SQL Server 2012 and MySQL 5

A Detailed Comparison of Approaches and Features

SQL Server White Paper

Published: April 2012

Applies to: SQL Server 2012
Introduction:
The question whether to implement commercial vs. open source software is a debate that has
been going on for years. Open source software such as MySQL is typically very low cost or no
cost at all. However, even those who think that implementing open source software saves
money agree that free does not mean no cost. While the upfront cost of the software and
licenses might be low or no cost, the overall cost to implement and maintain the software can be
quite substantial. Moreover, support and consulting fees can be higher than most organizations
expect, which raises the overall Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
On the other side, commercial software such as Microsoft SQL Server 2012 achieves an overall
superior performance because the development teams who work on the products invest
hundreds of thousands of man hours of time and millions of dollars in research and
development costs to ensure their products are able to support organizations business needs
and run their most mission-critical applications. Microsoft also understands the need of
organizations very well and satisfies those requirements by building features into multiple SQL
Server releases.
This paper compares the major features of both the latest version of SQL Server 2012 and
MySQL 5 (including 5.5) in each product in five separate categories. It will help customers
choose which database is most suitable for their database applications.

SQL Server 2012 Compared With MySQL 5

Copyright
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2012 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Microsoft & SQL Server are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

SQL Server 2012 Compared With MySQL 5

Contents
Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... 4
Product Editions ......................................................................................................................... 5
SQL Server 2012 .................................................................................................................... 5
MySQL 5 ................................................................................................................................ 5
Feature Comparison .................................................................................................................. 5
Engine .................................................................................................................................... 6
Enterprise Features ................................................................................................................ 8
Security .................................................................................................................................10
Tools .....................................................................................................................................10
Data Warehouse, Business Intelligence, and Big Data ..........................................................12
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................13
References: ..............................................................................................................................14

SQL Server 2012 Compared With MySQL 5

Executive Summary
SQL Server 2012 has better features than MySQL in the categories of engine, enterprise,
security, tools, data warehouse, business intelligence, and big data. Although customers can
download MySQL for free, Oracle highly recommends customers to purchase expensive
software support for all MySQL editions for production and that might increase the Total Cost of
Ownership (TCO) in implementing MySQL.
Moreover, there are also well-known inherent issues of security that come with open source
software development as it is typically done by members of the open source community, which
is made up of volunteers, including (but not limited to):

Introduction of bugs into software. For MySQL, many community developers contribute
to the source code. Bugs can easily be introduced into the product if the skill level of
developers is not known or cannot be guaranteed. However, commercial software
companies like Microsoft ensure that developers have the appropriate skill level to
contribute to their products. Most recently, MySQL (part of Oracle) has failed its high profile
customer Zappos.com which uses MySQL Enterprise. The web site was hacked and
becoming the largest data breach ever where 24 million account information was accessed
by hackers.
Response to security threats. Microsoft has teams of engineers who are responsible for
doing nothing but responding to security threats and patch is made available almost
immediately should a vulnerability be exposed. As the result, SQL Server has the least
amount of security vulnerability among database products in the last 10 years according to
NIST. On the other hands, MySQL has more security vulnerabilities in the last 10 years and
Oracle continues to release many MySQL patches every quarter. Most recently, Oracle
released 27 patches for MySQL in one day.

In fact, MySQL public web site mysql.com has been targeted and was hacked multiple times in
the past year alone where username and password were exposed in public web site. As
database breaches become more catastrophic to businesses, MySQL is becoming more
vulnerable and customers need to understand the risks when evaluating MySQL in production
environment.
While there are few positive aspects of MySQL 5, this paper shows that SQL Server 2012 is the
clear choice for all aspects of businesses and all types of applications, including those that are
the most mission-critical that requires highest performance, scale, high availability, security,
manageability, as well as ability to make better business decisions based on data.

SQL Server 2012 Compared With MySQL 5

Product Editions
SQL Server 2012
Microsoft SQL Server 2012 is a cloud-ready information platform that will help organizations
unlock breakthrough insights across the organization and quickly build solutions to extend data
across on-premises and public cloud, backed by mission critical confidence.
Small, mid-sized, and enterprise customers can all benefit from SQL Server 2012. Regardless
of budget or business requirements, there is an appropriate edition of SQL Server 2012. One of
the major advantages of having multiple editions is that they are all produced using the same
database engine:

Enterprise for mission critical applications and large scale data warehousing

Business Intelligence, a new product edition, providing premium corporate and self-service
BI

Standard for basic database, reporting and analytics capabilities

Express Edition scaled-down free edition that can be freely downloaded as well as freely
distributed by Independent Software Vendors (ISVs)

MySQL 5
MySQL 5 (including the latest 5.5) is available in multiple editions which contain all the core
features (except Cluster edition) described later in this paper:

Community, for free download version under GPL license v2 that is fully controlled by
Oracle but does accept patches from the community.

