SQL Server 2012 RC0 is now available. Here&#39;s a download link round-up.

Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 Release Candidate 0 (RC0)

Microsoft SQL Server 2012 RC0 enables a cloud-ready information platform that will help organizations unlock breakthrough insights across the organization as well as quickly build solutions and extend data across on-premises and public cloud backed by capabilities for mission critical confidence.

SQL Server 2012 RC0 enables a cloud-ready information platform that will help organizations unlock breakthrough insights across the organization as well as quickly build solutions and extend data across on-premises and public cloud backed by capabilities for mission critical confidence:

Deliver required uptime and data protection with AlwaysOn

Gain breakthrough & predictable performance with ColumnStore Index

Help enable security and compliance with new User-defined Roles and Default Schema for Groups

Enable rapid data discovery for deeper insights across the organization with ColumnStore Index

Ensure more credible, consistent data with SSIS improvements, a Master Data Services add-in for Excel, and new Data Quality Services

Optimize IT and developer productivity across server and cloud with Data-tier Application Component (DAC) parity with SQL Azure and SQL Server Data Tools for a unified dev experience across database, BI, and cloud functions

Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Documentation:

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Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 Express RC0

"The Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 RC0 Express is a powerful and reliable free data management system that delivers a rich set of features, data protection, and performance for embedded applications, lightweight Web Sites , applications, and local data stores. Designed for easy deployment and rapid prototyping, this download includes support for Sysprep, Microsoft's System Preparation Utility for Microsoft Windows operating system deployment.

LocalDB (MSI installer)

New to the Express family, LocalDB is a lightweight version of Express that has all its programmability features, yet runs in user mode and has a fast, zero-configuration installation and short list of pre-requisites. Use this if you need a simple way to create and work with databases from code. It can be bundled with Visual Studio, other Database Development tools or embedded with an application that needs local databases.

Express (Containing only the database engine)

The core Express database server. Use this if you need to accept remote connections or administer remotely.

Express with Tools (with LocalDB) Includes the database engine and SQL Server Management Studio Express)

This package contains everything needed to install and configure SQL Server as a database server. Choose either LocalDB or Express depending on your needs above.

QL Server Management Studio Express (Tools only)

This does not contain the database, but only the tools to manage SQL Server instances, including LocalDB, SQL Express, SQL Azure, etc. Use this if you already have the database and only need the management tools.

Express with Advanced Services (contains the database engine, Express Tools, Reporting Services, and Full Text Search)

This package contains all the components of SQL Express. This is a larger

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Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 PowerPivot® for Microsoft® Excel

"Microsoft® PowerPivot® for Microsoft® Excel® 2010 provides ground-breaking technology, such as fast manipulation of large data sets (often millions of rows), streamlined integration of data, and the ability to effortlessly share your analysis through Microsoft® SharePoint 2010.

Microsoft® PowerPivot for Microsoft® Excel® 2010 is a data analysis tool that delivers unmatched computational power directly within the software users already know and love — Microsoft® Excel. You can transform mass quantities of data with incredible speed into meaningful information to get the answers you need in seconds. You can effortlessly share your findings with others. You can:

Process large data sets (often millions of rows) with about the same performance as processing a few hundred rows by leveraging the PowerPivot in-memory engine and its efficient compression algorithms

Use PowerPivot to directly access trusted premium and public domain data from DataMarket section of Windows Azure Marketplace

Integrate data from a multitude of sources, including corporate databases, spreadsheets, reports, text files, and Internet data feeds

Go beyond standard Excel expressions and use PowerPivot’s Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) language to perform powerful data manipulations. Follow relationships between tables as in a database and define sophisticated calculations using familiar and intuitive expressions

Interactively explore, analyze, and create reports without depending on expert knowledge and specialty training by using native Excel 2010 functionality such as PivotTables, slicers, and other familiar analysis features

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Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 RC0 Master Data Services Add-in For Microsoft® Excel®

"The Master Data Services Add-in for Excel gives multiple users the ability to update master data in a familiar tool without compromising the data’s integrity in MDS. From within the Add-in, users can publish data to the MDS database with the click of a button. Administrators can use the Add-in to create new model objects and load data without ever launching any administrative tools, helping to speed deployment. With the Master Data Services Add-in for Excel, all master data remains centrally managed in MDS, while the ability to read or update the data is distributed to those who need it.

