series is installing SQL Server in a development/testing/demo environment. If you’re installing SQL into a production environment there will be additional work required to harden the SQL Server and avoid security issues.
There are a number of editions of Microsoft SQL Server available:
| Edition | Definition |
|---|---|
| Express | SQL Server Express edition is the entry-level, free database and is ideal for learning and building desktop and small server data-driven applications. It is the best choice for independent software vendors, developers, and hobbyists building client applications. |
| Developer | SQL Server Developer edition lets developers build any kind of application on top of SQL Server. It includes all the functionality of Enterprise edition, but is licensed for use as a development and test system, not as a production server. SQL Server Developer is an ideal choice for people who build and test applications. |
| Web | SQL Server Web edition is a low total-cost-of-ownership option for Web hosters (including choosing Web edition on IaaS on Azure) and Web VAPs to provide scalability, affordability, and manageability capabilities for small to large-scale Web properties. |
| Standard | SQL Server Standard edition delivers basic data management and business intelligence database for departments and small organizations to run their applications and supports common development tools for on-premises and cloud, enabling effective database management with minimal IT resources. |
| Enterprise | The premium offering, SQL Server Enterprise edition delivers comprehensive high-end datacenter capabilities with blazing-fast performance, unlimited virtualization, and end-to-end business intelligence, enabling high service levels for mission-critical workloads and end-user access to data insights. |
Full details of the editions of Microsoft SQL Server can be read here.
The environment I am installing is for development, testing and demo purposes. I recently checked the licence for the Developer Edition to check if it allowed more than just development and testing; specifically, I was interested in the possibility of using it for demo purposes and found that this was a permitted use.
This was good news and the Developer Edition is the one which I will be installing in this series; the version doesn’t actually make much difference to the install process, so you should be able to use this series for installing any of the editions.
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