Microsoft is going to introduce an in-memory technology to its SQL server, which is said to be helpful in speeding up online monetary transaction by about double the time that is required now. The in-memory technology has been code named as Hekaton, by Microsoft. The new technology will allow the company to run an entire database from the memory itself. However, Microsoft is still tight-lipped regarding the expected date of unveiling this highly discussed technology.
Accordingly, the new technology of Hekaton, is being geared up to be used in the workloads of OLTP (online transaction processing), such as the Enterprise Resource Planning systems (ERP), online banking systems and even other disc-bound payment transaction systems. The technology of Hekaton will be using only a single server for its operation; therefore, it will help in scaling up the RAM installed on the particular server. The new technology is said to provide unlimited usage of memory by Hekaton, for performing its duty properly.
It is being argued that through this process, the server will be able to perform the transaction of the money more quickly since the database server will not be responsible for reading or writing data into any disc. The server itself will directly handle the process. The software giant Microsoft is very excited with their innovation. They are even expecting that the move will help in increasing the transaction process to become faster by half the time it takes presently.
It has been found that the technologies of in-memory have grown much popular throughout the enterprises that need rapid and quicker data processing. The general manager of Microsoft, Doug Leland informed that through the grafting of the technology of in-memory into the server of SQL would definitely help in simplifying the customer’s architecture of IT, since it would help in eliminating the basic need for buying and maintaining any stand-alone technology of in-memory.
In order to help the technology to spread widely and help in usage of Hekaton technology by the database administrators, the upcoming version of server SQL will be provided with a tool that will be useful in designating the individual database tables or even other databases that will be possible to run on memory. In addition to these features, the Hekaton will also help in compiling the store-procedures, such that they can even be operated in-memory.
The technology of Hekaton even performs by maintaining all the properties (consistency, durability, atomicity and isolation) that are required for proper functioning of the relational databases. The transaction logs are written in a serialized fashion in-memory, and afterwards these logs are written into the disk on a periodic basis. For this purpose, the new software applies a series of compression algorithms in order to fit in more amounts of data in the memory.
Leland even went on to stress on the matter that this is not the first instance where Microsoft has tried its hands in utilizing the in-memory technology. He argued that the Power View and PowerPivot also use the technology of in-memory that allows the user in manipulating innumerable data within the Excel sheet.