Enterprise, a commercial version that combines MySQL database, enterprise backup,

enterprise monitor, and workbench standard edition.

Cluster, a specialized but feature-limited engine for real-time transactional database

designed for high throughput condition such as Telco.

Oracle charges support for commercial edition of MySQL. On the high-end, MySQL does not
contain many of the enterprise-level features required to run highly available, mission-critical
applications, such as AlwaysOn, clustering, and online operations. The major features
supported in MySQL are outlined in the next section.

Feature Comparison
Because of the large number of features in both SQL Server 2012 and MySQL 5, the
comparison of each is broken into the following categories: engine, enterprise, security, tools,
data warehouse, business intelligence, and big data.

SQL Server 2012 Compared With MySQL 5

For each of the features presented in this paper, the following visual keys are used to indicate
the extent to which each feature is supported by SQL Server 2012 Enterprise Edition and
MySQL 5 Enterprise Edition:

- Feature is fully supported

- Feature is partially supported

- Feature is not supported

Engine
The engine in a database system is the core technology that processes data. The engine
handles all inserts, updates, deletes, and selects from the database, as well as optimization,
indexing, and all other base-level processing supported by a database technology. The
comparison of engine features is shown in Table 1.
Feature

MySQL 5.5

SQL Server 2012

Comments

Automatic
Tuning

Automatic tuning optimizes the database

for best performance. This eliminates
administrative burden on DBAs.

Cascading
Referential
Integrity

Automatically updates or deletes data in

nested tables that participate in foreign
key relationships.

Indexed
Views

Indexed views provide optimal

performance of database views.

Multiple
Instances

Multiple instances refers to the ability for a

single server to host more than one
instance of the database server.

Multiple
Languages

Ability to display messages in languages

other than English. Also controls the
sorting of dates, times, and currency, and
strings.

Rules

Enables you to control the valid values

that can be stored in a column in a table.

Stored
Procedures

Enables you to encapsulate complex SQL

statements into a single procedure that
can be called from applications or within
other SQL statements.

Transactions

Ability to treat a set of SQL statements as

a single unit of work, thereby allowing
exactly all or none of the statements to
complete.

Triggers

Automatically notifies, or fires, when

defined events occur in a database, such

SQL Server 2012 Compared With MySQL 5

Feature

MySQL 5.5

SQL Server 2012

Comments
as the changing of data in a table.

User-defined
Functions

Method of providing programmatic means

to complex functionality inline with SQL
statements.

User-defined
Data Types

Ability to create a data type that is not

available out of the box, that
corresponds to business requirements.

Views

Method of abstracting and filtering specific

columns or rows in an underlying table,
but still looks like a table to SQL queries.

UPSERT logic

SQL Server supports UPSERT operation

(combination of update and insert into a
single clause) using MERGE statement.

Sequence
object

SQL Server has object containing

sequence of numeric values generated in
an ascending or descending order at a
defined interval and can be configured to
restart (cycle) when exhausted.

Parallel Query

SQL Server provides parallel queries to

optimize query execution and index
operations.

Distributed
Federated
Query

SQL Server supports distributed queries

access data from multiple heterogeneous
data sources.

Database
Links

SQL Server can access tables from

heterogeneous data sources.

Native XML
Support and
XML
processing

SQL Server stores XML data as a native

type, which allows indexing and querying
using industry-standard technologies, like
XQuery.

Available at
no cost

The Express Edition of SQL Server is

available at no cost.

Crossplatform
support

MySQL runs on Unix and Linux, as well as

Windows. SQL Server runs only on
Windows.

Multiple row
data storage
strategy

Data is stored in a way that ensures good

performance in high-transaction
environments.

Service
Broker

SQL Server Service Broker is used for

Asynchronous communications with other

SQL Server 2012 Compared With MySQL 5

Feature

MySQL 5.5

SQL Server 2012

Comments
applications.

Full-Text
Searching

Ability to catalog the data that comprises a

text column so that it can be easily
queried.

