The baseline version released with SQL Server 2016, primarily supporting Internationalized Domain Names (IDN). Key Features and Compatibility
Supports connections to SQL Server versions 2008, 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2017.
Available for Windows (x86 and x64), various Linux distributions (via msodbcsql13 packages), and macOS.
Includes advanced features like Always Encrypted and Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) authentication.