LocalDB Reviews

We primarily use the solution during the development process. When our developers need to connect to the database during an application's creation, they install LocalDB on their development workstation and use it to connect.

This tool help us build apps quicker and faster.

Database Engine which is compatible with on-premise and cloud release.

The solution needs to create a management tool. Right now, the solution has tools for creating a local installation, but it's too simplistic. We need something that's a bit more complex so that we can extend the tools with our scripts.

Technical support could be quicker to respond to tickets.

I've been using the solution for three years. 

The solution is stable. Occasionally. we play with newer versions when they are available for us. In these cases, sometimes it's not stable. However, when we use the production version of DB, it is very stable.

Currently, we have a team of 25 using the solution.

Technical support is good. We don't have any problem with technical support from Microsoft, especially when we're talking about support for Azure services. It's very quick. When we are talking about on-premise solutions, however, sometimes we must wait for a few days for issues to be resolved.

We sometimes use different products, including PostgreSQL , among others, especially during the deployment process.

The initial setup was simple.

Our team handled the implementation.

Azure SQL

We've used the solution about 100 times across a number of different projects. We're currently using the 2014 and 2017 versions of the solution with an on-premises deployment model. 

We're partners with Microsoft.

I'd recommend the solution for those looking for something to assist with their development process.

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.

We primarily use the solution for our database.

The solution has powerful reporting features that are very valuable. The user interface is the standard SQL management tool, so it's very easy to navigate.

The ALM features can be improved, but the database by itself is reliable.

The solution is very stable. We haven't had any issues in this regard.

So far, we've been very satisfied with technical support.

The initial setup is very straightforward. The guidelines are very easy to follow. Maintenance is very easy and requires very little manpower.

We had a local partner assist us with the implementation. They were extremely knowledgeable. 

The solution isn't expensive. My company has a subscription model for software licenses. This way, it's very inexpensive because if you have one big cluster of databases, you have literally no cost.

We use the on-premises deployment model.

I would rate the solution nine out of ten.

The memory footprint is the smallest in its category of products. I think Microsoft did a very good job squeezing as many features as possible in such a tiny executable. The price, being it free, it's of course a plus. And the capability to do almost everything as in the commercial version. When using a developer machine or also a virtual machine, it is essential that every MB of memory is well utilized. The binaries are loaded in memory only when needed. It uses the same client libraries as its bigger siblings, including the Native client. Unlike the Compact version which uses a limited set of functionality this LocalDB has Stored Procedures, Geometry, Geography data types, online backup, transactions, data integrity etc. It runs as a separate process as opposed to in-proc DLL.

For the development process and for small Business Intelligence projects, this software gives a very good head start because the installation is merely seconds. It runs in the current user context, and this allows the developer to be freed from switching accounts many times during the develop/deploy/test phase.

The storage limit is about 10GB, so for medium to big databases it is not applicable.

I've been using SQL Server since version 7, so approximately 15 years, this 2012 Express is the latest release of this software. This is a free lightweight version of the 2012 full fledged product.

No. The setup is really Next -> Accept ->Next -> Finish.

No.

Of course you won't use LocalDB if you need to scale. I mean, in order to scale one should buy the commercial version of SQL Server. But even so, the database will not need any modification. According to Microsoft web site: "Upgrade from SQL Express to paid SQL Server editions is a matter of typing in a license key and no installation is required"

I did not use the customer service, the sheer amount of information, articles, blogs and forums about SQL Server covers practically the 99% of issues one may encounter with this database system

I'd rate it "good enough", based on previous products experiences.

I used both SQL Server and other open source RDBMS. I switched because of the vast knowledge base and the far better feature list in SQL Server.

Very straightforward. One download, pick the 32 or 64 bit version and run the SqlLocalDB.msi installer

In house, literally in "my" house.

Setup cost, 0€. Day to day cost 0€, excluding power consumption.

I also used Oracle 11 XE, MySQL, PostgreSQL.

The only caveat is to pay attention to the user context. The SQL engine doesn't run with a privileged or system account, so it really has only the permissions of the currently logged in user (files, network, etc.). It is advisable to install the SQL Server management studio (also free) to administer and configure it