Index
Organized
Table

SQL Server uses clustered indexes

(index-organized tables) on the primary
key per default.

Filtered
Indexes

Filtered Indexes that provide highperformance lookups of subsets of data in

SQL Server.

Persisted
Computed
Column

Computed column in SQL Server is

computed from an expression that can use
other columns in the same table.

FileTable

Brings support for the Windows file

namespace and compatibility with
Windows applications to the file data
stored in SQL Server.

Hierarchical
Data Type

Makes it easier to store and query

hierarchical data in SQL Server

XEvents

General event-handling system for SQL

Server and Windows Server.

CLR
Integration

CLR hosted in Microsoft SQL Server

(called CLR integration)allows authoring of
stored procedures, triggers, user-defined
functions, user-defined types, and userdefined aggregates in managed code.

Integrated
Database Mail

Allowing sending of bulk emails from SQL

Server databases.

Table 1: Comparison of Engine Features.

Enterprise Features
Enterprise Features refers to more advanced capabilities that are needed in a medium or large
enterprise. These features are not typically used in a small business. SQL Server 2012 clearly
excels in its enterprise features. The comparison of enterprise features is shown in Table 2.
Feature

MySQL 5.5

SQL Server 2012

Comments

64-Bit Support

MySQL & SQL Server support 64-bit.

Distributed

Method to efficiently access federated

SQL Server 2012 Compared With MySQL 5

Feature

MySQL 5.5

SQL Server 2012

Comments

Partitioned
Views

databases.

Failover
Clustering

Both MySQL and SQL Server supports

Windows Clustering

AlwaysOn

SQL Server supports synchronous and

asynchronous multiple active secondary
servers.

Log Shipping

Applies the transactions in the transaction

log to another server for high availability.

Replication

MySQL & SQL Server support replication.

Multi-device
support

Both MySQL and SQL Server can run in

embedded scenarios.

Advanced
Compression

Help compress the data inside a database

to help reduce the size of the database
and improve performance of I/O intensive
workloads in SQL Server.

Online
Backups

Backups can be performed without taking

the database offline.

SAN Support

While a SAN can be used with both

products, SQL Server has built-in support
for a Storage Area Network.

Complex
Event
Processing

SQL Server StreamInsight provides

complex event processing capabilities.

Data Quality

SQL Server Data Qualities Services

enables correction, enrichment,
standardization, and de-duplication of data
using knowledge-driven method.

Master Data
Management

SQL Server Master Data Services

provides solution for master data
management.

Hot Add
Memory &
CPU

SQL Server allows adding CPU and

Memory while it is running.

Online
Schema
Change

SQL Server allows changing database

schema while it is running.

Resource
Governor

SQL Server provides lower and upper

limits of resource management for
performance consistencies

SQL Server 2012 Compared With MySQL 5

Table 2: Comparison of Enterprise Features.

Security
Security is at the forefront of everyones mind. SQL Server 2012 has better built-in advanced
security features. The comparison of security features is shown in Table 3.
Feature

MySQL 5.5

SQL Server 2012

Comments

Active
Directory
Support

Kerberos authentication is supported with

both products for Active Directory
support.

Role-Based

Users can be grouped into roles they

assume in the database. Then,
permissions can be assigned to those
roles.

SSL
Encryption

Encryption of TCP/IP connections to the

database for added security.

Stored
Procedure
Security

Ability to apply security permissions to

stored procedures.

Table Security

Ability to apply security permissions to

tables.

View Security

Ability to apply security permissions to

views.

Auditing

SQL Server has built in comprehensive

auditing capabilities

Transparent
Data
Encryption

SQL Server supports real-time I/O

encryption and decryption of the data and
log files.

Centralized
Key
Management

SQL Server allows storing encryption

keys in hardware security modules
devices.

Table 3: Comparison of Security Features.

Tools
Tools in a database system allow it to be managed in an easy and efficient manner. SQL Server
has much more built-in database tools and excels in its ability to manage one or more SQL
Servers. The comparison of tools features is shown in Table 4.
10

SQL Server 2012 Compared With MySQL 5

Feature

MySQL 5.5 SQL Server 2012

Comments

Centralized
Administration

Administration of one or more servers is

performed in single, centralized place.

Integrated
SQL
Debugger

Debugger is integrated into the

development environment.

Profiler

Tool for measuring and monitoring

performance and server health.

Graphical
Query Tool

Graphical (GUI) tools for querying the

database.

Database
Tuning
Advisor

SQL Server uses current workloads to

determine how to best tune a database.

