What Is SQL Server 2025?

SQL Server 2025 is the next iteration in Microsoft’s flagship database system. It builds upon the foundation of SQL Server 2022 and further aligns with Azure’s capabilities, offering deeper integration with cloud-native technologies and AI-driven enhancements. The public preview allows developers and IT teams to test and provide feedback before its general availability, expected later in 2025.

New Features in SQL Server 2025

• AI-Integrated Query Performance Insights
  SQL Server 2025 introduces AI-enhanced tools that provide intelligent query performance diagnostics. Leveraging machine learning models, SQL Server now offers more precise insights into query bottlenecks and suggests optimizations dynamically.
  
• Expanded Integration with Microsoft Fabric
  The 2025 release further strengthens the connection to Microsoft Fabric, Microsoft’s unified data platform. This enables seamless data movement and transformation across SQL Server, Azure Synapse, Power BI, and OneLake—making hybrid analytics smoother than ever.
  
• Built-in Vector Indexing for AI Applications
  In response to the rapid adoption of generative AI and semantic search, SQL Server 2025 now includes native vector indexing. This allows for efficient similarity searches within databases, which is ideal for use cases like recommendation engines and document embeddings.
  
• Enhancements to Ledger (Blockchain-Style Auditing)
  SQL Server 2022 introduced Ledger for tamper-evident records. In SQL Server 2025, Ledger becomes more efficient and scalable, making it even more suitable for regulatory-compliant industries like finance and healthcare.
  
• Transact-SQL (T-SQL) Enhancements
  New T-SQL syntax and functions improve developer productivity, support for JSON enhancements, and system-versioned temporal tables now offer better historical data management.
  
• High Availability and Disaster Recovery (HADR) Improvements
  SQL Server 2025 brings performance improvements to Always On Availability Groups, reduced failover time, and expanded cross-platform availability with better integration into Azure Arc-enabled servers.
  

Closer Ties with Azure Arc

SQL Server 2025 preview strengthens support for Azure Arc, enabling SQL Server to be managed as a cloud-native service—whether it’s running in your data center, on a VM, or in a Kubernetes container. This supports a true hybrid and multi-cloud architecture.