Sql Server 2008 Native Client (Trusted · PICK)

Despite its end-of-life status, SQLNCLI10 persists. It lives on in:

: Enables applications to use features introduced in SQL Server 2008, such as Multiple Active Result Sets (MARS) , Query Notifications , and Snapshot Isolation . sql server 2008 native client

SQL Server 2008 Native Client was never beautiful—it was utilitarian. It faithfully delivered the full power of SQL Server 2008 to the unmanaged Windows world, with features (MARS, compression, FILESTREAM handles) that were years ahead of competing drivers. It was a victim of its own success, becoming so embedded that extracting it now requires archaeological patience. Despite its end-of-life status, SQLNCLI10 persists

For all its technical merit, SQLNCLI10 was a deployment nightmare. Unlike the bundled sqlsrv32.dll ODBC driver, the Native Client required a separate redistributable installer. Versioning was particularly painful: It faithfully delivered the full power of SQL

If you are reviewing this because you are managing a legacy environment, here is your action plan:

: It provides native support for then-new data types like XML , Date , Time , and user-defined types (UDTs).