Merge pull request #35600 from WilliamDAssafMSFT/20251017-vector-embeddings

20251016 vectors and embeddings links

Author: prmerger-automator[bot]

azure-sql/database/ai-artificial-intelligence-intelligent-applications.md

@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ title: Intelligent Applications and AI
 description: "Use AI options such as OpenAI and vectors to build intelligent applications with Azure SQL Database and Fabric SQL database."
 author: WilliamDAssafMSFT
 ms.author: wiassaf
-ms.reviewer: damauri, josephsack, randolphwest, mathoma
-ms.date: 05/06/2025
+ms.reviewer: damauri, randolphwest, mathoma
+ms.date: 10/17/2025
 ms.update-cycle: 180-days
 ms.service: azure-sql-database
 ms.topic: conceptual
@@ -98,6 +98,10 @@ Embeddings are vectors that represent important features of data. Embeddings are
 
 Azure OpenAI features models to create embeddings from text data. The service breaks text out into tokens and generates embeddings using models pretrained by OpenAI. To learn more, see [Creating embeddings with Azure OpenAI](/azure/ai-services/openai/concepts/understand-embeddings).
 
+For a list of answers to common questions around vectors and embeddings, see:
+
+- [Vector and embeddings: Frequently asked questions (FAQ)](/sql/sql-server/ai/vectors-faq)
+
 ### Vector search
 
 Vector search refers to the process of finding all vectors in a dataset that are semantically similar to a specific query vector. Therefore, a query vector for the word `human` searches the entire dictionary for semantically similar words, and should find the word `person` as a close match. This closeness, or distance, is measured using a similarity metric such as cosine similarity. The closer vectors are in similarity, the smaller is the distance between them.
@@ -106,6 +110,10 @@ Consider a scenario where you run a query over millions of document to find the
 
 Vectors in Azure SQL Database can be efficiently stored and queried, as described in the next sections, allowing exact nearest neighbor search with great performance. You don't have to decide between accuracy and speed: you can have both. Storing vector embeddings alongside the data in an integrated solution minimizes the need to manage data synchronization and accelerates your time-to-market for AI application development.
 
+For more details on vectors and embeddings, see:
+
+- [Vector search and vector indexes in the SQL Database Engine](/sql/sql-server/ai/vectors)
+
 ## Azure OpenAI
 
 Embedding is the process of representing the real world as data. Text, images, or sounds can be converted into embeddings. Azure OpenAI models are able to transform real-world information into embeddings. The models are available as REST endpoints and thus can be easily consumed from Azure SQL Database using the [`sp_invoke_external_rest_endpoint`](/sql/relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/sp-invoke-external-rest-endpoint-transact-sql?view=azuresqldb-current&preserve-view=true) system stored procedure:
@@ -177,6 +185,11 @@ For an end-to-end sample to build an AI-enabled application using sessions abstr
 - [How I built a session recommender in 1 hour using OpenAI](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/azure-sql/how-i-built-a-session-recommender-in-1-hour-using-open-ai/).
 - [Using Retrieval Augmented Generation to build a conference session assistant](https://github.com/Azure-Samples/azure-sql-db-session-recommender-v2)
 
+For more details on Intelligent Applications, see:
+
+- [Intelligent applications and AI](/sql/sql-server/ai/artificial-intelligence-intelligent-applications)
+- [Intelligent applications and AI FAQ](/sql/sql-server/ai/artificial-intelligence-intelligent-applications-faq)
+
 ### LangChain integration
 
 LangChain is a well-known framework for developing applications powered by language models. For examples that show how LangChain can be used to create a Chatbot on your own data, see:

azure-sql/database/doc-changes-updates-release-notes-whats-new.md

@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@ The following table lists the features of Azure SQL Database that are currently
 | **Network Security Perimeter** | [Azure Network Security Perimeter](network-security-perimeter.md) allows organizations to define a logical network isolation boundary for PaaS resources (for example, Azure Storage and SQL Database) that are deployed outside your organization's virtual networks. It restricts public network access to PaaS resources outside of the perimeter, and access can be exempted by using explicit access rules for public inbound and outbound. |
 | **Query editor in the Azure portal** | The [query editor in the Azure portal](query-editor.md) allows you to run queries against your Azure SQL Database directly from a web browser. |
 | **Regular expression functions** | Regular expression (REGEX) functions return text based on values in a search pattern. [Regular expressions](/sql/relational-databases/regular-expressions/overview). |
-| **Vector data type and functions** | Working with vector data is now easier in Azure SQL Database with the introduction of a new [vector data type](/sql/t-sql/data-types/vector-data-type?view=azuresqldb-current&preserve-view=true) and [vector functions](/sql/t-sql/functions/vector-functions-transact-sql?view=azuresqldb-current&preserve-view=true). For more information, see [Intelligent applications with Azure SQL Database](ai-artificial-intelligence-intelligent-applications.md#vectors).|
 
