SQL Server 2025

Microsoft fixed the AVX instruction issue in SQL Server 2025 CU1. The container now runs successfully on Docker Desktop for macOS without needing OrbStack.

Update (February 2, 2026): Microsoft has fixed this issue in SQL Server 2025 CU1. The container now runs successfully on Docker Desktop for macOS without needing OrbStack. See my follow-up post for details.

SQL Server 2025 RTM is here, and if you’re running Docker on macOS Tahoe 26, you might have hit a wall trying to get it running. Here’s what happened when I tried spinning up the latest container image and how I worked around it.

Ollama SQL FastStart streamlines the deployment of SQL Server 2025 with integrated AI capabilities through a comprehensive Docker-based solution. This project delivers a production-ready environment combining SQL Server 2025, Ollama’s large language model services, and NGINX with full SSL support—all preconfigured to work together seamlessly.

I built this project to eliminate the complex configuration hurdles that typically slow down AI integration projects. Whether you’re a database professional wanting to explore SQL Server 2025’s new vector search capabilities or a developer looking to build AI-powered applications on familiar infrastructure, this solution provides everything you need in a single docker-compose file. The entire stack—including the complex certificate trust chain between SQL Server and the Ollama API—is automatically configured, allowing you to focus on building data driven AI applications rather than infrastructure setup.

I am honored to announce that I have been renewed as a Microsoft MVP for the ninth consecutive year, recognized in the Azure SQL and SQL Server technical areas under Data Platform. Thanks for this incredible journey that began in 2017.

Thank You

I want to thank Microsoft for this continued recognition. The MVP program has provided me with numerous opportunities to connect with brilliant minds worldwide, gain early access to cutting-edge technologies, and collaborate with product teams and engineering teams that contribute to the evolution of the data platforms we all rely on to maintain our customers’ most critical asset, data.

I’m really excited to share some new functionality in SQL Server 2025 combined with some innovations in FlashArray’s REST API.

In this post, I’m going to show you how to build a snapshot backup catalog using FlashArray Protection Group Tags and orchestrating the work using SQL Server 2025’s new native REST integration.

With this solution, you will have the ability to query your snapshots by database name, creation time, instance name, or really any other interesting metadata that you want to add. Bridging the gap between snapshotting volumes and databases. And the best part? You can do this all without external tools or databases - just SQL Server and FlashArray.

SQL Server 2025 introduces a new compression algorithm called ZSTD (Zstandard), which can enhance database backup performance. Using ZSTD allows for greater control over backup performance, particularly concerning CPU usage and backup duration. I recently conducted some preliminary benchmarks comparing ZSTD at its three compression levels with the existing MS_XPRESS algorithm. The results are compelling and provide additional options for managing database backup performance effectively.

The Test Setup

I set up two types of tests on a 389.37GB database to highlight the performance characteristics of the backup compression algorithms:

In this post, I’ll walk you through a T-SQL script that creates application-consistent snapshots on Pure Storage FlashArray, all from within SQL Server, no external tooling. SQL Server 2025 introduces a powerful new feature: the sp_invoke_external_rest_endpoint stored procedure. This enhancement makes calling REST APIs directly from T-SQL easier than ever. Combining this new capability with Pure Storage’s API allows us to orchestrate snapshot operations seamlessly, with no external tools or scripts required.

With the release of SQL Server 2025, Microsoft is firmly positioning its flagship database platform as an enterprise-ready AI solution. Having spent time with the preview builds and working with the feature set, I believe this release represents a significant opportunity for organizations to leverage AI capabilities and their existing investments in SQL Server infrastructure, skills, and processes.

While many cloud-native and niche vector databases have emerged to support AI workloads, SQL Server 2025 brings these capabilities to your existing operational data platform. This integration offers unique advantages that standalone AI solutions can’t match without significant integration efforts and security considerations.