Microsoft has announced that it is creating a Linux version of its SQL Server database server tool. SQL Server has long been a core component of the Windows Server ecosystem, and the strange appearance of a Linux version underscores how far Microsoft has come in recent years to embrace the possibilities of Linux.

According to Microsoft VP Al Gillen, “This is an enormously important decision for Microsoft, allowing it to offer its well known and trusted database to an expanded set of customers. By taking this key product to Linux, Microsoft is proving its commitment to being a cross platform solution provider.”

Of course, Microsoft doesn't do anything for free or for fun. The prevalence of Linux systems running in the cloud, including Microsoft’s own Azure cloud, further confirms that Linux is here to stay. By porting SQL Server to the Linux platform, Microsoft can continue to exert an influence over SQL database systems, even as the underlying OS migrates to Linux.

The private preview version of SQL Server on Linux is available now, and Microsoft is aiming to have a release version ready by mid-2017.