 ## General availability (GA)
 
@@ -69,6 +68,7 @@ The following table lists features of Azure SQL Database that have been made gen
 | **\|\| (String concatenation) and \|\|= (Compound assignment) syntax support** | July 2025 | Azure SQL Database now supports [\|\| (String concatenation)](/sql/t-sql/language-elements/string-concatenation-pipes-transact-sql?view=azuresqldb-current&preserve-view=true) and [\|\|= (Compound assignment)](/sql/t-sql/language-elements/compound-assignment-pipes-transact-sql?view=azuresqldb-current&preserve-view=true) Transact-SQL syntax.|
 | **Degrees of Parallelism (DOP) feedback** | July 2025 | [DOP Feedback](/sql/relational-databases/performance/intelligent-query-processing-degree-parallelism-feedback?view=azuresqldb-current&preserve-view=true) is now generally available for Azure SQL Database. For more information, see [Smarter Parallelism: Degree of parallelism feedback in SQL Server 2025](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/sqlserver/smarter-parallelism-degree-of-parallelism-feedback-in-sql-server-2025/4431318). |
 | **Audit re-architecture** | July 2025 | Increased availability and reliability of server audits through a re-architecture of auditing in Azure SQL Database that is closely aligned with SQL Server and Azure SQL Managed Instance. For more information, see [Auditing](auditing-overview.md#enhancements-to-performance-availability-and-reliability-in-server-auditing-for-azure-sql-database-july-2025-ga).|
+| **Vector data type and functions** | June 2025 | Working with vector data is now easier in Azure SQL Database with the introduction of a new [vector data type](/sql/t-sql/data-types/vector-data-type?view=azuresqldb-current&preserve-view=true) and [vector functions](/sql/t-sql/functions/vector-functions-transact-sql?view=azuresqldb-current&preserve-view=true). For more information, see [Intelligent applications with Azure SQL Database](ai-artificial-intelligence-intelligent-applications.md#vectors).|
 | **Hyperscale increased log generation rate** | May 2025 | The transaction log generation rate in Azure SQL Database Hyperscale single databases has been increased from 100 MiB/s to 150 MiB/s for premium-series and premium-series memory optimized hardware. For more information, read [Blog: Enhancements to Azure SQL Database Hyperscale](https://aka.ms/HSenhancements).|
 | **Hyperscale continuous priming** | May 2025 | [Continuous priming](service-tier-hyperscale.md#continuous-priming) optimizes Hyperscale performance during failovers by priming high availability secondary compute replicas. Continuous priming is now generally available. For more information, read [Blog: Enhancements to Azure SQL Database Hyperscale](https://aka.ms/HSenhancements). |
 | **JSON native data type** | May 2025 | The [**json** data type and JSON aggregate functions](/sql/t-sql/data-types/json-data-type?view=azuresqldb-current&preserve-view=true) provide new capabilities for handling semistructured data in Azure SQL Database. |

azure-sql/managed-instance/doc-changes-updates-release-notes-whats-new.md

@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ The following table lists the features of Azure SQL Managed Instance that are cu
 |[SDK-style SQL project](/sql/azure-data-studio/extensions/sql-database-project-extension-sdk-style-projects) | Use [Microsoft.Build.Sql](https://www.nuget.org/packages/Microsoft.Build.Sql) for SDK-style SQL projects in the SQL Database Projects extension in Azure Data Studio or Visual Studio Code. SDK-style SQL projects are especially advantageous for applications shipped through pipelines or built in cross-platform environments.|
 |[Service Broker](/sql/database-engine/configure-windows/sql-server-service-broker) | Support for cross-instance message exchange using Service Broker between instances of Azure SQL Managed Instance, and between SQL Server and Azure SQL Managed Instance. |
 |[SQL Server 2025 update policy](update-policy.md#sql-server-2025-update-policy) | Align your SQL managed instance database format with the SQL Server 2025 database engine. | 
-|[Vector data type and functions](/sql/t-sql/data-types/vector-data-type?view=azuresqldb-current&preserve-view=true) | Working with vector data is now easier in Azure SQL Managed Instance with the introduction of a new [vector data type](/sql/t-sql/data-types/vector-data-type?view=azuresqlmi-current&preserve-view=true) and [vector functions](/sql/t-sql/functions/vector-functions-transact-sql?view=azuresqlmi-current&preserve-view=true). For more information, see [Intelligent applications with Azure SQL Managed Instance](ai-artificial-intelligence-intelligent-applications.md#vectors). |
+|[Vector data type and functions](/sql/t-sql/data-types/vector-data-type?view=azuresqlmi-current&preserve-view=true) | Working with vector data is now easier in Azure SQL Managed Instance with the introduction of a new [vector data type](/sql/t-sql/data-types/vector-data-type?view=azuresqlmi-current&preserve-view=true) and [vector functions](/sql/t-sql/functions/vector-functions-transact-sql?view=azuresqlmi-current&preserve-view=true). For more information, see [Intelligent applications with Azure SQL Managed Instance](ai-artificial-intelligence-intelligent-applications.md#vectors). |
 
