14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft will introduce an upcoming development milestone of its Cloud and on-premise data platforms synchronization solution in mid-2011.
The Redmond company did not provide a specific availability deadline, but it did reveal that early adopters will be able to start testing the third Community Technology Preview of SQL Azure Data Sync in the summer of this year.
At this point in time, testers can still access SQL Azure Data Sync CTP2, which was announced at PDC 2010.
Registration for SQL Azure Data Sync CTP2 was kicked off in December 2010, and according to the Redmond company, it will be kept open until the end of March 2011.
Customers that want to test SQL Azure Data Sync CTP2 need to hurry up and sign up as soon as possible, or wait for CTP3 later this year.
A member of the SQL Azure team enumerated some of the features in SQL Azure Data Sync CTP3:
“•A new user interface integrated with the Windows Azure management portal.
•The ability to select a subset of columns to sync as well as to specify a filter so that only a subset of rows are synced.
•The ability to make certain schema changes to the database being synced without having to re-initialize the sync group and re-sync the data.
•Conflict resolution policy can be specified.
•General usability enhancements.”
According to the software giant, CTP3 will also be the last development milestone for SQL Azure Data Sync. Microsoft plans to release the final version of the solution by the end of 2011.
“Microsoft SQL Azure Data Sync, currently in CTP (Community Technology Preview) is a cloud-based data synchronization service built on Microsoft Sync Framework technologies,” the company explains.
“It provides bi-directional data synchronization and data management capabilities allowing data to be easily shared between multiple SQL Azure databases and between on-premises and SQL Azure databases.”