Announcing the SQL Server 2022 Early Adoption Program
Published Nov 02 2021 08:00 AM 15.1K Views
Microsoft

The next version of SQL Server has been announced! SQL Server 2022 has built-in Azure enablement and innovations in security, performance, availability, data virtualization, and enhancements to the T-SQL language. The SQL Server engineering team is looking to work together with select customers and partners to adopt the next version of SQL Server and provide feedback about the usability and stability of new features before general availability.

 

Who is the SQL Server EAP For?

 

If you are interested in adopting SQL Server 2022 on Windows or Linux in production and can test SQL Server 2022 before it becomes available to the public, then the SQL Server EAP is for you. Customers and partners running existing versions of SQL Server who would like to validate new performance and scalability features and Azure integration scenarios are a good fit for the SQL Server EAP. The SQL Server EAP is also for partners who want to build SI (system integrator) offerings and ISV (independent software vendor) applications using SQL Server 2022. Upon successful validation, these applications and solutions can be supported in production prior to the general availability release.

 

Program Benefits

 

  • SQL Server EAP participants have direct access to the engineering team through a Program Manager Buddy. Your "PM Buddy" is there as a primary contact within the development team to help connect you to the right people to help your solution adopt SQL Server 2022. Typically, PM Buddies communicate with the customer via email and regularly scheduled meetings. PM Buddies help scope the project when the customer first joins the SQL Server EAP so that there is common understanding of the schedule and requirements.
  • Customers in the SQL Server EAP will try out new features before the public gets to see them and provide feedback directly to the engineering team, therefore influencing how features will behave when SQL Server 2022 reaches general availability.
  • SQL Server EAP members have access to private Teams channels to communicate with one another and the engineering team, helping customers learn from each other. Content on the private channels is considered Microsoft confidential and covered by the NDA required to participate in the SQL Server EAP.
  • Access to a private GitHub repository for pre-release documentation and demo scripts to learn how to use the new features and capabilities in SQL Server 2022.
  • Starting with Release Candidate (RC), customers who run SQL Server 2022 in production will be fully supported by Microsoft Support before general availability. A special support channel is provided to raise cases for SQL Server 2022 (just as customers would raise cases for other Microsoft products). The SQL Server engineering team will be backing up the Microsoft Support team to provide assistance as needed. Customers running Release Candidate versions in production will also have upgrade support when SQL Server 2022 reaches General Availability.
  • SQL Server EAP customers running SQL Server 2022 in production are invited (but not required) to participate in co-marketing opportunities with Microsoft, highlighting their usage of SQL Server 2022 as a customer story or short video (or both) and published on the SQL Server website and highlighted at public facing events (Ignite, PASS Summit, etc.), resulting in high visibility for customers.

 

Requirements

 

  • Start by reviewing the Terms and Conditions of the SQL Server EAP that follow below.
  • Next, complete the application form, providing as much detail as possible to help us understand your usage scenario(s).
  • An NDA with Microsoft will be required to participate in the program. If you do not already have an NDA, we will help to get one signed.
  • Customers in the SQL Server EAP that run pre-release software in production will need to sign a EULA amendment that grants them the permission to use the software in production.

 

Next Steps

 

The SQL Server team will evaluate all completed applications and select a limited number of customers based on their usage scenarios, ability to provide feedback on new features, and those on track for production deployments.

 

We look forward to hearing your feedback on SQL Server 2022!

 


 

SQL Server 2022 Early Adoption Program Terms and Conditions

Last Updated: October 25, 2021

 

Acceptance of Terms

Your participation in the SQL Server 2022 Early Adoption Program ("the Program") is subject to the following terms and conditions ("T&C"). Microsoft reserves the right to update the T&C at any time without notice to you. The most current version of the T&C can be reviewed by clicking on the T&C link located here: https://aka.ms/sqlserver2022eap_termsandconditions

 

Description of Service

The SQL Server 2022 Early Adoption Program is a free program that provides select customers and partners access to the engineering team, private preview versions of SQL Server 2022, and the ability to provide input into product requirements ("Benefits") as well as communications including the latest news and information about this latest release of SQL Server.

