SQL Server 2008 Native Client Features

SQL Server 2008 Books Online (October 2009)

In addition to exposing features of the Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC), SQL Server Native Client also implements many other features to take advantage of SQL Server functionality.

Note:
MDAC does not exploit certain features introduced beginning in SQL Server 2005. You must use SQL Server Native Client to take advantage of these features.

In This Section

What's New in SQL Server Native Client 10.0: Lists the significant new SQL Server Native Client features in SQL Server 2008.

Using Database Mirroring: Discusses how SQL Server Native Client supports the use of mirrored databases, which is the ability to keep a copy, or mirror, of a SQL Server database on a standby server.

Performing Asynchronous Operations: Discusses how SQL Server Native Client supports asynchronous operations, which is the ability to return immediately without blocking on the calling thread.

Using Multiple Active Result Sets (MARS): Discusses how SQL Server Native Client supports multiple active result sets (MARS). MARS enables you to execute and receive multiple result sets using a single database connection

Using XML Data Types: Discusses how SQL Server Native Client supports the XML data type, which is a XML-based data type that can be used as a column type, variable type, parameter type, or function return type.

Using User-Defined Types: Discusses how SQL Server Native Client supports User-Defined Types (UDT), which extends the SQL type system by allowing you to store objects and custom data structures in a SQL Server database.

Using Large Value Types: Discusses how SQL Server Native Client supports large value data types, which are large object data types (LOB) that are supported in SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2008.

Changing Passwords Programmatically: Discusses how SQL Server Native Client supports the handling of expired passwords so that passwords can now be changed on the client without administrator involvement.

Working with Snapshot Isolation: Discusses how SQL Server Native Client supports the enhancement to row versioning that improves database performance by avoiding reader-writer blocking scenarios.

Working with Query Notifications: Discusses how SQL Server Native Client supports consumer notification on rowset modification.

Performing Bulk Copy Operations: Discusses how SQL Server Native Client supports bulk copy operations that allow the transfer of large amounts of data into or out of a SQL Server table or view.

Using Encryption Without Validation: Discusses how to use SQL Server Native Client to encrypt data sent to the server without validating the certificate.

Table-Valued Parameters (SQL Server Native Client): Discusses SQL Server Native Client support for the table-valued parameters added in SQL Server 2008.

Large CLR User-Defined Types: Discusses support for large common language runtime (CLR) user-defined types (UDTs). Beginning with SQL Server 2008, UDTs are no longer restricted to 8,000 bytes in size.

FILESTREAM Support: Discusses SQL Server 2008 and SQL Server Native Client 10.0 support for the enhanced FILESTREAM feature.

Service Principal Name (SPN) Support in Client Connections: Discusses how support for service principal names (SPNs) has been extended to enable mutual authentication across all protocols.

Sparse Columns Support in SQL Server Native Client: Discusses SQL Server Native Client support for sparse columns.

Date/Time Improvements: Discusses support added to SQL Server Native Client 10.0 for the new date and time data types added in SQL Server 2008.

Other Resources

SQL Server 2008 Native Client Programming

Help and Information

Getting SQL Server 2008 Assistance