Moore's Law: Navigating the Pace of Technological Change

Technology has always been a driving force in shaping our world, propelling us forward into new realms of innovation and progress. One of the most famous concepts in technology is Moore's Law, which suggests that the number of transistors on a microchip doubles approximately every two years, leading to exponential increases in computing power. In more recent years, this concept has been broadly applied to technology in general, reflecting the exponential growth of available information.

The recent passing of Gordon Moore, the co-founder of Intel and the man behind Moore's Law, in late March, has prompted me to reflect on the pace of change in technology. While I'm not sure if the features, speed, or abilities of relational databases have doubled every two years, the constant pace of innovation and change can be dizzying. The challenge, however, is that most companies like their databases to be boring and stable. Upgrades were often seen as a disruption that needed to be minimized until there was a truly compelling reason to move forward.

However, recent data from a post by Brent Ozar, detailing the distribution of currently running SQL Server versions for the service his company provides, surprised me. According to the report, more than 80% of servers were running SQL Server 2016 or newer, with a surprising 33% running SQL Server 2019. This suggests that many companies are keeping up with the pace of change and upgrading their databases to newer versions. I believe there are two main reasons for this trend.

First, the process of upgrading databases and applications has become significantly easier over the years, with improved tooling and increased confidence in successful outcomes. Second, the adoption of cloud-managed services has allowed companies to delegate the management of complex tasks, such as database upgrades, to external providers, allowing them to focus on development and innovation.

While these improvements may not have occurred at the speed of Moore's Law, in the context of a 25-30 year career, the overall pace of change is still impressive. It's a testament to the innovation happening around us and how much more we're able to accomplish as technology continues to advance.

As we reflect on the legacy of Gordon Moore and the concept of Moore's Law, it's important to acknowledge the benefits of keeping up with the pace of technological change. Upgrading databases and leveraging cloud-managed services can enable companies to stay competitive, take advantage of new features and capabilities, and drive innovation in their industries. While the pace of change in technology may be relentless, it also presents us with unprecedented opportunities for growth and progress.

Now, who's upgrading to SQL Server 2022 this week?

Ryan Booz

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