UPDATED 10/10: Kilimanjaro does refer to a bundle of features that will be included in SQL Server, but which will be a smaller, more minor release (aka R2). The promise is that this upgrade should arrive in early 2010.
Yesterday, Microsoft clarified that the so-called new SQL Server is not code-named Kilimanjaro. The Kilimanjaro project does exist, however, and while it does refer to a bigger mountain than Katmai (Katmai was the code name for SQL Server 2008), it does not refer to the next generation of the database. Microsoft’s SQL Server evangelist Andrew Fryer, said in his blog that Kilimanjaro is really a set of business intelligence features that will eventually be integrated into SQL Server 2008. These features are from two projects, code-named Gemini and Madison. He writes:
* Gemini. This is a set of tools to further empower the user to create their own reports and analytics, leaving the IT guys and DBA’s to focus on the collection and performance of the data. This will all be integrated into SharePoint, like Reporting Services already in SQL Server.
* Madison is the project to integrate the DATAllegro technology acquired by Microsoft a couple of months ago and will enable to SQL Server to support the predicted largest data warehouses. Another part of this project will be to add in the other recent acquisition.
Apparently, Microsoft PR documents got it wrong, too — outright naming Kilimanjaro as the next version of SQL Server. A write up in BetaNews gives a lowdown of the facts. It is also worth noting that Gemini is a BI tool created for Excel, but is expected to be bundled in with a version of SQL Server 2008 that also offers other business intelligence tools. It is this version of SQL Server 2008 that is currently slated for 2010.