The Master Data Services (MDS) Add-in for Microsoft Excel is a data management tool that delivers a multitude of master data management capabilities with ease and efficiency. Manage MDS data within an interface you already know and love – Microsoft® Excel. Leverage existing Excel functionality to share your managed lists with others, knowing these lists can be secured and monitored with all of the features provided by Master Data Services.

The Master Data Services Add-in for Excel gives multiple users the ability to update master data in a familiar tool while maintaining the data’s integrity in MDS. From within the Add-in, users can publish data to the MDS database with the click of a button. Administrators can use the Add-in to create new model objects and load data without ever launching any administrative tools, helping to speed deployment. With the Master Data Services Add-in for Excel, all master data remains centrally managed in MDS, while the ability to read or update the data is distributed to those who need it.

Quickly and easily load new managed data sets into the Master Data Services database.

Administrators, easily create new entities to store sets of managed data.

Make bulk data changes to pre-existing models.

Correct all issues discovered through the validation process and seamlessly publish updates to the MDS server.

Add and update columns in your entities with a few clicks, creating constrained columns on the fly.

Send defined queries to other users through Outlook Email for a rich collaboration experience leveraging Master Data Services Security

Determine data matches with the new Data Quality Services for SQL Server 2012

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Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 Semantic Language Statistics RC0

"The Semantic Language Statistics Database is a required component for the Statistical Semantic Search feature in Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 RC0. You can download this database from this page, attach it to your Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 RC0 instance, and register it to use the new Semantic Search features.

Statistical Semantic Search provides deep insight into unstructured documents stored in SQL Server databases by extracting and indexing statistically relevant key phrases and similar documents based on this keyphrases. Semantic Search builds upon the existing Full-Text Search feature in SQL Server, and enables new scenarios that extend beyond keyword searches into the meaning of the document. Solutions that are now possible include automatic tag extraction, related content discovery, and hierarchical navigation across similar content. For example, users can query the index of key phrases to build the taxonomy for an organization, or for a corpus of technical documents. Or for example in an HR scenario, a recruiter can query the document similarity index to identify resumes that match a job description.

Developers can easily enable Semantic Search using familiar Fulltext search syntax. They can then access Semantic Search results using the new Semantic Rowset functions (similar to CONTAINSTABLE and FREETEXTTABLE). Semantic Search follows all of the Fulltext index population models to work seamlessly in the existing Fulltext scenarios.

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Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 Release Candidate 0 (RC0) Manageability Tool Kit

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ENU\x64\dacframework.msi
ENU\x64\SharedManagementObjects.msi
ENU\x64\SqlCmdLnUtils.msi
ENU\x64\SQLDOM.MSI
ENU\x64\SQLLS.MSI
ENU\x64\sqlncli.msi
ENU\x64\SQLSysClrTypes.msi
ENU\x64\tsqllanguageservice.msi
ENU\x86\dacframework.msi
ENU\x86\SharedManagementObjects.msi
ENU\x86\SqlCmdLnUtils.msi
ENU\x86\SQLDOM.MSI
ENU\x86\SQLLS.MSI
ENU\x86\sqlncli.msi
ENU\x86\SQLSysClrTypes.msi
ENU\x86\tsqllanguageservice.msi

The Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 Release Candidate 0 (RC0) Manageability Tool Kit is a collection of stand-alone packages which provide additional value for Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 Release Candidate 0 (RC0). It includes the latest versions of:

Redistributable components for Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 Release Candidate 0 (RC0).

Add-on providers for Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 Release Candidate 0 (RC0).

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Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 RC0 End User License Agreements and Privacy Statement

"The Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 RC0 End User License Agreements provide the legal terms and conditions for the Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 RC0 software.

Note: Below you will find the following End User License Agreements and Privacy Statements applicable for this release:

Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 RC0 Privacy Statement

Microsoft SQL Server Licenses – The main SQL Server license and all of the component licenses.

Windows Programs Licenses - The software contains Microsoft .NET Framework and PowerShell software. These software programs are part of Windows.

Other Microsoft Program Licenses - The software also contains other Microsoft Programs, each of which are licensed under the terms and conditions of the respective program’s license .

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Getting closer! This release is shaping up to be a very interesting release and I'm looking forward to its release...