Graph databases add new ways of understanding and querying your data. With the new SQL Server 2017 graph capabilities come a means of efficiently querying data with relationships. A demo using docker and contrasted with other graph databases such as Neo4J and CosmosDb

1. Graph Databases and SQL Server 2017
By John Staveley
25/01/2018
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/johnstaveley/
@johnstaveley

2. Overview
What are graph databases?
Why not relational?
Applications of graph databases
Setting up SQL Server 2017
Demo
Summary

3. What is a graph database?
Node
Edge
Where relations between data matter more than the data
itself
Examples:
Nodes:

People

Cities
Edge

Likes

Lives In

Travel Distance

4. What is a graph database?

5. Why not relational?
Modelling friends and friends of friends relationally
Who are bob's friends? OK
Who is friends with bob? (OK but requires table scan of
PersonFriend)
Who are the friends of my friends? (Not Ok – requires
recursive joins)

6. Applications
Where relations between data matter more than the data itself
Product recommendations
Fraud Detection
Supply chain/ airline visibility and planning
Social web
Understanding customers
Network planning

7. Demo
Start up docker
Pull SQL Server 2017 image
docker pull microsoft/mssql-server-linux:2017-latest
Start up SQL Server on docker
docker run -e 'ACCEPT_EULA=Y' -e
'MSSQL_SA_PASSWORD=<securepassword>' -e 'MSSQL_PID=Developer' -p
1401:1433 --name sqlserver1 -d microsoft/mssql-server-linux:2017-latest
Connect to SQL Server using SSMS
Create nodes
Create edges
Query MATCH syntax

8. Notes
No support in Entity framework
CosmosDb (Gremlin syntax, supported in .Net)
Neo4J (integrates with .Net)
Visualisation: Linkurious, Keylines, sigmajs, D3, yWorks,
CytoScope

9. Summary
 SQL Server Graph capabilities are easy to set up and run
 Graph functionality provides useful new capabilities
 https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/linux/quickstart-install-
connect-docker
 https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-
databases/graphs/sql-graph-sample
 Free eBook (http://graphdatabases.com/)

10. Summary
 SQL Server Graph capabilities are easy to set up and run
 Graph functionality provides useful new capabilities
 https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/linux/quickstart-install-
connect-docker
 https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-
databases/graphs/sql-graph-sample
 Free eBook (http://graphdatabases.com/)