Data in a database must be safeguarded for accuracy, consistency, and authorized access. Microsoft SQL Server actively protects the accuracy and consistency of data in demanding multiuser database environments. Microsoft SQL Server addresses this key area with a programmable server, which allows organization-wide data integrity, business rules, and transactions to be programmed into the server and shared among all client applications.
This programmable server enforces data integrity within the database itself, guaranteeing that complex business policies are followed. Since all rules are stored with the data and the single control point for data consistency is on the server, the need for these rules in every front-end application is eliminated. When rules change or new rules are created, they're encoded in only one place—the SQL Server database itself.
In addition, Microsoft SQL Server provides unique support for distributed data integrity, which ensures the accuracy and consistency of data distributed across multiple servers. By ensuring the integrity of data that is replicated or partitioned across servers, Microsoft SQL Server makes it easy to deploy enterprise-wide applications in a distributed environment.
The programmable server has many advantages. Application development costs can be greatly reduced because server-enforced business rules and transactions can be shared across all applications. Maintenance costs can be significantly reduced because business rules and transactions only have to be modified in one place—the server—instead of in every application using them. Database reliability can be increased because data integrity is maintained independently from application programs. Database security also increases because rules and transactions, as well as database tables, are protected from unauthorized access.