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DxEnterprise for Containers would be a lot easier to consume if it was part of SQL Server or if Microsoft resold it, and the way DH2i packages the product indicates a relatively loose partnership between the two companies, said Dave Raffo, an analyst at Evaluator Group.
Microsoft SQL Server users aren’t running their production databases in stateful containers, and DH2i is banking on the notion that this is due to the lack of availability groups support in Kubernetes — and not lack of customer interest, Raffo said. DH2i has to make the first move, and if this is all it takes to convince embedded SQL Server users to stay with the product instead of switching to a competing database such as Amazon RDS or Postgres for containers, then Microsoft will have incentive to integrate with DxEnterprise.
“DH2i could use a tighter partnership with Microsoft, but they have to first convince Microsoft it’s worth a greater integration,” Raffo said.
DxEnterprise for Containers does have a uniqueness advantage, Raffo said, as he isn’t aware of any other third-party vendor products that allow for SQL Server availability groups usage in Kubernetes. There is an open source high-availability cluster manager called Pacemaker that could achieve what DxEnterprise for Containers does. However, due to its open source nature and its lack of guaranteed support, it’s “dangerous” to run mission-critical production databases with it, Raffo said.
