In my previous post I wrote about the need for master data management (MDM), and what SQL Server offers as a solution. In this post I’ll explore SQL Server’s MDM offering with a simple example, to get to know the product.
SQL Server Master Data Services (MDS) was launched with SQL Server 2008 R2. It was Microsoft’s entry into the MDM market, what most people considered to be a half-baked product, which Microsoft had acquired from Stratature in 2007. SQL Server 2012 saw the offering mature into something use-worthy, while SQL Server 2014 did not add anything new to MDS. As opposed to other SQL Server offerings such as Analysis Services and Reporting Services, MDS does not have its own Windows service. Rather, it requires a web application to be setup along with a database on the Database Engine.
MDS is a 64-bit only offering and comes only with Enterprise and Business Intelligence editions of SQL Server (and of course with Developer Edition).
Continue reading Master Data Management with SQL Server: A Primer – Part 2