Distributed
Replay

Tool to replay captured trace and

simulate mission-critical workload
against an upgraded test environment to
help assess the impact of hardware and
operating system upgrades.

Graphical
Wizards

SQL Server has many wizards to guide

through administrative tasks. MySQL has
a few dialog boxes, which are referred to
as Wizards.

Graphical
Activity
Monitor

MySQL does not have native GUI

monitoring tool for performance and
needs Enterprise Monitor (separate
product).

Central
Management
Servers

MySQL does not have the capability to

execute SQL statements at the same
time against server groups

SQL Server
Utility

Manage SQL Server environment as a

whole with summary and detailed data in
terms of underutilization and
overutilization policies for a variety of key
parameters such as CPU, file spaces.

Manage
servers using
Policy

Policy-Based Management allows

managing one or more instances of SQL
Server based on extensive policies.

Maintenance
Plan Wizard

SQL Server maintenance plan wizard

create a workflow of the tasks required to
make sure database is optimized,
regularly backed up, and free of
consistencies.

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SQL Server 2012 Compared With MySQL 5

Feature

MySQL 5.5 SQL Server 2012

Comments

Dedicated
Administrator
Connection

SQL Server provides ways to let

administrator troubleshoot very busy
databases.

Data-tier
Application

SQL Server can package database

applications (schema, objects, and data)
into a single unit of deployment

Table 4: Comparison of Tools Features.

Data Warehouse, Business Intelligence, and Big Data

Data warehouse, Business Intelligence, and Big Data is simply the ability to make better
business decisions based on data. Users are often trying to spot trends in data. However,
trends might exist that the business analyst doesnt know to look for. The ability to load data
from multiple, disparate data sources, process that data, and analyze it is an enormous strength
of SQL Server. Microsoft has made very large investments in R&D in this area and provides
many more of these features in SQL Server 2012 than does MySQL 5. The comparison of is
shown in Table 5.
Feature

MySQL 5.5

SQL Server 2012

Comments

Bitmap Index
Joins

SQL Server speed up data warehouse

queries using bitmap joins.

Common
Table
Expressions

SQL Server can create temporary result

set that is defined within the execution
scope that can be self-referencing and
can be referenced multiple times in the
same query.

xVelocity inmemory
column store
index

SQL Server in-memory column store

index delivers 10x-100x faster
performance for Data Warehousing
queries.

Change Data
Capture

SQL Server provides way to capture

insert, update, and delete activities
applied to tables.

Data
Warehouse
Alliance

SQL Server and MySQL have an alliance

of Data Warehousing vendors.

Data
Warehouse
Reference
Architectures

SQL Server has multiple data warehouse

reference architectures from multiple
hardware vendors. MySQL has specific
3rd party engines for data warehouse.

12

SQL Server 2012 Compared With MySQL 5

Feature

MySQL 5.5

SQL Server 2012

Comments

Data
Warehouse
Appliances

SQL Server has multiple data warehouse

appliances from multiple hardware
vendors.

Integration
Services, also
known as
Extract,
Transform,
and Load
(ETL).

SQL Server has extensive and robust

ETL capabilities.

High Speed
Drivers

SQL Server supports high performance

Oracle and Teradata destinations

Analysis
Services
(OLAP)

Ability to build OLAP, ROLAP, and

MOLAP database cubes.

Data Mining

SQL Server supports algorithms for

mining structured data.

Text Mining

SQL Server supports algorithms for

mining unstructured text data.

English Query

SQL Server English query is the ability to

query the database using English syntax
instead of SQL syntax.

Reporting
Services

SQL Server has a graphical reporting

solution for different types of users.

PowerPivot

SQL Server provides deep Integration

into Microsoft Excel to query and view
data in OLAP and OLTP databases.

Big Data
Support

SQL Server is shipping with Hadoop

adapters for Big Data processing

Table 5: Comparison of Data Warehouse, Business Intelligence, and Big Data Features.

Conclusion
SQL Server 2012 excels in numerous ways compares to MySQL 5. SQL Server 2012 contain
many more features than MySQL 5 in the categories of engine, enterprise, security, tools, data
warehouse, business intelligence, and big data. Therefore, SQL Server is the clear choice for all
aspects of businesses and all types of applications, including those that are the most missioncritical.

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SQL Server 2012 Compared With MySQL 5

References:
SQL Server Web Site http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/en/us/default.aspx
MySQL Web Site http://www.mysql.com/
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