Thanks to scoop for letting us know that certain Beta testers are getting access to a survey to complete for SQL Server Yukon. At the moment we"re not sure if this is JDP only or for previous SQL Server testers too. Also, this survey has no Guest ID, beta testers are just asked to complete it under "Surveys to be completed".
Beta testers interested in Yukon won"t be able to apply for Yukon until at least Beta 2 according to Microsoft here. Only experienced Beta testers or those with a record of sucessful participation in previous betas are considered.
Yukon is the next major release of SQL Server due out this year. Yukon is an important product for Microsoft. However, the company has not yet clearly stated whether it will redefine SQL Server"s scalability and availability or redefine SQL Server as the definitive database management system (DBMS). Yukon won"t be an XML database, but will rather integrate support for XML data types into the relational SQL Server database.
Yukon also will be tightly integrated with Microsoft"s Visual Studio .Net development suite. Database programmers will have access to Visual Studio"s authoring, debugging, profiling and IntelliSense capabilities and Microsoft is also building Visual SourceSafe configuration management product straight into the database.
Yukon centres around the web services idea, VS .NET intergration and to intergrate support for XML data types. The first beta is due mid this year and perhaps around June just after TechEd.
See below for a screenshot of the beta survey.