The SDS team have announced their updated plans for SQL Data Services. There are plenty of changes to take in – but  it looks to be a very positive step in response to feedback from folks who looked at the current CTP.

Essentially SDS becomes a full relational database (SQL Server!) in the cloud which we access using familiar programming models such as ADO.NET and ODBC – you get stored procedures, triggers, views etc. As such it will become fairly trivial to “re-platform” on-premise applications to “the cloud” – something which was difficult to do with the current CTP. Oh - and the ACE (Authority, Container, Entity) model in the current CTP will completely go away. Apologies, if like me you spent a fair bit of time understanding it. The joy of CTPs :-) You will still be able to access SDS via REST using ADO.NET Data Services (Check out the recent announcement on the 1.5 CTP).

Interestingly the team state “The initial scenarios we are targeting are things like web and departmental applications” – that is something I will be digging into during the coming months.

Therefore my humble recommendation is:

• Stop looking at the current SDS CTP - wipe your mind of the existence of the ACE programming model. These things happen.
• Invest time in ADO.NET Data Services which shipped with .NET Framework 3.5 SP1. Its central to Windows Azure storage and will become the RESTful way of accessing SDS.
• Keep an eye on ADO.NET Data Services 1.5
• Go with Windows Azure table and blob storage for any “work in progress” you have until we have access to the new SDS bits
• Continue to invest time in LINQ – which works with ADO.NET Data Services and pure SQL Server
• Keep an eye on MIX 09 for more details

UPDATE: 23/3/2009 PPT and Video from MIX available.