"It depends" is the standard answer for database selection, but only if you understand what it depends on. For developers deciding between SQL Server and Azure Cosmos DB, understanding the differences in their internal engines is critical to performance.

In this session, we strip away the abstraction layers to compare the query engines of Microsoft's top databases. We will dive deep into the internals, comparing how each engine handles indexing, scaling, and query optimization. You will see exactly how a "simple" query executes differently in a distributed system vs. a centralized one. Come for the feature comparison; stay for the survival guide on avoiding costly migration mistakes.

This session brings SQL Server and Azure Cosmos DB side-by-side and compares the two products in detail.