FRAMINGHAM (02/18/2000) - Microsoft Corp. announced strong benchmarks for its SQL Server 2000 database at the Windows 2000 launch, but the database won't even be seen until April, when a select group of users will be asked to beta-test it.
Two configurations of SQL Server running on the new Windows 2000 operating system beat out other common combinations of hardware platforms, operating systems and databases in a benchmark test posted by the Transaction Processing Performance Council in San Jose.
"As with all benchmarks, customers should be reminded they're never going to see these in the real world," said Terilyn Palanca, an analyst at Giga Information Group Inc. in Stamford, Conn.
The competition isn't standing still. Both Oracle Corp. and IBM have announced new features in their databases for Windows 2000. IBM said its DB2 Universal Database Version 6.1 is available for the Windows 2000 platform, and Version 7.1, expected to be available midyear, will take full advantage of the new operating system. Oracle said Oracle8i Release 2 for the Windows 2000 platform will be available late next month.
Other highlights at the launch included the following:
-- Compaq Computer Corp. said it will resell Unisys Corp.'s 32-way Cellular MultiProcessing ES7000 system under its own ProLiant brand. The server will run Windows 2000 Datacenter Edition, scheduled to ship in June.
-- Unisys in Blue Bell, Pa., demonstrated a 16-way server employing an advance copy of Windows 2000 Datacenter Edition on Intel processors while running a low-airfare search application.
-- Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Amdahl Corp. will offer a range of Windows 2000 Directory Management services in collaboration with Ottawa-based FastLane Technologies Inc., a Microsoft Certified Service Provider.