SQL Server, as in MS SQL Server? Last time I checked, it don’t run on Linux, and FR is a Linux shop.
That's...interesting.
Good! That's probably part of the reason they are able to solve issues fairly quickly. LAMP all the way.
I also admire FR's speed most of the time: no ASP, no JavaScript, no gargantuan frameworks. For me, contrary to recent trends, FR is a model for how a web public forum should work: simple, flexible, and to the point.
Jim and John have my admiration for the technological feat they have achieved with available resources, and if they ever asked for my help on a backend issue I would render it with enthusiasm.