 

Benefits

Your participation in the Program may provide you with access to certain Benefits. To join or access the Program, you will be required to use your Microsoft account. The Benefits are personal to you and you may not transfer, sell, share, sublicense, assign, or lend them, unless expressly indicated. Your access to and use of the Benefits are subject to the terms of these T&C and any separate license terms that accompany them, or that you are required to accept prior to accessing the particular Benefit. You must be a current, active member of the Program to access the Benefits. A member is considered active if they are providing continuous feedback on the features they are reviewing.


Benefits may include:

Microsoft Benefits

Microsoft makes a set of curated Microsoft Benefits available which are subject to the terms and conditions accompanying such Benefit.

 

Third-Party Benefits

Microsoft may include links to third-party Benefits from the Program website. If you select any of these third-party Benefits, you will be directed to the third-party site to download or activate the Benefit. These Benefits are licensed to you by the third parties that own such software or services, not by Microsoft, and may be subject to the third party's separate terms and conditions. Such software and services and linked sites are not under Microsoft's control and Microsoft assumes no responsibility or liability whatsoever for the third-party Benefits or linked sites.

 

Requirements

Customers selected to participate in the full Early Adoption Program (EAP) will be required to have an NDA with Microsoft. Additionally, customers in the SQL Server 2022 EAP that run Release Candidate builds in production will need to sign a license amendment that grants them the permission to use the pre-release software in production.

 

Communications Policy

By joining and throughout the duration of your participation in the Program, you may receive periodic communications i) about your use of the Program; and ii) about the latest news and updates related to the Program. You can leave the Program at any time to stop receiving these communications by emailing the team at sqleaphelp@microsoft.com. If you leave the program, you will no longer have access to Benefits. Read the Microsoft privacy statement (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=521839).

 

Changes to the Program Services

We may make changes at any time without notice to you. From time to time we may add, remove or stop providing certain Benefits, including access to certain third-party or Microsoft software or services as part of the Program.

 

Prohibited Use

You may not rent, lease, lend, resell, transfer, or host any Benefits or redemption mechanisms including codes that you receive through the Program, or any portion thereof, to or for third parties, and you may not disable, tamper with or otherwise circumvent any mechanism that limits your use of the Benefits.

 

Leaving the Program

You may leave the Program at any time by emailing the team at sqleaphelp@microsoft.com. Note that any benefits that you have already activated and their related communications will continue, even after you leave the Program. You may rejoin the Program at any time by emailing the team at sqleaphelp@microsoft.com. Rejoining the program does not reset the Benefits.

 

Termination and Suspension

We may terminate these T&C or your participation in the Program at our sole discretion, at any time we may suspend or terminate your use of the Benefits if you violate, or we reasonably suspect you have violated these T&C, or due to lack of active participation in the program. We will give notice before we suspend or terminate, except where we reasonably believe we need to suspend or terminate immediately.

 

WARRANTIES

EXCEPT AS WARRANTED IN ACCOMPANYING TERMS, MICROSOFT AND ITS RESPECTIVE SUPPLIERS PROVIDE THE PROGRAM (INCLUDING THE BENEFITS AND CONTENT) "AS IS", "WITH ALL FAULTS" AND "AS AVAILABLE". WE PROVIDE NO WARRANTIES, GUARANTEES OR CONDITIONS, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, STATUTORY, OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. YOU MAY HAVE ADDITIONAL RIGHTS UNDER YOUR LOCAL LAW WHICH THIS AGREEMENT CANNOT CHANGE. THESE DISCLAIMERS WILL APPLY TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW.

 

Terms of Use

The Microsoft Terms of Use apply to your use of any help topics, white papers, datasheets and FAQs that are made available as part of the Program. These materials are the copyrighted work of Microsoft or its suppliers. For more details refer to https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=206977

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‎Jan 04 2022 09:15 AM
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