 
 ## General availability (GA)
@@ -59,8 +59,9 @@ The following table lists features of Azure SQL Managed Instance that have been
 | ---| --- |--- |
 |[Optimized locking](/sql/relational-databases/performance/optimized-locking)| July 2025 | Azure SQL Managed Instance with the Always-up-to-date and SQL Server 2025 [update policy](update-policy.md) now has optimized locking enabled for all user databases. |
 |[UNISTR (Transact-SQL)](/sql/t-sql/functions/unistr-transact-sql) | July 2025 | Azure SQL Managed Instance now supports the `UNISTR` T-SQL syntax for Unicode string literals.|
-|[\|\| (String concatenation)](/sql/t-sql/language-elements/string-concatenation-pipes-transact-sql?view=azuresqldb-current&preserve-view=true) and [\|\|= (Compound assignment)](/sql/t-sql/language-elements/compound-assignment-pipes-transact-sql?view=azuresqldb-current&preserve-view=true) syntax support | July 2025 |Azure SQL Managed Instance now supports [\|\| (String concatenation)](/sql/t-sql/language-elements/string-concatenation-pipes-transact-sql?view=azuresqldb-current&preserve-view=true) and [\|\|= (Compound assignment)](/sql/t-sql/language-elements/compound-assignment-pipes-transact-sql?view=azuresqldb-current&preserve-view=true) Transact-SQL syntax.|
+|[\|\| (String concatenation)](/sql/t-sql/language-elements/string-concatenation-pipes-transact-sql?view=azuresqlmi-current&preserve-view=true) and [\|\|= (Compound assignment)](/sql/t-sql/language-elements/compound-assignment-pipes-transact-sql?view=azuresqlmi-current&preserve-view=true) syntax support | July 2025 |Azure SQL Managed Instance now supports [\|\| (String concatenation)](/sql/t-sql/language-elements/string-concatenation-pipes-transact-sql?view=azuresqlmi-current&preserve-view=true) and [\|\|= (Compound assignment)](/sql/t-sql/language-elements/compound-assignment-pipes-transact-sql?view=azuresqlmi-current&preserve-view=true) Transact-SQL syntax.|
 |[Degrees of parallelism (DOP) feedback](/sql/relational-databases/performance/intelligent-query-processing-degree-parallelism-feedback?view=azuresqldb-mi-current&preserve-view=true) | July 2025|  DOP feedback improves query performance by identifying parallelism inefficiencies for repeating queries, based on elapsed time and waits. For more information, see the [Smarter Parallelism: Degree of parallelism feedback in SQL Server 2025](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/sqlserver/smarter-parallelism-degree-of-parallelism-feedback-in-sql-server-2025/4431318) blog. |
+| Vector data type and functions | June 2025 | Working with vector data is now easier in Azure SQL Managed Instance with the Always-up-to-date policy, with the introduction of a new [vector data type](/sql/t-sql/data-types/vector-data-type?view=azuresqlmi-current&preserve-view=true) and [vector functions](/sql/t-sql/functions/vector-functions-transact-sql?view=azuresqlmi-current&preserve-view=true). For more information, see [Intelligent applications with Azure SQL Database](ai-artificial-intelligence-intelligent-applications.md#vectors).|
 |[Zone redundancy for General Purpose](high-availability-sla-local-zone-redundancy.md#zone-redundant-availability) | June 2025|  Deploy your General Purpose SQL Managed Instance to multiple availability zones to improve the availability of your instance in the event of a disaster. | 
 |[Invoke an HTTPS REST endpoint SP](/sql/relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/sp-invoke-external-rest-endpoint-transact-sql) | June 2025 | Use the `sp_invoke_external_rest_endpoint` stored procedure to invoke an HTTPS REST endpoint provided as an input argument to the procedure. | 
 |[TLS 1.3 support for replication](replication-transactional-overview.md#tls-13-support) | May 2025 | Configure Azure SQL Managed Instance replication agents to use TLS 1.3. |